TV Show Review: Obsessed

The show Obsessed premiered on A&E between one and two months ago. It really is a one of a kind show which follows several people who have some form of OCD or some type of fear which leads them to OCD. OCD, or Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, is a condition in which a certain type of traumatic experience or fear leads to overwhelming anxiety which can then lead to OCD. Such events can include death of a close one, sexual abuse, car accident, etc. According to the Anxiety Disorders Association of America, upwards of 40 million people in the United States live with anxiety disorders. Of that 40 million, 2 million suffer from OCD. OCD can be minor to extreme. People who suffer from OCD suffer from constantly occurring fears, thoughts, and images that can't be controlled. In order to make these fears and thoughts go away, people tend to do rituals over and over again. In the most severe cases, some people may not get any sleep at all and may have serious trouble in their personal lives (job, friends, family, etc).

Some common fears and obsessions, as noted by WebMD, are:

Fear of dirt and germs
Fear of harming someone (cutting, shooting, etc)
Fear of making mistakes
Fear of embarrassing one's self in people's presence
Everything must be in its 'correct' place
A lot of doubt and need of reassurance

Some common rituals used in an attempt to relieve the obsessions include:

Constant washing of hands, showering excessively, and cleaning obsessively
Constantly checking things such as door locks, stoves, etc.
Putting things in their correct place
Repeating the same words over and over again
Keeping a lot of items that aren't needed or that should be thrown away
Won't shake hands or touch people

I remember seeing my first episode of Obsessed as the show explored two people's experiences and treatment of their OCD. A guy named Matt suffered from a form of OCD where every little thing had to be clean. He had to clean the toilet and sink each and every time he used them. He barely had any furniture and could not sleep in his bed because he was afraid it would get dirty. I remember sitting there and thinking how it must feel. The truth is I didn't know how it feels and hopefully I never will.

In the same episode, the show followed a woman named Helen who suffered from OCD. She had a number of tragic events hit her in just a matter of a couple of years. First, her mother died. Then, not too long after that, her father died in a freeway accident. Since her father's death, her OCD became very severe. She could no longer travel on the freeway because she feared she would suffer the same fate as her father did. Also, she kept the clothes that he died in and made a ritual of putting them on. Also, she would do various activities and rituals around the house in an attempt to relieve her anxiety. It was really heartbreaking to see someone have to go through that.

Both Helen and Matt saw specialists who treat people with anxiety disorders such as OCD. Both specialists took a 'head on' approach to treat their illness. Their regimen was to force each person to deal with their fears face to face and make them deal with their anxiety head on. The treatment period was to go on for twelve weeks. For instance, Helen had to gain the courage to go on the freeway. First, the therapist drove her on the freeway. Once she was able to do this with enough ease, she had to drive her own car on the freeway with her kids. At first, it was hard for her, but she got better as the weeks of the treatment went by.

For Matt, the specialist asked him to do things that he wouldn't normally do. For instance, the therapist asked him to not clean the toilet and sink after someone went to the bathroom. Believe it or not, the therapist herself went to the bathroom in his toilet and he had to deal with the fact that the toilet had not been clean afterwards. Various other forms of treatment were used. After the twelve week of treatment, Matt was able to have parties in his home and he was no longer worried about dirt and germs invading his life.

Everyone who has not seen this show should watch it. It really is a one of a kind show where you go on the journey with these people. You can actually feel their pain and there longing for a normal life.

Sources:

"Statistics and Facts About Anxiety Disorders." Anxiety Disorders Association of America.

"An Overview of Obsessive Compulsive-Disorder." WebMD.