MHM Magazine

28 | MENTAL HEALTH MATTERS | Issu3 2 | 2022 MHM When one hears the words obsessive-compulsive, which pathology comes to mind? Arguably it would be obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), characterised by intrusive thoughts and repetitive rituals. However, there is a condition described as obsessive-compulsive, but which is characterised by rigidity, being overly organised with perfectionistic personality traits and behaviours that significantly interfere with life, namely obsessive- compulsive personality disorder (OCPD). MEETING BUCKY CANTOR People with mental health issues can be found in places not necessarily limited to doctors’ or scientists’ offices. A decade ago, a novel called “Nemesis” by Phillip Roth told a fictional story about the protagonist Bucky Cantor, 23-year- old gym teacher during the outbreak of polio in Newark, New Jersey back in 1944. The protagonist was depicted as extremely rigid in his sense of duty and morals to the extent of being heartlessly harsh to himself. Growing up with a warm grandmother, yet no parents and an overly strict, dominant, and critical grandfather, one of the major messages to him from early life was that “man’s every endeavor should be imbued with responsibility.” The protagonist was also depicted as someone who prioritised work as a teacher over leisure, health and even family matters. Throughout the story, the high standards of being a good teacher, a role model to the kids and good partner was a repetitive theme, which caused a great level of distress and guilt to the protagonist. Eventually, the thought that he might have infected some of the playground boys with polio left him with an extreme sense of guilt and distress, which ruined most of his areas of life and dreams. Bucky Cantor was depicted as exceptionally perfectionistic, overly structured and dedicated to work with tremendous emotional inhibition and need for control over his environment. Bucky Cantor is a symbolic representation of personality difficulties presented by individuals with obsessive-compulsive personality disorder (OCPD). Despite being portrayed as an authority figure, his life was filled with extreme Julija Gecaite-Stonciene 1 , Christine Lochner 2 1 Laboratory of Behavioral Medicine, Neuroscience Institute, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Lithuania 2 SAMRC Unit on Risk and Resilience in Mental Disorders, Department of Psychiatry, Stellenbosch University, South Africa OCD VS. OCPD