A Movie about OCD
Having recently started working with Mental Health Frist Aid (MHFA) India I wanted to understand the activities happening related to mental health in our city. With this intention, I attended “Frame of Mind” which is a biennial International Film festival conducted by SCARF last weekend. It was a two-day event which saw the screening of four feature films based on mental health problems and its impact. The festival featured 4 full length movies and numerous short films which were entries for a competition.
The event stirred a good response and one of the movies which caught my attention was North 24 Kaatham, Malayalam feature by the debutant Anil Radhakrishnan Menon. The movie attempts to depict a character played by Fahad Faasil who suffers from severe OCD and his struggles to maintain social relationships at home and office. The character of Hari was picture perfect depiction of OCD though the condition can manifest in forms more than one type of obsession. Hari struggles to get along with members of his family and his colleagues at work and is ridiculed for his compulsive customs. He ends up hurting people’s emotions by his behavior, but he doesn’t realize his actions cause hurt.
One fateful night changes Hari`s life when he is forced to join an elderly person and a young social worker on their quest to meet the ailing wife of the latter. The journey takes several twists and turns exposing Hari to situations and pushing him do things which he would never do. The story concludes with Hari falling in love with the Social worker and he realizes life is more about cleanliness and personal customs. On the silver screen it’s a fairy tale however in real life people living with OCD seldom have such happy endings.
OCD is considered a form of anxiety disorder and can have overlapping symptoms. The common symptoms of OCD are the compulsive need to perform some chores or activities like regular hand washing, moving hands in a specific manner, counting in pattern, taking very long time in the shower, having repeated thoughts and words in the head. OCD could be very disabling to both the individual experiencing and the wider family. Without proper education and treatment, the condition can drastically impact the quality of life of person and family involved. The movie is a good eye opener for someone who is not familiar with OCD and its symptoms, however it is majorly fictional for entertainment and presents a mis-interpretation that relationship can cure OCD. Love and care do play a role in the recovery however professional help is needed in most cases.
Following the movie, the audience got a chance to clarify their misconceptions about OCD from experts. However, the population by and large have a poor understanding of mental health problems in general. This is where evidenced based programs like MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AID plays a crucial role in providing the right information about mental health problems and illnesses. The MHFA not only breaks down the stigma of mental illness but it also guides the person/ family how to help a person who is experiencing mental illness. The course teaches signs and symptoms of a spectrum of common mental health problems including depression, anxiety, substance use disorder, eating disorder etc. It equips the public with the right skills on how to approach and help a family member, a friend, or a colleague who is developing a mental health problem or is in crisis.
Researchers conducted on the impact of MHFA has reports the increasing of mental health knowledge, reduction of stigma and change of attitudes towards mental health. The program which is present in 25 countries has trained not only the public but also professionals from different sectors like media, academia, law, police, IT etc which has helped to advocate for a more a more open conversation about mental health.
Do not look further your mental education fix is here with MHFA. Do visit our website for more details on the training that commences next month - http://www.mhfaindia.com/courses
By Gireesh Kumar, Project Officer MHFA India