OCD vs OCPD
You’ve probably heard of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), but have you heard of OCPD? OCPD, or obsessive-compulsive personality disorder, is commonly confused with OCD. Despite their similar names, the two conditions are very different.
OCD is a mental health disorder marked by intrusive thoughts and repetitive behaviors. A person with OCD engages in obsessions and compulsions to relieve distress and anxiety. On the other hand, OCPD is a personality disorder demonstrated by excessive attention to detail and perfectionism.
A mental health disorder may be short-term, but without treatment, a personality disorder can disrupt emotions, behaviors, moods, and thoughts for life.
What is Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder?
OCD is a mental health disorder impacting everyone from all walks of life and ages. It occurs when a person gets caught in a cycle of obsession and compulsion. Obsessions are unwanted thoughts, images, or urges that trigger distressing feelings. Compulsions are behaviors a person engages in to eliminate obsessions and anxiety caused by them.
OCD Obsessions
A person with OCD has impulses caused by intrusive thoughts and images. Some of the most common OCD obsessions include:
- Contamination: Fear of bodily fluids, germs, household chemicals, or environmental pollutants
- Identity: Obsessive thoughts regarding gender identity or sexual orientation
- Perfectionism: Fear of making mistakes and obsessive desire to be perfect
- Relationships: Excessive fear regarding a partner’s flaws
- Religious: Obsessive concern regarding eternal damnation or offending god(s)
- Responsibility: Fear of responsibility for terrible acts or unintentionally causing harm
- Sexual: Unwanted, intrusive sexual thoughts or images
- Violent: Excessive fear of harming another person, oneself, or continued mental pictures of violence
While most people get intrusive thoughts that come and go in the blink of an eye, someone with OCD cannot ignore or move on from these intrusions.
OCD Compulsions
Most people have obsessive thoughts or compulsive behaviors at some point. But these thoughts are usually fleeting, and the compulsion only happens once.
However, that doesn’t mean that everyone has OCD. For an OCD diagnosis, the cycle of obsession and compulsion must be so extreme that it consumes more than an hour a day, causes intense distress, and takes time away from activities of value.
Compulsions of OCD include:
- Counting while doing a task
- Excessive washing and cleaning
- Over-checking situations
- Praying to prevent harm
- Rearranging things until they feel “right”
- Repeating words or tasks
- Worrying about unintentionally harming others
Compulsions typically line up with the type of obsessions a person faces. For example, someone with intrusive responsibility thoughts about leaving their house vulnerable to burglaries might have to check the door lock a specific number of times before they can continue with their day.
In this regard, it might be easy to see how a traumatic event can trigger OCD in someone who may be predisposed to it.
What Is Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder?
Personality disorders involve traits that are long-held and problematic in some way. Those with OCPD may find it hard to relate to others due to their devotion to orderliness and rigid control.
In the DSM-5, OCPD sits under a sub-category of personality disorders known as “Cluster C.’ Cluster C disorders are characterized by anxious, fearful thinking or behavior. In addition to OCPD, Cluster C disorders include avoidant personality disorder (APD) and dependent personality disorder (DPD).
OCPD Symptoms
OCPD focuses on symptoms of perfectionism, obsession, and a need for control. Someone with OCPD may experience behavioral patterns like:
- Creating order using lists for tasks
- Devotion to work affecting recreation and leisure
- Desire to control relationships with others
- Difficulty maintaining intimacy or empathizing
- Emotional restraint or restriction
- Excessive perfectionism causes an inability to finish tasks
- Hoarding tendencies
- Inflexible, rigid adherence to rules, lists, and details
- Preoccupation with moral and ethical codes
- Problems with self-identity or self-direction
- Trouble giving up control, delegating tasks, or giving things away
Someone with OCPD may not exhibit every characteristic, but even showing a few may be enough to warrant seeing a professional for help.
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Differences Between OCD and OCPD
The main difference between OCD and OCPD is that OCD can develop later in life due to certain factors or events. In contrast, OCPD is a lifelong condition a person is born with.
While both disorders share similar symptoms, people with OCPD often lack self-awareness. They’re more susceptible to acting impulsively in over-productivity, causing harm to themselves and others. They can become so excessively devoted to work that they neglect friends, family, or developing hobbies.
Another difference is that people with OCD control specific factors to disengage from obsessions. On the other hand, people with OCPD have difficulty not controlling entire situations.
There are also emotional differences between OCD and OCPD. Those with OCD tend to be more anxious, while those with OCPD are more susceptible to anger and rage.
Another stark difference between these two disorders is that people with OCD are aware of their obsessions and compulsions but are insecure about them. OCPD patients are often unaware of their insecurities and can hide them from others.
Diagnosing OCD vs. OCPD
OCD has no tests available to diagnose individuals. Instead, a mental health professional will ask a series of questions to make the diagnosis.
To receive an OCPD diagnosis, a person must exhibit four or more symptoms of the following eight:
- Hoarding money for worst-case scenarios
- Inability to finish tasks due to perfectionism
- Maintaining order by obsessing over lists, schedules, and rules
- Neglecting relationships due to work devotion
- Obsessing over ethics, value, and morality
- Refusal to delegate tasks without a guarantee that assignees will perform as desired
- Not wanting to part with worthless items
- A stubborn or uncompromising disposition
These symptoms must be a long-term pattern that forms before early adulthood. Much like an OCD diagnosis, a diagnosis for OCPD will also involve a screening questionnaire.
We understand that screening may make you hesitant to seek help or diagnosis, especially if you already suspect you have OCPD or OCD. Understand that receiving a formal diagnosis isn’t a bad thing. Not only will it give you insight into yourself, but it can give you and your support system tools to help you move forward.
Can You Have OCD and OCPD at the Same Time?
Most individuals with OCD do not have OCPD, however, it is possible to have both at the same time. If the conditions are co-occurring, the effects and symptoms of each amplify. Those with co-occurring disorders tend to have higher rates of addiction and depression.
Those who have both OCD and OCPD do not always respond well to cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). Results take time and patience, which can be challenging for those with commitment and trust issues.
Treatment for OCD and OCPD
CBT can help people with either disorder, though there are other options your counselor may want to try. Psychodynamic psychotherapy (PP) is usually effective in treating OCPD. PP helps patients understand conscious and unconscious thoughts and emotions, empowering that person to make healthier daily choices.
Exposure and response prevention (ERP) involves gradual exposure to a feared object or obsession (like dirt for those with contamination obsessions). In doing so, the person learns ways to resist the urge to perform compulsive rituals. ERP takes effort and practice, but patients report better quality of life once they’ve learned to manage obsessions and compulsions.
Most treatment plans begin with psychotherapy, but medication can complement it. Your doctor may recommend medication to help control symptoms, especially if you’re experiencing another condition like depression or anxiety.
Getting Help for OCD and OCPD
If you have OCD or OCPD traits and are looking for help, it’s vital to seek care from a qualified mental health professional. This professional can determine whether or not you have a disorder and help you combat the detriments of the condition.
Sequoia Behavioral Health connects you to a healthy community with resources to help you during and after treatment. You’ll have access to nearby support groups and recreation facilities in a safe and welcoming environment. Reach out today to start your treatment journey.