Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder
What is Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder?
Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder (OCPD) is a mental health condition characterized by extreme perfectionism, order, and neatness. Individuals with OCPD will also experience a strong need to impose their own standards on their external world.Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder (OCPD) includes the following characteristics:
Difficulty with expressing feelings
Trouble building and maintaining close relationships with others
Being hardworking but inefficient due to an obsession with achieving perfection
Feeling righteous, indignant, and angry
Experiencing social isolation
Experiencing co-occurring anxiety and depression.
OCPD is not to be equated with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), which is a separate diagnosis. Individuals with OCPD are not aware that there's anything wrong with how they think or act. They believe that their way of thinking and behaving is the only correct way and that everyone else is wrong.
Cause
Although the exact cause of Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder (OCPD) is not known, it may be caused by a combination of genetics and childhood experiences. If a person has a close family member with OCPD, they may be more likely to have it. Studies have shown that individuals with Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder (OCPD) may have had controlling, protective, or punitive parents. As such, they may have felt a need to be the “perfect” obedient child growing up to avoid punishment. This internalized need to follow the rules then carries over into their adult lives.
Signs and Symptoms of OCPD
A number of signs and symptoms characterize OCPD, including the following:
Perfectionism that impairs the ability to complete tasks
Rigid or formal mannerisms
Being extremely frugal with money
An overwhelming need to be punctual
Extreme attention to detail
Excessive devotion to work at the expense of family or social relationships
Hoarding unneeded items
An inability to share or delegate work because of a fear it won’t be done correctly
A preoccupation with lists
Strict adherence to rules and regulations
An overwhelming need for order
Strict adherence to moral and ethical codes
Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder (OCPD) is diagnosed when the above symptoms interfere with a person’s functioning at work, school, and/or in their relationships.
Who’s at Risk of OCPD?
According to the International OCD Foundation, men are approximately twice as likely as women to be diagnosed with OCPD. According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), about 2.1–7.9% of the general population have OCPD, making it the most common personality disorder.Individuals diagnosed with Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder (OCPD) are likely to have other mental health diagnoses as well. Also, people with severe Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) are more likely to be diagnosed with OCPD.
Treatment
As individuals with Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder (OCPD) do not see that they have a problem, it can be difficult for them to seek treatment. According to the International OCD foundation, if their OCPD interferes with their work and personal life, they may be more willing to seek treatment. Below are common approaches to treating OCPD.
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)
This approach to talk therapy can help a person recognize their behavior as rigid. The therapist may help the person identify ways to improve their relationships with others.
Medication
Your doctor may prescribe medication, such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), to help alleviate the anxiety accompanying the obsessive-compulsive patterns.
Relaxation training
This approach involves breathing and relaxation techniques that can help reduce stress and urgency.
Frequently Ask Questions
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While OCD and OCPD share similar characteristics, such as an intense preoccupation with details and rules, they differ in important ways. Individuals with OCPD do not have unwanted thoughts that compel them to create routines or rituals, as do those with OCD. People with OCD have insight or are aware that these unwanted thoughts are unreasonable. In contrast, people with OCPD view their thoughts and behavior as reasonable and feel comfortable with their self-imposed systems of rules.
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If you have OCPD, your relationships are likely impacted. Individuals who live with a person with OCPD generally find it a challenging experience. Family members often describe feeling they cannot meet the person’s high expectations and are subject to constant criticism.
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If you identify with any of the above signs and symptoms of OCPD, you may benefit from talking to a mental health professional. It may be time to seek help if:
You always say, “my way is the right way,” or “nothing is right unless it happens this way.”
Others have told you that you are stubborn, rigid, or excessively perfectionistic.
You experience repeated interpersonal conflicts or problems at work because you feel that others are not doing things correctly.
You feel anger or turmoil if someone challenges your rules or how you do things.
A loved one has encouraged you to seek treatment.
Disclaimer
The information on this page, or elsewhere on this site, is not intended to take the place of diagnosis, treatment or informed advice from a qualified mental health professional. You should not take or avoid any action without consultation with the latter.
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References
American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.books.9780890425596
International OCD Foundation. (2010). Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder (OCPD).
https://iocdf.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/OCPD-Fact-Sheet.pdf
Nall, R. (2019, November 28). What is obsessive-compulsive personality disorder?
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/327158#when-to-see-a-doctor
Psychology Today Staff. (n.d.). Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder. Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/conditions/obsessive-compulsive-personality-disorder
Rowland, T. A., Jainer, A. K., & Panchal, R. (2017). Living with obsessional personality. BJPsych Bulletin, 41(6), 366–367. https://doi.org/10.1192/pb.41.6.366a
Watson, K. (2018, September 29). Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder (OCPD). Healthline.
https://www.healthline.com/health/obsessive-compulsive-personality-disorder