Disability Focus: OCD and OCPD

Overview 

Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder, or OCPD, is one of the more prevalent personality disorders and affects 7.9 percent of the general population. In some circles OCPD is referred to as Anankastic Personality Disorder. 

Rigid adherence to rules and regulations and an overwhelming need for order and personal control are the primary characteristics of obsessive compulsive personality disorder. People living with OCPD can be inflexible, they are perfectionists and often unwilling to yield responsibilities to others. 

Symptoms 

OCPD symptoms tend to present at an early age and are defined by inflexibility, close adherence to rules, anxiety when rules are transgressed, and unrealistic perfectionism. A person with obsessive compulsive personality disorder exhibits several of the following symptoms: 

· abnormal preoccupation with lists, rules, and minor details 

· excessive devotion to work, to the detriment of social and family activities 

· miserliness or a lack of generosity 

· perfectionism that interferes with task completion, as performance is never good enough 

· refusal to throw anything away (pack-rat mentality) 

· rigid and inflexible attitude towards morals or ethical code 

· unwilling to let others perform tasks, fearing the loss of responsibility upset and off-balance when rules or established routines are disrupted

OCD vs. OCPD

OCD is an anxiety disorder characterized by either Obsessions (intrusive, repetitive thoughts that won't leave the mind and that cause great anxiety) or Compulsions (repetitive behaviors that are designed to reduce anxiety brought on by obsessions). 

OCPD, on the other hand, is a personality style characterized by a preoccupation with "orderliness, perfectionism and mental and interpersonal control at the expense of flexibility, openness and efficiency.

OCD	Both	OCPD
Anxiety Disorder	---------	Personality Disorder
Axis I – late onset	---------	Axis II – early onset
Diagnosed in twice as many men as women	---------	Males and females equally affected
Person is often aware that their obsessions are abnormal, but are compelled to perform the rituals anyway	Upset when their repetitive routines are interrupted	Person believes their need for strict order and rules is perfectly normal
Obsessions and Compulsions	In some cases, people with both OCD and OCPD have a preoccupation with order, lists, and cleanliness is present	Rules and Procedures
Seek help for the psychological stress caused by having to carry out compulsions or the disturbing content or themes of their obsessions	---------	Seek treatment because of the conflict caused related to their need to have others conform to their way of doing things
Causes problems in the work environment due to the persistent obsessions and need to relieve anxiety from these obsessions through compulsions	Cause problems for social interactions.	Although there is social impairment present, people with OCPD are able to perform well in the work environment.
The most effective treatment is often cognitive-behavioral therapy	SSRIs may be used for alleviating rigidity and compulsiveness	Treatment is usually centered on a combination of psychotherapy and behavioral therapy
Use these tasks to reduce anxiety caused by obsessional thoughts	Both OCD and OCPD may involve being excessively engaged in tasks that require exquisite attention to detail such as list-making	Justify list-making as a good strategy to improve efficiency
Are usually distressed by having to carry out these tasks or rituals	Both OCD and OCPD may involve being excessively engaged in tasks that require exquisite attention to detail such as list-making	View activities such as excessive list making or organization of items as necessary and even beneficial
Spend a much greater amount of time engaged in these tasks or rituals	Both OCD and OCPD may involve being excessively engaged in tasks that require exquisite attention to detail such as list-making	Spend less amount of time engaged in these tasks or rituals

Interested in learning more about OCD and OCPD? The following websites may help:

http://ocpd.freeforums.org/

http://www.minddisorders.com/Ob-Ps/Obsessive-compulsive-personality-disorder.html

http://www.ocfoundation.org/index.aspx