Movie: As Good as It Gets (1997) Topics: Anxiety Disorders and Trauma and Stressor Related Disorders Character: Melvin Udall

Synopsis:

Melvin Udall is a successful author who lives with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD). He has a number of obsessions and compulsions, including:

• Contamination: Melvin is terrified of germs and bacteria. He washes his hands excessively, uses hand sanitizer constantly, and avoids touching other people.
• Symmetry and order: Melvin needs everything to be in a specific order. He arranges his food on his plate in a certain way, and he turns off and on the lights in his apartment five times before leaving.
• Superstitions: Melvin has a number of superstitious beliefs. For example, he believes that if he steps on a crack in the sidewalk, his mother will die.

Melvin’s OCD symptoms make it difficult for him to live a normal life. He has trouble interacting with other people and maintaining relationships. He is also unable to leave his apartment for long periods of time because he is afraid of being contaminated.

Diagnostic Criteria for OCD:

According to the DSM-5-TR, the diagnostic criteria for OCD are as follows:

• Presence of obsessions, compulsions, or both.
• The obsessions or compulsions are time-consuming (e.g., take more than 1 hour per day) or cause clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning.
• The obsessive-compulsive symptoms are not attributable to the physiological effects of a substance (e.g., a drug of abuse, a medication) or another medical condition.
• The obsessive-compulsive symptoms are not better explained by the symptoms of another mental disorder (e.g., body dysmorphic disorder, eating disorder, tic disorder, substance use disorder, major depressive disorder, anxiety disorder, schizophrenia).

How Melvin Udall Meets the Diagnostic Criteria for OCD:

• Presence of obsessions, compulsions, or both: Melvin has both obsessions and compulsions. His obsessions include contamination fears and superstitious beliefs. His compulsions include excessive hand washing, arranging his food in a specific order, and turning off and on the lights five times.
• The obsessions or compulsions are time-consuming (e.g., take more than 1 hour per day) or cause clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning: Melvin’s OCD symptoms are very time-consuming. He spends hours each day washing his hands, arranging his food, and performing other rituals. His OCD symptoms also cause him significant distress and impairment. He is unable to leave his apartment for long periods of time, and he has trouble interacting with other people.
• The obsessive-compulsive symptoms are not attributable to the physiological effects of a substance (e.g., a drug of abuse, a medication) or another medical condition: Melvin’s OCD symptoms are not caused by a substance or medical condition.
• The obsessive-compulsive symptoms are not better explained by the symptoms of another mental disorder: Melvin’s OCD symptoms are not better explained by another mental disorder. He does not have any other mental health conditions that could explain his obsessions and compulsions.

Conclusion:

Melvin Udall meets all of the diagnostic criteria for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. He has both obsessions and compulsions, his symptoms are time-consuming and cause significant distress and impairment, and his symptoms are not caused by a substance, medical condition, or another mental disorder.

Additional Notes:

The movie As Good as It Gets provides an accurate representation of OCD. It shows how OCD can interfere with a person’s life and make it difficult to maintain relationships. It also shows how OCD can be treated with therapy and medication.

The movie also challenges the stigma surrounding mental illness. It shows that people with mental illness can be successful and have meaningful relationships.