It's Not Me--
It's My OCD

The public was fascinated by Jack Nicholson's depiction of an "Obsessive Compulsive" in the recent film, "As Good as it Gets." We have learned from the talk shows that such luminaries as Howard Hughes, Howard Stern, Rosanne Barr, and Michael Jackson (among others) have suffered from various forms of OCD. But what is this heartbreaking disorder? The Los Angeles Emmy nominated IT'S NOT ME -- IT'S MY OCD tells the story of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder in a way that's understanding, engaging and moving.

OCD is a condition where the brain is sending false signals to the person that they have to wash, or count, or hoard things, or do myriad of other strange behaviors (rituals). Through this engaging and touching documentary  IT'S NOT ME -- IT'S MY OCD, we witness OCD sufferers, hear from experts, learn about animal behavior clues to the disorder, and for the first time, see portions of two behavioral therapy sessions designed specifically for people with OCD, including one with a little boy. Among other things, we learn that OCD sufferers know that what they are doing is nonsensical, they just can't stop!

We see a pair of human hands washing obsessively. In very rapid succession we see a comedian who suffers from OCD. He's joking about his disorder before a laughing audience, now we see a frustrated woman OCD sufferer who breaks down and cries, then quick images of other sufferers from the body of the documentary, including a child. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder is a heartbreaking disease that afflicts over 3,000,000 people in the United States alone. We meet Judith Rapoport, MD, world-renowned expert on OCD, and the chief of Child Psychiatry at the National Institute of Mental Health. In 1989 Dr. Rapoport wrote the best-seller, THE BOY WHO COULDN'T STOP WASHING. The book translated into many languages, for the first time made OCD understandable to the general public.

By the end of the documentary we come away with the hopeful conclusion that science is finally isolating the causes of OCD and thus getting a handle on the disorder, and that OCD sufferers are now available to receive truly helpful therapy.

US; 1997

Running Time: 28 Minutes