Monica has a maniacal passion for cleaning. And most importantly, it is vital for her that all things are in her place.
Photo: frame of the film.
Oddities make the characters vivid, memorable. They are often laughed at in movies and TV shows. But often the characters seem to have stepped out of a psychiatry textbook, out of a chapter on obsessive-compulsive disorder. Doctor of Medical Sciences, psychiatrist Andrei Shmilovich said that obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) can often be suspected in the characters. It is an obsessive-compulsive disorder.
– Obsessions are different, – explains Shmilovich. – They are thoughts, images, fears, ideas (they are called obsessions), or repetitive obsessive actions (compulsions).
Compulsions, for example, include constant hand washing and obsessions: the fear of viruses and germs. Familiar? It is not for nothing that during the pandemic, many psychiatrists feared an influx of patients, because, in fact, fear was imposed on us and excessive zeal for hygiene was instilled. On the one hand, it is necessary to wash your hands after the street. Instead, if you run to the sink to lather up and rinse every five minutes, this is already a compulsion. Maybe I will let it go when the objective situation changes. And it can become a serious disorder.
HARD AND LONG TREATY
The disease, if true, develops already in adolescence, explains Shmilovich. On average, OCD manifests itself at 19-20 years of age. More often than not, people with anxious traits tend to be prone to it, prone to getting stuck in some kind of experience. And if OCD starts to take over, it seriously complicates life. And not only to the patient, but also to his relatives.
“This generates problems at work, family conflicts, inability to organize the day, painful emotional experiences. And in general, this is a rather difficult condition that requires an appeal to a psychotherapist, and, as a rule, to a psychiatrist, ”says Andrey Shmilovich.
Yes, strange miracles do happen. We are talking about a young man whose fear of germs led him to commit suicide. Having shot himself in the head, he, to the surprise of all the doctors, did not touch important areas, destroying only the one in which the disease “lived”. After leaving the hospital, he completely got rid of neuroses, graduated from university, became a successful lawyer and a happy family man. Of course, this is incredible luck and a unique case. In ordinary life, OCD, unfortunately, is treated for a long and difficult time. Often only joint treatment (medication + systematic psychotherapy) brings tangible results.
WHAT SERIES HAVE HEROES WITH TOC
We often see such people in movies, though of course we don’t diagnose OCD, we just watch the characters in amazement.
Sheldon Lee Cooper, The Big Bang Theory.
Photo: frame of the film.
1. Sheldon Lee Cooper, The Big Bang Theory.
Many believe that the hero has an autism spectrum disorder: he does not understand jokes, he is very pedantic, incredibly smart in his field of physics – “string theory”. And at the same time, he is completely helpless in life: most of the domestic problems are solved by his friends.
How to suspect OCD: you dictate to everyone your rules and conditions for being next to you: you sit alone in a certain place. Every day there is a certain food from a certain restaurant on the menu. And always with the same ingredients and the same sauce. He is also terrified of germs. Rituals, order in the house and daily routine are very important to him.
Monica Geller, Friends series.
Photo: frame of the film.
2. Monica Geller, TV series Friends.
Monica has a maniacal passion for cleaning. And most importantly, it is vital for her that all things are in her place. In the series, this is an occasion for jokes, but in life it is very difficult with such people.
Several episodes of the series are devoted to the fact that friends, trying to please Monica, cleaned the apartment instead of her. But when she returns from work, she instantly sees that the ottoman (chair, rug) has moved several inches. And this becomes a tragedy for her, and not a reason for joy.
Dr. Kevin Casey, the “Clinical” series.
Photo: frame of the film.
3. Dr. Kevin Casey, the “Clinical” series.
The hero has many rituals related to OCD: for example, he goes in and out of the hospital building three times, touches everything in the first patient’s room, and says “Bink.” And he wipes all the stains that come out of his eyes. He also cleans the bathroom for an hour after his visit. At the same time, he makes diagnoses on the spot, because he has reread the medical literature many times.
What is interesting: the character of Kevin Casey was invented especially for Michael J. Fox, who played him (best known for the Back to the Future trilogy). At that time, the actor began to show the first symptoms of Parkinson’s disease. And the “quirks” of the character helped mask them.
The protagonist of the series “Detective Monk.”
Photo: frame of the film.
4. The main character of the series “Detective Monk”.
He is too pedantic, brushing his teeth 12 times a day and flossing every 90 minutes.
Not to get up twice: Agatha Christie’s famous hero Hercule Poirot, with his passion for his own moustache, obsession with cleanliness and neatness of clothes, and generally unbelievable pedantry, also shows symptoms of OCD.
FILMS ABOUT OCD
1. It couldn’t be better with Jack Nicholson.
The movie is just an encyclopedia for psychiatrists. Melvin Adell’s character has all the traits of a person with OCD:
* Avoid stains and cracks on sidewalks. And even fragments covered with paving stones or bricks. Do not step on doormats and curbs on the sidewalks.
* Washes hands constantly for fear of germs. And she does it every time with a new bar of soap.
* Wear gloves all the time and hate touching unknown people or objects. Therefore, you bring your devices to the restaurant.
* It has a special ritual of opening the door and turning on the light.
Due to his habits, he lives alone, he cannot be in public places, he rarely leaves the house. At the same time, he composes wonderful love stories and loves to play the piano.
The movie is worth watching, if only for the terrific performance by Nicholson and Helen Hunt (they received an Oscar!)
2. “Aviator” with Leonardo DiCaprio.
The movie is a biography of Howard Hughes, who was brilliantly played by Leonardo DiCaprio. Director Martin Scorsese described in great detail how the life of a person with OCD changes. From harmless quirks that started when his mother scared him into a rage and long hours of washing up in the bathroom, to serious paranoia and persecution mania.
3. Nim’s Island with Jodie Foster.
The sweetest movie about an agoraphobic (fear of open spaces) writer who writes books about a brave traveler who has visited many countries and accomplished an incredible number of feats. These books are adored by a girl who lives with her father on a small island. And when her father goes missing, she writes a letter to the book author, asking a brave traveler for help. And then the writer, who hasn’t left home for years, who has her own rituals, decides to go out into the world. Not only that, cross the seas and oceans!
The movie, of course, is not exclusively about OCD, but rather about overcoming oneself. And it is almost impossible in reality. But the movie is very nice.
Of course, there are many more movies with OCD characters, such as “Dirty Love”, “Raising a Genius”, “Pump Normality”, etc. We just wanted to remind you that sometimes the strangeness of a person next to you is not a bad character. And the manifestation of the disease. So don’t judge by first impressions.
