Overview
Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder is characterized by a preoccupation with orderliness, perfectionism, and mental and interpersonal control, at the expense of flexibility, openness, and efficiency.
When rules and established procedures do not dictate the correct answer, decision making may become a time-consuming, often painful process. Individuals with Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder may have such difficulty deciding which tasks take priority or what is the best way of doing some particular task that they may never get started on anything.
They are prone to become upset or angry in situations in which they are not able to maintain control of their physical or interpersonal environment, although the anger is typically not expressed directly. For example, a person may be angry when service in a restaurant is poor, but instead of complaining to the management, the individual ruminates about how much to leave as a tip. On other occasions, anger may be expressed with righteous indignation over a seemingly minor matter.
People with this disorder may be especially attentive to their relative status in dominance-submission relationships and may display excessive deference to an authority they respect and excessive resistance to authority that they do not respect.
Individuals with this disorder usually express affection in a highly controlled or stilted fashion and may be very uncomfortable in the presence of others who are emotionally expressive. Their everyday relationships have a formal and serious quality, and they may be stiff in situations in which others would smile and be happy (e.g., greeting a lover at the airport). They carefully hold themselves back until they are sure that whatever they say will be perfect. They may be preoccupied with logic and intellect.
Symptoms of Anankastic Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder
A pervasive pattern of preoccupation with orderliness, perfectionism, and mental and interpersonal control, at the expense of flexibility, openness, and efficiency, beginning by early adulthood and present in a variety of contexts, as indicated by four (or more) of the following
- perfectionism to the point that it impairs the ability to finish tasks
- stiff, formal, or rigid 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 worn or useless items
- an inability to share or delegate work because of a fear it won’t be done right
- a fixation with lists
- a rigid adherence to rules and regulations
- an overwhelming need for order
- a sense of righteousness about the way things should be done
- a rigid adherence to moral and ethical codes
Causes of Anankastic Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder
Researchers today don’t know what causes obsessive-compulsive personality disorder. There are many theories, however, about the possible causes of obsessive-compulsive personality disorder. Most professionals subscribe to a biopsychosocial model of causation — that is, the causes of are likely due to biological and genetic factors, social factors (such as how a person interacts in their early development with their family and friends and other children), and psychological factors (the individual’s personality and temperament, shaped by their environment and learned coping skills to deal with stress). This suggests that no single factor is responsible — rather, it is the complex and likely intertwined nature of all three factors that are important. If a person has this personality disorder, research suggests that there is a slightly increased risk for this disorder to be “passed down” to their children.
Complications of Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder
Persons suffering from Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder may face complications due to
- Become absorbed in details (often to the point of missing what is important).
- Self-critical, expecting themselves to be “perfect”, and to be equally critical of others, whether overtly or covertly.
- Are excessively devoted to work and productivity to the detriment of leisure and relationships.
- See themselves as logical and rational, uninfluenced by emotion.
- Prefer to operate as if emotions were irrelevant or inconsequential.
- Think in abstract and intellectualized terms.
- Are controlling, oppositional, and self-righteous or moralistic.
- Adhere rigidly to daily routines, becoming anxious or uncomfortable when they are altered, and to be overly concerned with rules, procedures, order, organization, and/or schedules.
- Are prone to being stingy and withholding (e.g., of time, money, affection).
- Are inhibited and constricted, and have difficulty acknowledging or expressing wishes, impulses, or anger.
- Rationality and regimentation generally mask underlying feelings of anxiety or anger.
- See themselves as emotionally strong, untroubled, and in control, despite evidence of underlying insecurity, anxiety, or distress.
- Deny or disavow their need for nurturance or comfort, often regarding such needs as weakness.
- Tend to be conflicted about anger and aggression.
- Are often conflicted about authority, struggling with contradictory impulses to submit versus defy.
- May be preoccupied with concerns about dirt, cleanliness, or contamination.
Although many personality disorders can lead to destructive behaviors, such as lawbreaking or substance abuse, the rigidity displayed by people with OCPD makes these behaviors less of a risk. However, the tendency to become hyper-focused on details and lose sight of the big picture may cause problems with career development, which is especially unfortunate because people with OCPD tend to value work so highly. In addition, poor social skills may lead to unsatisfying or difficult personal relationships.
