Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder
Personality disorders are mental health disorders that are defined by established and enduring patterns of behaviour and thinking that interfere with your ability to function and maintain healthy relationships, and in general, impact your life negatively.
There are 10 personality disorders that are divided into 3 clusters:
- Cluster A: Odd or abnormal behaviour
- Cluster B: Dramatic or emotional behaviour
- Cluster C: Anxious or fearful behaviour
Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder is categorized under Cluster C (anxious or fearful behaviour). Although the name, “obsessive-compulsive personality disorder” sounds similar to “obsessive-compulsive disorder” (OCD) the two are distinctly different. OCD is an anxiety-based disorder, while obsessive-compulsive personality disorder is characterized by the need for routines and orderliness in order to achieve perfection (and validation) and is a general tendency in all areas of their life and less related to anxiety itself.
Symptoms & signs of obsessive-compulsive personality disorder include:
- Extreme preoccupation with lists, rules, organization, and details
- Inability to complete projects because they will not be perfect
- Reluctance to delegate tasks due to fear that those tasks will be completed incorrectly
- Stubbornness
- Work is a priority over relationships, family, and personal leisure time
When is it time to get help?
Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder can be paralyzing. You may be so stressed and working so hard for perfection that you are unable to make progress at all – which can be exhausting. If you find that your work is suffering due to your unbearably slow work style, or maybe it’s not suffering because you are putting in an unhealthy amount of overtime or personal time to meet deadlines, you might want to seek help. If your loved ones and those closest to you are telling you that you work too hard, that they feel neglected or they suspect you don’t care about them, you should consider getting support. If you are feeling the physical effects of stress or you are feeling like you need a rest but can’t entertain the thought of easing up because you feel you will lose respect or “fail” if you produce anything less than perfect, you should get help.
Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder treatment methods
Treatment methods that may be effective in treating obsessive-compulsive personality disorder include:
- Behavioural therapy tends to view human beings and behaviour with the assumption that humans are a product of their sociocultural conditioning and environment, looking at the current problems and the factors influencing them and emphasizes behaviour changes more than the underlying unconscious processes.
- Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is an evidence-based approach to treatment that focuses on how people’s thoughts, emotions, and beliefs influence their behaviour and how they perceive themselves.
- Mindfulness therapy is an approach to treatment that focuses on how people’s thoughts, emotions, and beliefs influence their behaviour and how they perceive themselves, others, and the world. The ability to be in the moment, to acknowledge and regulate your emotions helps you to break free from negative thought patterns.
- Psychodynamic therapy’s core principle is that the unconscious mind harbours deep-rooted feelings and memories, which affects behaviour. Psychodynamic therapists work within this model by attempting to maintain more of an equal relationship with their client while also adopting the attitude of unconditional acceptance and trust.
To choose the right combination of treatments, an assessment will first be done. Together with your therapist, you’ll find the treatment method that best suits your unique personality and circumstances.
What will I get out of treatment with Insight Psychological?
By meeting with a therapist, you can learn to live with your obsessive-compulsive personality disorder. You will find ways to manage symptoms and understand the impact this disorder has on you and your loved ones and learn how to connect and validate your self-worth in ways that don’t require perfectionism. We have knowledgeable and non-judgmental therapists who can support you. Please call us today!
