Film and television play a significant role in shaping how people perceive mental illness. While some portrayals help raise awareness and reduce stigma, more often than not, they contribute to misconceptions. Conditions like addiction, schizophrenia, and borderline personality disorder are frequently sensationalized, with characters being shown as violent or harmful to those around them. Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), in particular, is often simplified or misrepresented in two main ways. Either it’s watered down, with characters obsessing over cleanliness or quirky habits for comedic effect, or it’s depicted in extreme, harmful ways, where obsessions turn characters into dangerous individuals.
People with OCD who see misrepresentations of their OCD in TV/movies may feel ashamed or too embarrassed to get help.
Alessandra Rizzotti, LCSW
In reality, OCD is a complex and often debilitating condition, deserving thoughtful and accurate media representation. At its core, OCD is marked by intrusive thoughts, urges, feelings, or images that repeatedly invade a person’s mind, causing overwhelming distress. In response to this anxiety, individuals may feel compelled to perform certain physical or mental actions, known as compulsions, in an attempt to find relief, though this relief is often only temporary.
“People with OCD who see misrepresentations of their OCD in TV/movies may feel ashamed or too embarrassed to get help,” shares Alessandra Rizzotti, LCSW. These media portrayals often highlight compulsions like organizing or cleaning as “good traits,” but they can actually be extremely painful for someone with OCD.
Misleading portrayals of OCD perpetuate stigma and misinformation. To help break down this misinformation, we’ve compiled a list of the worst media representations of obsessive compulsive disorder.
The top 5 worst representations of OCD
Inaccurate representations of OCD can make people with the condition feel embarrassed, invalid, and ashamed. Rizzotti explains that when media representation focuses so much on the more obvious stereotypes and ignores specific taboo themes, it can cause people to think their own OCD struggles are invalid or wrong. For those struggling with taboo intrusive thoughts, this lack of representation can make it even harder to open up, leading to more isolation.
Let’s take a look at some of the worst representations of OCD in movies and TV, and how they might affect people that actually live with the condition.
1. Trap, M. Night Shyamalan, 2024
Trap follows Cooper (Josh Harnett), a seemingly ordinary father who hides a darker identity as the serial killer known as “the Butcher.” The film’s premise puts the audience right into the heart of a thrilling chase: as Cooper attends a pop concert with his daughter, he simultaneously evades the police and an FBI profiler.
Trap’s explanation of the killer’s actions is ultimately blamed on his OCD, leading viewers to draw the conclusion that people with OCD are extremely dangerous and violent. The International OCD Foundation condemned Trap in a blog post, stating: “In the film, a throwaway line references OCD in a way that perpetuates harmful stereotypes and that suggests a connection between OCD and violent, criminal behavior. This casual mention is not only factually incorrect but also reinforces damaging myths that contribute to the ongoing stigma surrounding OCD and other mental health conditions.”
In the movie, a detective generalizes that the killer has OCD because he drives a black car and “people with OCD prefer darker colors to hide dirt and look cleaner.” This line has been criticized because it is completely irrelevant to the story and invites the audience to associate OCD with murder, even though Cooper’s compulsions were not related to killing anyone.
2. Monk, Andy Breckman, 2002-2009
Monk is a TV series following Adrian Monk (Tony Shalhoub), a detective whose OCD manifests through compulsions around cleanliness, symmetry, and germs. The show uses these obsessions for a comedic effect, but they also fuel his exceptional observational skills, helping him solve crimes. Monk’s OCD is often shown as a positive trait, which is far from the truth. OCD compulsions are not helpful, and acting out on them does not result in joy or success. Instead, compulsions create great distress and can cause feelings of shame and embarrassment.
By portraying OCD in a humorous, stereotypical manner and focusing on Monk’s cleanliness and order without exploring other OCD subtypes, Monk simplifies the realities of OCD, missing the opportunity to help a larger audience understand what OCD is actually like and how it affects those around them.
3. As Good As It Gets, James L. Brooks, 1997
As Good as It Gets is about Melvin Udall (Jack Nicholson), a misanthropic and obsessive-compulsive romance novelist whose rigid routines and abrasive personality make it difficult for him to connect with others. His life begins to change when he develops relationships with a waitress and her chronically ill son, as well as his gay neighbor who suffers a brutal attack. Through these new connections, Melvin gradually confronts his OCD and improves his social interactions, finding love and personal growth.
While the movie sounds reasonable, it does a pretty bad job of representing OCD. Melvin’s condition is reduced to being quirky and having dramatic, rude outbursts. His compulsions, such as avoiding cracks in the sidewalk and washing his hands excessively, are shown in a comedic light, which downplays the distress they actually bring to people with OCD. The movie also presents forming new relationships and being a nicer person as something that can ‘fix’ OCD, which makes it seem like people with OCD are not ‘nice’ to begin with. Learning how to cope and deal with OCD is an involved process that involves therapy and ongoing support, not simply making friends and falling in love. Ultimately, the film fails to show the realities of OCD and instead uses it as a plot device for character development and humor.
4. What About Bob?, Frank Oz, 1991
The comedy What About Bob? centers around Bob Wiley (Bill Murray), an OCD patient who tracks down his psychiatrist, Dr. Leo Marvin (Richard Dreyfuss), while the doctor is on vacation. Bob’s relentless pursuit for help and his inability to respect his therapist’s professional boundaries create a darkly comedic situation that becomes more and more absurd.
The film has been criticized for its comical portrayal of OCD and Bob’s miraculous relief of symptoms by the end of the film. Seeing a person with OCD depicted as a stalker who is disliked by his therapist can create a real sense of unease for individuals with OCD. Worse, it can make them wary of seeking therapy for fear of rejection.
Ultimately, What About Bob? is satirizing how difficult it can be to get effective mental health care, which is why the depictions of a needy patient and his fed-up doctor are purposely exaggerated. That may be fine for some viewers, but it could be problematic for a person with OCD who is already ashamed of their symptoms or afraid that their therapist will judge them.
5. Glee, Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk, 2009-2015
Glee is a popular musical comedy-drama TV series, revolving around the diverse members of a high school glee club who tackle social issues and personal challenges through various musical performances. While the show does a good job of covering deep topics like sexuality, suicide, and bullying, it falls short in its representation of OCD.
One of the guidance counselors on the show, Emma Pillsbury, is characterized as having OCD. Instead of giving a balanced representation of the condition, the show focuses on her compulsions, like cleaning every grape before she eats it or using a toothbrush to clean surfaces, without exploring the underlying anxiety or intrusive thoughts that typically characterize OCD. Emma’s need to keep things clean is made to look quirky and cute, and although the show does portray her seeking help and medication—which is a positive and more than what most movies/tv shows do— it still simplifies the illness through the amplification of some of its most common stereotypes. The attention to sensitivity on Glee is good, but the overall execution of showing the realities of OCD could be better.
TV and movies with accurate portrayals of OCD
While many of the representations of OCD in Hollywood are major misses, there are a few that showcase the condition in an accurate way. There are numerous documentaries that approach the subject from an educational and well rounded point of view, including Unstuck: An OCD Kids Movie, Living with Me and My OCD, and Lost in My Mind. Viewing these documentaries can give you a better understanding of what OCD is and how it affects real people in their everyday lives.
One movie that has rave reviews about its OCD representation is Turtles All The Way Down, the movie adaptation of John Green’s novel of the same name. It is important to note that Green has OCD, which explains why the condition is represented so carefully and accurately in the movie. Directed by Hannah Marks, the film follows Aza Holmes, a 16-year-old navigating life with OCD. This movie thoughtfully portrays Aza’s struggles with her intrusive thoughts and their impact on her relationships, providing a real, raw, and genuine exploration of mental health challenges amidst the trials of adolescence.
Pure-O, another OCD centered film, is written and directed by Dillon Tucker. The film sheds light on Pure OCD (aka Pure-O) a subtype of OCD. Pure-O does not manifest in visible symptoms, all of the obsessions and compulsions occur in the person’s mind instead. The film centers on a rehab counselor who begins to question his sanity after being diagnosed with OCD. But with the support of his therapist and the people he’s helping through addiction recovery, he starts to understand the life-changing power of community and finds a way to push through the darkest time in his life.
Martin Scorcese’s The Aviator has also been praised for its accurate portrayal of OCD, particularly because the condition isn’t romanticized or treated lightly. The film covers aviation pioneer and film director Howard Hughes’ rise to fame and success, while also highlighting his achievements and his struggles with intense obsessive compulsive disorder. As Hughes becomes more successful, his mental health issues worsen, impacting his relationships and business endeavors. This movie captures how OCD can interfere with one’s personal life, and shows some of the ugly truths about the condition.
How is OCD Treated?
While portrayals of OCD on screen often highlight the issues people face when dealing with the disorder, they seldom depict the OCD recovery process, leaving viewers with only half the story.
“Movies and TV are not always realistic representations of anything,” says Rizzotti. She explains although social workers, doctors, and therapists can be consultants in media, the time constraints, studios, and producers involved can often cause important parts of OCD representation to be left out.
Just like how every individual is unique and their stories of OCD are wildly different, not one show or piece of media could represent every single person with OCD on this planet.
Alessandra Rizzotti, LCSW
If you have OCD or think you might be experiencing symptoms, the first step is to speak to a licensed professional. Whatever subtype of intrusive thoughts you struggle with—whether it is relationships, thoughts of harming yourself or others, or another fear not depicted in film and TV—your clinician will work with you to help tackle them and guide you to understand where they are coming from. Therapists use exposure and response prevention (ERP) therapy as the gold standard treatment for all subtypes of OCD. This process involves slowly exposing you to triggers and giving you tools to experience the triggers without engaging in compulsive behaviors. Over time, you will have a sustainable solution to help with your triggers, instead of performing compulsions that bring you only temporary relief.
“Just like how every individual is unique and their stories of OCD are wildly different, not one show or piece of media could represent every single person with OCD on this planet,” says Rizzotti .
The best method to learn more about OCD, or any other mental illness, is always to rely on reputable sources and healthcare professionals. In the meantime, we’re hoping that the movie and TV industry continues to update their portrayal of mental illness so that it ends stigma, rather than perpetuating it.