Did you know that cleaning compulsions were portrayed in the film The Aviator?
The movie follows the life of aviation pioneer Howard Hughes (played by Leonardo DiCaprio) and includes a powerful scene where he becomes trapped in a bathroom washing his hands repeatedly.
The scene can be watched below:
It shows the difficult reality of OCD in many ways. The pain from repetitive hand washing. The perfectionism and continuously looking for imperfections. The sheer amount of our time compulsions take up, whether washing or avoiding contact with something and having to start all over again.
The scene represents millions of us struggling with OCD, and hopefully shines a light on how debilitating it really is.
Mental Contamination: Showering after remembering an uncomfortable or violating experience.
Embarrassment: Washing hands after replaying an embarrassing interaction.
Guilt: Cleaning objects after having a thought that feels morally wrong.
Losing Things: Cleaning or organising areas repeatedly while trying to prevent losing something important.
Harm / Violence: Washing hands after an intrusive thought about hurting someone.
Health: Rewashing hands after touching something associated with illness.
Relationships or Family Worries: Washing before touching loved ones to make sure they stay safe.
Religion: Washing after a thought that feels sinful or spiritually wrong.
Existential Anxiety: Washing hands after distressing thoughts about reality or existence.
Sexual Acts: Showering after intrusive sexual thoughts.
Sexual Orientation: Washing hands after a thought that creates doubt about identity.
Sensory / Sensorimotor: Washing because the hands feel uncomfortable or “not right.”
Staring Obsessions: Washing after worrying you looked at someone inappropriately.
In S3 Ep12 of Scrubs, a doctor struggles with handwashing compulsions. This seems to have traits of needing to feel ‘just right’ as the doctor states that despite his shift finishing hours ago, he ‘can’t stop washing his damn hands’.
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