OCD and The Big Bang Theory

~Psychology Basis~

Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder

Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder is defined as a preoccupation with orderliness, perfectionism, and mental and interpersonal control, at the expense of flexibility, openness, and efficiency.

This can lead to difficulties with friends and family members in social situations

Obsessive-Compulsive Personality DisorderWhile both sexes can have this disorder it occurs more often in men

Begins to manifest in teens or early twenties

Treatments include talk therapy and medication, though they work better when combined

Must be Diagnosed Professionally

~Media~

The Big Bang Theory

This is Sheldon Cooper

Sheldon is a genius

Sheldon is a physicist

Sheldon is a Student at the California Institute of Technology

~Connection~

Connection

Sheldon has OCPD as illustrated throughout the series, though it is most addressed in the episode “The Closure Alternative”

With his couch Sheldon refuses to let anyone sit in what he has claimed is “his spot”

This shows a need for control and a lack of flexibility

Sheldon’s spot on the couch

Connection This Is Amy Farrah Fowler, a friend of Sheldon’s starting in season 3

Amy is very much like Sheldon in many ways

Amy tries to assist Sheldon with getting over his OCPD in “The Closure Alternative”

ConnectionAmy confronts Sheldon on his

OCD (Truly it is OCPD) in the fact that he needs closure in all things

Sheldon denies this fact

Amy knocks to the tune “A Shave and a Haircut” but does finish it

Sheldon finishes with the knocks for “Two Bits” proclaiming that it proves nothing

ConnectionAmy devises multiple activities

to do with Sheldon these include

Tic-Tac-Toe

Singing the National Anthem

Blowing out Birthday candles

Playing with a Jack-in-the-Box

Knocking over dominoes

Throughout these activities Sheldon becomes increasingly frustrated as Amy does not allow him to finish them

ConnectionAt the end of the episode

Sheldon seems to be getting over this compulsion

The moment Amy leaves, however, Sheldon proceeds to go around and finish all the activities Amy refused to let him complete, proving her correct in the process

My TakeThis episode shows that those with OCPD will find a way to do what

they feel needs to be done

Though there was a slight mis-naming of Sheldon’s OCPD to OCD tendencies this can be ignored as Sheldon does display both of these throughout the series.

Overall I like this episode and how it illustrates how this sort of neurological disorder can affect our lives.

ReferencesWikipedia

Search Big Bang Theory and/or Sheldon Cooper

Big Bang WikiBigbangtheory.wikia search “The Compulsion Alternative”

Medline Plus website for OCPD informationhttps://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000942.htm

Most images taken from Google image or the above mentioned Wiki pages.