NUMBER OBSESSIONS

ABOUT the film:  Number Obsessions by Katie Walton features a character with number obsessions and counting compulsions. This short film  shows the effects OCD can have over time and how these things can expand.

WATCH the film (2:28 min) on YouTube.

DISCUSS the film:  After you watch the film, return here to join in the discussion at the bottom of this page.

REVIEW by Julie:  This animated film is about a man who goes to work and is asked to do a task of counting something for someone. It is a glimpse into the chaos that ensues in his mind when something simple is overtaken by OCD. The film is very abstract and I think it represents the obsessions we struggle with very well. The character's "number" is 9 and we are able to see just how many different ways that number can be counted and scrutinized within that instant that OCD takes over. This is another very short film that really hits home for those of us with OCD, it makes us feel less alone because we are able to understand that other people do indeed feel the way we feel.

DISCUSS the film (in comments section below):

• If you have OCD, How well does this film capture your experience?
• How does OCD interfere with work, both in terms of productivity and the inner experience throughout the work day?
• What are the obsessions and what are the compulsions portrayed in this film? 
• How would a person with this sort of OCD begin to work toward lessening of the symptoms?