What is the difference between ocd and perfectionism
Share on facebook Facebook. Share on twitter Twitter. Share on linkedin LinkedIn. Share on pinterest Pinterest. Share on whatsapp WhatsApp. Prev Previous Teen Suicide Prevention. Upcoming Events. Helpful Links. Why Choose Us? Have a Question? Contact Us. What's New. To complicate matters further, Im going to suggest another possibility. And while the names of the disorders sound similar, they are actually quite different.
OCPD is like extreme perfectionism with some additional symptoms and clinical criteria. Personality disorders are another category of mental disorder.
Theyre long-standing and exist in multiple areas of life at home, school, work, social situations. Personality disorders are characterized by ingrained behavior and thought patterns that dont change over time or situations. According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, OCPD is 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 [i] They fixate on order, details, lists, schedules, and rules to the extent that they miss the actual point of an activity.
Theyre rigid in areas of morals and values. They also have difficulty expressing affection and parting with money or possessions. People with OCPD generally dont see their perfectionism and rigidity as a problem. They see them as necessary and logical. Their perfectionism and difficulty delegating tends to impair their ability to complete tasks or projects. People with OCPD also have trouble relaxing and enjoying activities. Their anger and stubbornness often causes relationship problems.
Perfectionism is a component of OCPD. It can also be a component of OCD. However, both disorders encompass a variety of other symptoms and diagnostic criteria. It can be tempting to self-diagnose or diagnose your friends and family members , but I encourage you to be assessed by a licensed mental health professional if you wonder whether you meet the criteria for either OCD or OCPD. National Institute of Mental Health. What is Perfectionism?
The unhealthy form of perfectionism has been strongly linked to obsessive-compulsive disorder OCD. For example, unhealthy perfectionism tends to be very high if you feel that your compulsions have to be done in exactly the right way.
In these cases, it is not uncommon to believe that if the compulsion is carried out perfectly, a feared outcome, such as the death of a loved one, will be avoided. Unhealthy perfectionism tends to be high if your OCD symptoms revolve around checking. Tied to this is the excessive fear of making a catastrophic mistake. You might worry about things such as leaving the door open all day or burning down the house by leaving the stove on.
Checking over and over again reinforces the idea that you are not perfect or possibly even "losing your mind. Unhealthy OCD perfectionism may help to perpetuate obsessions. When a bizarre or distressing thought pops intrusively into your mind, you label these thoughts as dangerous because they are out of your control. This causes you to monitor the thought even more closely, which can help to create an obsession.
What can you do to cope with OCD perfectionism? The first step is to recognize OCD in yourself as well as your perfectionistic tendencies. There are a few things that can work particularly well in coping. Accepting that we have less control than we think over our thoughts can be very helpful in reducing the distress that often accompanies intrusive thoughts.
Mindfulness meditation exercises can help to promote a more objective awareness of our day-to-day thoughts and emotions. Techniques often used in cognitive behavioral therapy CBT can also be helpful. Cognitive therapy can also be a useful tool for critically examining the beliefs we hold about ourselves and others. By working with a therapist, you can learn to identify and change these unhealthy beliefs and behaviors.
This is your capacity to tolerate a loss of control. Examples include things that involve being prevented from checking something or adjusting something until it is "just right. Talking with a therapist is an excellent way to gain a greater understanding of your condition, and provides the feedback needed as you work to reduce the impact on your life.
But, on the other hand, these high standards can also drive people to be extremely critical of themselves and others. Obsessive compulsive disorder is usually treated with a combination or psychotherapy and medication, Dr.
While behavioral therapy alone may be enough for people with mild symptoms, Dr. Baskin notes that the combination of therapy with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors SSRIs , a commonly prescribed type of medicine for mental health disorders, is usually very important. Someone with extreme and unhealthy perfectionism might also benefit from psychotherapy. For anyone who experiences anxious or obsessive thoughts or behaviors that affect their quality of life. Obsessive-compulsive disorder is not the same thing as perfectionism.