How do folks here feel about ways they have or have not seen people with OCD portrayed in media (like films/movies)? Do you feel like it has given an inaccurate or accurate picture of what life is like with OCD? Why/why not? I was thinking on this after seeing an episode of Grey's Anatomy showing a patient who had OCD.
There's been a couple movies that address compulsive behavior, such as AS GOOD AS IT GETS, and, WHAT ABOUT BOB. On the whole it seems that OCD is more joked about than taken as a serious ailment that nearly 1/5 of the population has.
@HyperAwarenessQueen As I'm starting erp therapy I keep hearing Bob's voice saying "baby steps"
Typo meant 1% of population has OCD -- STILL!!! LOTS
There's an episode of Chicago Med about Harm OCD that I LOVVEEE and I feel like it's one of the few representations of Pure O out there.
I will try not to spoil anything. I have related or had emotional responses when watching the following: Some scenes from the movie The Aviator. If I remember correctly Leonardo DiCaprio worked with Dr. Jeffrey Schwartz regarding an accurate portrayal. Some scenes with Dev Patel’s character in the US remake of The Road Within (how rigid OCD can be, strong emotions, happiness in one scene) — though it feels things went extra fast I think the ending scene in the tv show scrubs episode guest starring Michael J. Fox as a doctor with obsessive compulsive disorder. Various scenes in the tv show Monk (did have several stereotypes, but it has a special place in my heart of being the first character I saw on TV dealing with OCD and seeing a therapist. Some emotionally hard to watch scenes in some episodes too.
Regarding Monk, I do feel looking back there are inaccuracies in the show, and at times remember disagreeing at times how OCD/medication treatment was portrayed. I haven’t seen it in awhile to remember a clearer picture.
Has anyone experienced their reputation affected or misunderstood because of a societally taboo OCD theme? Others catching wind of your obsessions and misinterpreting it, assuming the worst? I’m intentionally keeping it vague because I don’t want my specific situation to get reassured, but it’s been a real tough pill to swallow knowing that people close to me (and anyone else they might talk to) think of me differently. I’m unwilling to share about my OCD because I feel pretty confident it will be taken as an excuse or denial, and feels compulsive and reassurance seeking. Let me know if anyone here has experienced anything like it, how they handled it, exposures you did.
OCD is so much more than just being 'neat' or 'organized'—it’s relentless, exhausting, and often deeply misunderstood. The intrusive thoughts, the compulsions, the anxiety—it can feel like a never-ending cycle that others just don’t seem to get. Many of us have had experiences where even therapists didn’t fully grasp the depth of our struggles. I myself faced difficulty being misdiagnosed and my talk therapist not understanding the full extent of what I was going through until I found NOCD. So many prior therapists wrote off my symptoms as general anxiety, not realizing it was actually OCD all along. If you could sit down with a therapist who truly wanted to understand, what do you wish they knew about OCD?
OCD isn’t just about compulsions—it’s a mental battle that can be completely exhausting. The anxiety, doubt, and pressure to "get it right" can feel unbearable, especially when others don’t understand what’s happening beneath the surface. What’s the hardest part about living with OCD that others don’t see?
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