Obsessive Compulsive Un-Wellness

I was sixteen when I was diagnosed with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. I had been suffering from it for years, but because my childhood bedroom was not kept spotless and because I did not follow the stereotypical behaviors of someone with obsessive compulsiveness, no one in my childhood suggested that I see a medical professional about my mental health. It is not always easy to tell when someone is being obsessive compulsive. What many people do not realize is that normally the obsessions, which often make up most of this condition go unseen. It is common to fight these obsessions or take care of them in private. Even upon close inspection by friends and family, it is nearly impossible to tell when someone is suffering from intrusive, aggressive, or constant fearful thoughts, which are all symptoms of someone suffering from obsessive-compulsive un-wellness.

In the story “Hands” Wing Biddlebaum suffers from this type of un-wellness. Based on the information given by Sherwood Anderson, Biddlebaum developed these symptoms over time. Once he moves to Winesburg, the memories of his time as a schoolteacher in Pennsylvania haunt him. This is most obvious when he instinctively tries to tussle the hair of George Willard. For Biddlebaum, this was a way to show affection, but the shame placed upon him in Pennsylvania has made him fearful to show this. After he attempts to tussle Willard’s hair and fails because of his obsessions, he has an anxiety attack and forces his hands in his pockets to help deal with these thoughts. The intrusiveness of these memories hurts Biddlebaum deeply and affects him throughout his everyday life. While my obsessive compulsiveness is not as severe as Wing Biddlebaum’s, this story connected with me because of his reactions to his ailment. It shows readers what it is like to live with un-wellness like this, and it does so in a very accurate way.