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Ocd In As Good As It Gets

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In the film “As Good As it Gets,” Melvin is a character with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). He engages in routines and rituals and any disruption to those compulsive behaviors is grounds for complete chaos and panic in his life. Melvin struggles daily with the need to go to a certain restaurant and be waited on by the same waitress each time. He also has hand washing rituals and the need to lock the door constantly. These obsessions and compulsions are representative of OCD. Melvin also meets pieces of the diagnostic criteria for generalized anxiety disorder (GAD); however, much of his anxiety is a result of the OCD. For example, Melvin becomes destressed when his neighbor Simon needs him and he reluctantly helps him in various ways, all requiring Melvin to go far outside of his comfort zone and face his anxieties. I would want to explore Melvin’s inner thoughts and feelings in therapy, as I do not have access to this information in the film. For example, does Melvin have a strong inner critic? Are his thoughts critical in nature or are they something entirely different? Melvin behaves, especially toward the beginning of the film, with such a sense of urgency to act out specific behaviors repeatedly. I am …show more content…

He recognizes that his behaviors affect his daily life and relationships. When Carol stopped coming to work, it disrupted Melvin’s routine so much that he hired a doctor to care for her son so she could come back to work and be his server. Melvin demonstrates good insight when he takes his medication after having not taken it. This decision was in relation to his feelings about Carol, which appeared to play a part in his wanting to improve, but nonetheless he took his medication. By the end of the film, Melvin’s insight had become even greater. I believe he would benefit from cognitive behavior therapy (CBT), which has been found to be effective in the treatment of OCD (Beidel, Frueh, & Hersen,

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