Analysis Of As Good As It Gets Udall

“According to the criteria for obsessive-compulsive disorder described by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, (5th ed.; DSM–5; American Psychiatric Association, 2013), Obsessive-compulsive disorder, also known as OCD, is an anxiety disorder characterized by compulsions and obsessions.” An obsession is an unwanted thought, feeling, or image that repeats itself. Compulsions are behaviors that occur in response to the obsessions in order to relieve anxiety or prevent the obsession from occurring. These compulsions only bring the individual short-term relief and in return cause distress or impaired functioning of their own. Compulsions commonly present as persistent hand-washing, ritualistic behaviors, repeating and counting. OCD can cause severe or mild impairment depending on how severe the OCD is.
In the film As Good as it Gets, Melvin Udall presents with symptoms and behaviors that are consistent with a DSM-5 diagnosis of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, (300.3). Melvin the protagonist of the film is a middle-aged fiction author. His personality is arrogant, rude, and he lacks social skills. He spends most of his time inside his apartment writing and does not often have contact with other people. When he does, it
Not far into the film, his neighbor gets assaulted and Melvin is stuck taking care of the dog he does not like for many weeks. As the weeks with the dog continue we begin to see a change in Melvin. He is happier having a companion and seems to start taking more interest in others. Eventually, Simon, the dog’s owner comes home and Melvin has to return the dog to him and this leads Melvin into serious distress. His OCD behaviors become more prominent as a way to cope with his feelings and he finds himself barging into his psychiatrist's