OCD personality disorder is extremely common and can affect people of all ages. Although it's mostly seen in adults, a lot of children show signs of it as they are growing up. This is a disorder that is characterized by an individual who likes to keep order and neatness in things.
On top of this, they are also going to be obsessed with perfectionism. A person that suffers from this disorder will need to have full control over their environment so they can make sure all the details are how they want them to be. Without this control the sufferer will endure a lot of stress that chronically bothers them until the situation is fixed. There are a lot of different symptoms of obsessive-compulsive personality disorder depending on each person.
Four million people in the United States currently have obsessive-compulsive disorder. If you want to look at this in a different way, that's one out of every fifty people. OCD affects all types of people, from children to adults and both men and women. This isn't something that affects just one race, either. It can affect all different types of people and is more severe in some than others. Some of the most common compulsions for people include: checking, arranging, collecting, hoarding, cleaning, touching, tapping or repeating things. Some of the most common obsessions include fears of: causing harm, making a mistake, being embarrassed, germs and many others.
Symptoms
Individuals who have this disorder tend to be extremely controlling with all their relationships and with other people in general. They want to make sure their plans go as they schedule, even down to the very smallest detail or last minute of a schedule. Attention to detail, even those that most people wouldn't notice, is one of the most obvious symptoms of this disorder. Individuals will also pay attention to facts, observe rules and make lists or schedules so they can stay on track with their day.
Someone who other people would describe as a "perfectionist" is likely to have obsessive-compulsive personality disorder. Unfortunately this isn't something the sufferer can control on their own. The need to be perfect can end up causing a lot of stress and interrupt the flow of daily life. Some people have the obsessive need to clean; but this doesn't happen with all people. Most individuals just want to make sure their home is cleaned the way they want it to be so it looks perfect. This isn't the need to clean, it's the need to make it look a certain way.
Difference between OCPD and OCD
Some people might confuse OCD personality disorder with OCD. Both of these disorders do show similar and the same symptoms, but the biggest difference is with the thoughts. People who have OCPD believe that the thoughts they have are correct. Individuals with OCD have thoughts they don't want enter in through their head all the time.
Risks of OCPD
Most people who suffer from this tend to be difficult to get along with. This is a result on them having very little wiggle room when they are looking at the views and actions of other people. This is why most people with OCD personality disorder tend to shy away from having friends or romantic relationships. Some people can even become violent and angry when other people don't agree with them. A lot of people with OCPD are also at risk for suicide if they become depressed.
Best treatments for OCPD
Although there isn't just one perfect treatment for this disorder, most sufferers benefit from a combination of therapy and self-help. While going to therapy each person will learn more about their disorder, although they might think that everything the therapist says is wrong and that only they are correct. In this case it's up to the therapist to try and change their thought process so the patient can better understand why they do certain things.
There are a lot of techniques therapists can teach to help their patients control their anxiety and reduce their need to make everything perfect. The self-help books and audio are also full of a lot of really good information. These will require sufferers to perform certain activities in order to overcome their disorder. This means there is a lot of will power required for people who want help.
Sometimes anti-anxiety medications are given to patients who can't seem to control their stress levels. These sometimes come in the form of antidepressants depending on which symptoms are shown. The anti-anxiety medications can make a big difference with the sufferer's ability to really take in what the therapist is saying.
Getting treatment can improve the quality of life dramatically for the person that suffers from this disorder. In time they will be able to control their thoughts and become more open with different types of people and relationships.
Getting treatment can improve the quality of life dramatically for the person that suffers from this disorder. In time they will be able to control their thoughts and become more open with different types of people and relationships.
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