Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder An Analysis of Melvin Udall...

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: An Analysis of Melvin Udall in As Good As It Gets The protagonist in the film As Good As It Gets, Melvin Udall is a successful romantic novelist who suffers from obsessive-compulsive disorder. From the onset of the film, Melvin displays ritualistic behavior that aligns with the diagnostic criteria for OCD, specifically the presence of obsessions, compulsions, or both. This paper focuses on Melvin’s particular psychopathology, analyzing the character’s current symptoms and diagnoses, the etiology of the disorder, and the key elements of his treatment. Melvin Udall lives a secluded life in his apartment among the busy streets of New York City. A middle age man of approximately 50 years, Melvin is currently†¦show more content†¦The movie shows Melvin performing these tasks and more in a continued effort for cleanliness. In one of the first scenes, Melvin immediately approaches his bathroom after entering his apartment, where he uses steaming hot water to repetitively wash his hand with multiple new bars of soap aligned in his bathroom mirror for each wash. SHOWER SCENE? WONT TOUCH GROUND W/O SHOES Melvin shows repeated signs of distress when too closely approached by other people or things, wearing gloves to avoid touching objects such as cab doors, the steering wheel of a borrowed convertible, and even Verdell, the neighbor’s pet dog. Even at restaurants, Melvin is compelled to bring his own set of cleanly wrapped plastic silverware. An even further extreme occurs while on the trip to Maryland, when a coat and tie w ere required at a fine dining establishment. Melvin refuses to use the restaurant’s used coat and leaves in order to buy a new one of which he approves. No measure is too extreme in appeasing his urges. About 60% of obsessive-compulsive disorder patients have multiple obsessions. Not only does Melvin display behaviors associated with his fear of contamination, but also he presents compulsions under the symmetry/exactness/†just right† symptom subtype. This subtype deals specifically with the need for symmetry, in which things are put in a certain order and rituals are repeated. Melvin has very specific expectations of order in his daily routine. Every