OCD in movies

So, as a better example, take Jack Nicholson's portrayal of a man suffering from OCD in As Good As It Gets.  First off, I like the title a lot.  OCD is a chronic brain disorder.  Anyone who suffers from it will never be "cured".  It isn't like a broken leg or an infection that a doctor can cure.  But with good medical treatment you can reduce the compulsions and greatly improve your quality of life.  But there comes a point where you say, "this is as good as it gets."

I am not a fan of Jack Nicholson the actor, but I think his portrayal of a man suffering from OCD was right on.  He suffered from the most common kind of OCD -- cleaning compulsions, or an irrational worry about germs in the everyday environment.  They didn't try to add on other compulsions that don't belong with this type of OCD (as they did in Monk).  The movie stuck with the cleaning compulsions and portrayed it very accurately.   The fact is, the fears are very irrational, and likely make absolutely no sense to anyone except the person battling the disorder.  Also, the obsessions and compulsions are going to be unique to the individual.  There is no across-the-board behavior for those suffering from this kind of OCD.  They portrayed Nicholson's character very uniquely.  For example, he could eat at a restaurant, but he had to bring his own silverware and sit at the same table.  He could leave his apartment, but he needed a fresh pair of gloves each time to navigate door handles, etc. . .     The movie also demonstrated ( but not overtly) the way that behavioral therapy is used in treating the disorder.  When Nicholson's neighbor was forced to move in with him, his anxiety and thus his compulsions increased, but the longer the situation continued and he chose to push through the anxiety because he wanted to impress the waitress (Helen Hunt), the less the situation caused him anxiety.  Increased exposure to what triggers the compulsions, and staying with the exposure despite the overwhelming anxiety, is the core of behavioral therapy.  In the case of this movie, it is my personal opinion that Nicholson's character was successful because he chose to put himself through the difficult situation with his neighbor because he was in love.  No one forced him.  And that is why it was successful.