Diving Into Anxiety Disorder: A Summary of 'As Good as It Gets' - Movie Analysis Essay

Introduction

Anxiety Disorder is a group of mental conditions that affect the nervous system. Notably, these disorders breed to uncontrollable nervous feelings such as fear, panic attacks, and worriedness. As much as this problem is common, many people have little to no knowledge regarding their symptoms and treatment management. This paper, therefore, discusses this psychological illness as portrayed in the movie As Good as It Gets.

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Brief Summary of As Good as It Gets

As Good as It Gets is an American comedy film that was shot in 1997. Its storyline centers the psychological illnesses that people endeavor. Melvin Udall, the main character, is a novelist who is obsessed over his work. His behavior signifies that he has a problem; thus, he seeks medical attention and gets diagnosed with obsession, an element of an anxiety disorder (Edkins, 2017). Udall, together with the other characters in the movie, depict this condition in which many people lack adequate information. The film depicts the symptoms, conduct, and treatment procedure of the disease.

The Portrayal of Anxiety Disorder in As Good as It Gets

Symptoms

Udall portrays symptoms of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) which is a type of anxiety disorder. It refers to the mental condition in which the patient is fear of losing control of his life, together with others (Laposa, Collimore, Hawley & Rector, 2015). It is usually depicted in the form of victim's paranoia (Laposa et al., 2015). Its symptoms include; being extremely careful not to contract germs, fear of losing possessions, and emotional violence (Laposa et al., 2015).

Notably, these signs are portrayed Udall in the movie. He is locking his door with over five locks since he is afraid that someone could break into his house. Also, he seems to be extra-hygienic as is he does not reuse the soaps after washing his hands; instead, he discards them. Again, he avoids cracks when he walks on the sidewalks to prevent contacting others (Edkins, 2017).

Causes

According to Laposa and colleagues (2015), OCD mostly results from compulsions that emerge from the learned behaviors. These characters originate from the normalcy, and the patients turn them to habitual practices to help them calm their anxiety. Notably, the source cause of OCD is unmanaged stress and overwhelming pressure (Better Health, 2019).

In As Good as It Gets, Udall's OCD conditions culminated from his excessive involvement in his work. This aspect is portrayed by his girlfriend, Carol. In a restaurant, while taking lunch, Carol advises Udall to take a break from work to relax upon seeing the crazy things that he does as he doubts the waiters' hygiene (Edkins, 2017).

Treatment and Response

Importantly, the most effective OCD treatment is cognitive therapy that helps control the patient's anxiety levels. As noted by Better Health (2019), this approach aims at changing the patterns of thinking that trigger the disorder, which, in turn, reduces the anxiety levels. This process can be done by exposing the patients to the things that cause their paranoia. Notably, social support of the patient throughout the treatment helps in curbing the condition as the patients feel loved.

After realizing the severity of Udall behavior, Carol insists that she sees a psychologist. Her concern implies the social support that motivates Udall to look for medical help. Consequently, it crucial to note that Udall sees Dr. Green, his psychiatrist, who diagnoses him with OCD. Dr. Green administer him to therapy where he shares his worries and fears (Edkins, 2017)

References

Better Health. (2019). Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. Victoria State Government. Retrieved from https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/conditionsandtreatments/obsessive-compulsive-disorder

Edkins, E. (2017, Jan 28). As Good as It Gets Full Movie. [Video File]. Retrieved fromhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kU9av3rJIgI

Laposa, J. M., Collimore, K. C., Hawley, L. L., & Rector, N. A. (2015). Distress tolerance in OCD and anxiety disorders, and its relationship with anxiety sensitivity and intolerance of uncertainty. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 33, 8-14. Retrieved from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0887618515000614