February 11th, 1998. Geraldo Rivera on his namesake talk show introduces us to this segment on Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, a sometimes lifetime affliction affecting millions of Americans large and small.
“…well the first time I noticed any problems, was when I was five years old…one of the things people do..not discussed very often is called….religous scrupilocity…you’re afraid something bad is going to happen so you spend your time praying and praying and praying…”
In the beginning of this segment we see a clip from ‘As Good As It Gets’ portraying someone suffering from OCD, and what it was like to watch that movie as a sufferer.
After the introduction we meet Janice, her seven year old daughter Julia and husband Eric. Eric describes the relationship in detail, when he met his now-wife and how he didn’t notice anything particularly odd in behavior until after they were married. We learn about the peculiarities of her case and when Janice noticed herself different than other children, especially at school. Her daughter thankfully exhibits no symptoms thus far, although Janice’s mother continues to be a ‘hoarder’.
In 2026 millions continue to suffer from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and a wide range of medications are prescribed for its treatment.
This day, Geraldo’s television history.