What is Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder?

He Obsessive compulsive disorder of personality Is characteristic of people with a fixation to do things"in the right way". There is excessive concern for order, perfectionism, and personal and interpersonal control.

This concern for detail and perfection prevents many of the goals that are proposed or the things that begin.

Due to the lack of flexibility, people with this personality disorder may have difficulties in establishing interpersonal relationships.

On the other hand, these people are prone to get angry in situations where they can not maintain personal or environmental control, even if hatred is not expressed directly.

Causes of Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder

Under the genetic theory, people with obsessive personality disorder (TPOC) would have a form of the DRD3 gene, which also predisposes to the development of depression .

These genetic factors can remain"dormant"until a vital event occurs. These events may be traumas during childhood such as sexual, physical or emotional abuse.

According to environmental theory, TPOC is a learned behavior.

Most professionals support the biopsychosocial model that proposes that the causes are biological, social and psychological. From this theory, there is no single factor responsible, but an interaction between the three.

symptom

Personality disorders are often diagnosed in adulthood as they describe resistant patterns of behavior.

It is uncommon to be diagnosed in childhood or adolescence, since children are constantly developing in personality and physical maturity.

Like most personality disorders, it tends to decrease in intensity with age.

His frequent symptoms are:

• Concern about details, rules, lists, organization and schedules.
• Excessive devotion to work and productivity, excluding leisure activities.
• To show Perfectionism Which interferes with the completion of the activity.
• Inflexibility and scrupulosity in matters of religion, ethics or values.
• The person is reluctant to delegate tasks to work with others, unless they submit exactly to their way of doing things.
• Great obstinacy and rigidity.
• Money tends to be saved for possible future needs.
• You do not want or enjoy close interpersonal relationships.
• It shows coldness, detachment or lack of affectivity.

Diagnosis according to DSM IV

According to DSM IV, this is a general pattern of concern for order, perfectionism and mental and interpersonal control, at the expense of flexibility, spontaneity and efficiency.

It begins in adulthood and occurs in various contexts as indicated by four or more of the following items:

1. Concern about details, rules, lists, order, organization or schedules, to the point of losing sight of the main object of the activity.
2. Perfectionism that interferes with the completion of tasks.
3. Excessive dedication to work and productivity, excluding leisure activities and friendships.
4. Excessive stubbornness, scrupulosity and inflexibility in matters of moral ethics or values.
5. Inability to throw spent or useless objects, even without sentimental value.
6. He is reluctant to delegate tasks or work to others, unless they submit exactly to his way of doing things.
7. It adopts a miserly style in spending.
8. Rigidity and stubbornness.

How is it diagnosed

It is usually diagnosed by a mental health professional, such as a psychiatrist or psychologist.

Family doctors or practitioners are not trained or well equipped to make this kind of psychological diagnosis.

Although at first the opinion is asked of a family physician, they should refer them to a mental health professional.

There are no genetic or blood tests that are used to diagnose OCT.

People with OCPD often do not seek treatment until the disorder begins to seriously interfere with their personal lives.

Treatment

• Cognitive-behavioral psychotherapy : Improves the person's awareness of the problem and corrects negative patterns of thinking. The goal is to decrease rigidity and improve personal relationships, leisure and fun.
• Relaxation techniques : Reduce the sense of urgency and stress.
• Medication: Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) can be effective if used in conjunction with psychotherapy.

Vitamins or dietary supplements are not effective for this disorder.

Treatment is complicated if the person does not accept that they have OCPD or believe that their thoughts or behaviors are correct and do not need to be changed.

Possible complications

In TPOC, chronic concern about the person for rules and control seems to prevent drug use, unprotected sex or financial irresponsibility.

Possible complications are:

• Anxiety .
• Depression.
• Difficulty completing tasks.
• Difficulties in personal relationships.

Comorbidity

The OCT (Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder) is often confused with OCD ( Obsessive-compulsive disorder ). Despite their similar names, they are two distinct disorders.

The relationship with obsessive-compulsive disorder is distant; They do not usually have obsessive thoughts and typical behaviors of OCD.

The TOC is a anxiety disorder Rather than a personality disorder.

People's attitudes vary among these types of disorders:

• People with OCD believe that rules, symmetry, and excessive organization behaviors are insane and unintended, the product of anxiety and unintended thoughts.
• People with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) believe that these behaviors are rational and desirable (routines, perfectionism, control...).

Some characteristics of TPOC are common in people with OCD. For example, perfectionism and concern for detail

A 2014 study found a difference between people with OCD and people with OCD: those with OCD were more rigid in their behavior and had a more time-consuming gratification than those with OCD. That is, they suppressed their impulses more to acquire greater rewards in the future.

Asperger syndrome

There are some similarities between people with Asperger And with TPOC as adherence to the rules and some obsessive aspects.

People with Asperger's are distinguished mainly by their Worst social skills , Difficulties with the theory of the mind and his intense intellectual interests.

In a 2009 study with participants with autism spectrum disorders, 40% of those diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome also met the conditions of OTP.

Eating Disorders

Rigid personalities have also been linked to eating disorders, especially with Anorexia nervosa .

In a 2005 study, 9% of women with eating disorders, 6% of restrictive anorexics, 13% of purgative anorexics and 11% of bulimics with anorexia history were found to meet TPOC conditions.

The presence of this personality disorder is related to a range of complications in eating disorders, while the more impulsive characteristics - Such as histrionic disorder - predict a better outcome in treatment.

The OCPT predicts more severe symptoms in anorexia, worse remission rates and the presence of behaviors such as compulsive exercise.

References

1. Halmi, KA, et al. (December 2005). "The relation among perfectionism, obsessive-compulsive personality disorder, and obsessive-compulsive disorder in individuals with eating disorders". Int J Eat Disord 38 (4): 371-4. Doi: 10.1002 / eat.20190. PMID 16231356. Retrieved 14 March 2013.
2. Pinto, Anthony (2014). "Capacity to Delay Reward Differentiates Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder and Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder." Biol Psychiatry 75 (8): 653-659. Doi: 10.1016 / j.biopsych.2013.09.007.
3. Hofvander, Björn; Delorme, Richard; (2009). "Psychiatric and psychosocial problems in adults with normal-intelligence autism spectrum disorders". BMC Psychiatry 9 (1): 35. doi: 10.1186 / 1471-244x-9-35. Retrieved 2014-09-24. Chaste, Pauline; Nydén, Agneta; Wentz, Elisabet; Stahlberg, Ola; Herbrecht, Evelyn; Stopin, Astrid; Anckarsäter, Henrik; Gillberg, Christopher et al.
4. Image source.