A small discussion about Nikita Lytkin's OCD.
Somatic, also known as sensorimotor, compulsions are a sub-type in OCD in which one excessively obsesses over bodily sensations and functions. Examples of a function a person can obsess over, but not limited to, are: excessive yawning, blinking, and swallowing.
Nikita yawning so often and widely to the point his jaw begins to click signifies he couldn't stop it, even if it gave him pain and jaw issues.
Compulsions like these are reported to be extremely hard to manage because it involves your own body, rather than being something you can physically remove yourself from.
An example of Nikita's jaw clicking.
In this photo, Lytkin seems to be blinking quite aggressively. A possibility is that he was reacting to the lights bothering him.
But because Nikita exhibits a compulsion of excessive yawning, the grimace on his face could be an effect from his jaw clicking after yawning, and he happened to be photographed afterwards.
Another possible explanation is that he suffered from a blinking compulsion, likely fixated on other bodily functions. It is uncommon for people with OCD to have just one compulsion; and the disorder usually comes with multiple, if not many more. A blinking compulsion is within the same subtype as somatic compulsions, and tends to make individuals blink very aggressively; causing their face to scrunch up due to the muscles tensing.
A common part of OCD is that it causes a fear of proximity with other people. This can be for various reasons, like fear of contamination, being judged, or worrying about acting out inappropriately due to intrusive thoughts.
Nikita refusing to be seen with his own mother in public is most likely a result of worrying about what could happen if they are seen. He was already very overtly shy as a child, which happened to be a great pathway for a disorder to worsen his anxiousness about things other people deem as small.
Marina mentioned the boy was very secretive about his personal life, worryingly so. Avoidance itself can be a compulsion, but severe restriction from sharing about one's personal life is usually caused by shame or a worry about being misunderstood and judged.
In the end, Nikita grew up feeling isolated and withdrawn with unmanaged symptoms, ultimately causing unstable and violent behaviors. If he had received proper mental health care, it's likely he would not have suffered the demise he did.
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