The movie, The Matchstick Men, was about the life of a con artist that had a mental disorder called Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). OCD is a type of anxiety disorder that can be triggered by “unwanted intrusive thoughts and/or habitual behaviors” (Abnormal Psychology, 2015). With that being said, the main character, Roy who was the con artist experienced multiple obsessions and compulsions that were induced by constantly worrying and being anxious that he will get caught by one of his clients. As a result, Roy was a reclusive person. Also, he was very socially awkward in social situations, and reserved when speaking to people. In this paper, it will provide evidence that Roy had OCD. Follow by a discussion on how the other characters
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For instance, a common compulsion is where people would have to open a door a certain number of times before pursuing the next task. The movie demonstrated that compulsion very well where Roy had to open and close the front door three times while counting in spanish. The movie also made sure they showed this compulsion multiple times to display one of the most common symptoms that people with OCD experience. Although, I believe there were a couple of points in the movie that were dramatized for entertainment purposes. One dramatized point was when Roy forgot to take his medication, he began to make sudden outbursts and his eyes began to twitch more than usual. In a way, Roy’s random outburst due to him not taking any drugs created stigma that people with OCD have to take medication to reduce their compulsions and obsessions. So, if those people don’t take their medicine their urges and intrusive thoughts become more severe. I disagree with that stigma due to I have OCD, and I do not take any medication to reduce my compulsions and
For instance, a common compulsion is where people would have to open a door a certain number of times before pursuing the next task. The movie demonstrated that compulsion very well where Roy had to open and close the front door three times while counting in spanish. The movie also made sure they showed this compulsion multiple times to display one of the most common symptoms that people with OCD experience. Although, I believe there were a couple of points in the movie that were dramatized for entertainment purposes. One dramatized point was when Roy forgot to take his medication, he began to make sudden outbursts and his eyes began to twitch more than usual. In a way, Roy’s random outburst due to him not taking any drugs created stigma that people with OCD have to take medication to reduce their compulsions and obsessions. So, if those people don’t take their medicine their urges and intrusive thoughts become more severe. I disagree with that stigma due to I have OCD, and I do not take any medication to reduce my compulsions and