Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder (OCPD) is a mental health condition characterized by an extreme focus on perfectionism, organization, and neatness. People with OCPD also feel an intense impulse to control their surroundings by imposing rigid standards on people and their environments. These behaviors and thought patterns interfere with completing tasks and maintaining relationships.

People with OCPD are unwavering in their beliefs and refuse to deviate from their specific ways of doing tasks. These individuals don’t allow flexibility and face difficulties reaching compromises with others. People who struggle with this disorder often don’t recognize they are engaging in problematic behaviors and thought patterns.

OCPD Versus OCD

Although they share many of the same words, obsessive-compulsive personality disorder (OCPD) and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) are separate conditions.

OCD is an anxiety disorder in which you have frequent unwanted and intrusive thoughts that cause you to perform repetitive behaviors, known as compulsions, to relieve feelings of distress and anxiety. Common compulsions include flipping a light switch a certain number of times or engaging in repeated hand washing.

This can be contrasted with OCPD, marked by excessive attention to detail and perfectionism. The primary difference is that OCD includes obsessions/compulsions, while OCPD does not. People with OCD usually know that the condition is causing their behavior and accept that they require OCD treatment to overcome this issue. People with OCPD typically have little, if any, self-awareness of their behaviors.

Personality disorders, including obsessive-compulsive personality disorder, are among the least understood mental health conditions. Although researchers are currently unsure of the exact causes that can lead to OCPD, there are some theories about contributing factors.

Factors that can influence OPCD may include:

• Genetics: Scientists have identified a malfunctioning gene that may be a factor in OCPD. Researchers are also exploring genetic links to aggression, anxiety, and fear, which are traits that can play a role in personality disorders. People are also more likely to have OCPD if they have biological family members with personality disorders, anxiety, or depression.
• Childhood experiences: One study revealed a link between childhood traumas, such as child abuse, and the development of personality disorders. OCPD has been shown to develop in those who had overprotective parents or caregivers who didn’t offer much care, couldn’t form secure attachments with their parents or caregivers, or didn’t develop emotionally and empathetically during their childhood.
• Co-occurring disorders: OCPD is also more likely to affect people with anxiety disorder, mood disorders like bipolar disorder, and other personality disorders, including histrionic personality disorder, narcissistic personality disorder, or borderline personality disorder (BPD).

OCPD behaviors make it difficult to complete tasks and cause issues with relationships. Symptoms of OCPD usually begin in early adulthood. OCPD also closely resembles some other conditions, such as OCD, eating disorders, autism spectrum disorder, and other personality disorders.

A person with obsessive-compulsive personality disorder (OCPD) may:

• Focus intensely on small details, rules, and organization
• Be a perfectionist to the point that it interferes with completing tasks
• Have excessive devotion to work and productivity, resulting in neglecting hobbies and spending less time with loved ones
• Be paralyzed by extreme doubts and indecisiveness
• Use extreme caution to avoid anything they consider a failure
• Be rigid and stubborn in their beliefs and ways of doing things, perceiving everything in a “black or white” worldview
• Be unwilling to compromise, which can create difficulties working with others or delegating tasks unless others agree to follow the individual’s exact specifications
• Be unwilling to throw out broken or worthless objects, even if they have no sentimental value
• Fixate on a single idea, task, or belief to the point of distraction from responsibilities
• Have difficulty coping with criticism
• Over-focus on flaws in other people
• Desire to control their relationships with others

From an outside perspective, people with OCPD typically appear well-put-together, confident, and high-achieving. The meticulous standards they follow can even help them in their professional life, yet their inability to compromise or change their behaviors usually negatively affects their relationships.

Without the intervention of mental health professionals, this condition will continue to affect different aspects of your adult life. People who struggle with OCPD may find it hard to express their true feelings, often seeming restrained or withdrawn, and have difficulty forming and maintaining close relationships with others.

Although these individuals are hardworking, their obsession with perfection can make them inefficient. Due to their shortcomings, they often feel indignant, angry, or anxious. These issues worsen without treatment and may self-isolate or turn to substances to cope.

Therapy and psychiatry can guide you to overcome these issues and heal from this disorder. Undergoing treatment will help you uncover the motivations and fears associated with these thoughts and behaviors and relate to others more positively.

Our recovery center is more than state-of-the-art facilities. We’re a place where skilled clinicians raise the bar in effective recovery. The Summit Wellness Group is here to provide effective treatment that helps patients heal from OCPD and other related disorders.

Our facility is Joint Commission accredited, which means we adhere to the highest safety and quality standards for our clients. Our clinical team holds various licenses and credentials, while our track record of success and shining 5-star Google Reviews speak for themselves.

Without treatment, obsessive-compulsive personality disorder can destroy your sense of self and affect how you maintain adult relationships. We’re committed to freeing you from the burden of mental health disorders and find peace for the future.

Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP)

Our outpatient program is a step from an inpatient or residential treatment center. PHP is our 30-hour-a-week program. You come to our center in the daytime and go home at night. You ease into applying what you learn to your daily life. This program instills the skills not to let OCPD control your life. It dives deeper into mental illness and substance abuse issues with a dual-diagnosis approach.

Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP)

Intensive outpatient is a lot like PHP but with fewer restrictions. You continue strengthening your emotional regulation, learning new coping techniques, and changing your thinking. You attend this program three to five days a week for 15 hours. 

You’ll have a variety of mental health treatment modalities, including counseling and support groups, that cater to your individual needs. You return home at night to ease into regular life.

Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT)

Medication-assisted treatment (MAT) can help patients manage depression or co-occurring substance abuse disorders to lessen symptoms of mental illness or withdrawal. Our healthcare providers safely administer medication management during treatment.

• Antidepressants are used to control the nerves that send messages throughout the body. They also regulate serotonin, which stabilizes mood. Antidepressants reduce feelings of anxiety and prevent panic attacks.
• Beta-blockers are used to block the effects of adrenaline. They do this by controlling the symptoms of panic attacks, such as rapid heart rate and shaking.
• Vivitrol, Disulfiram, Naltrexone, and Methadone help patients through withdrawal from alcohol or opiate addiction. These medications alleviate withdrawal symptoms and reduce cravings, giving patients a clear head during treatment.

Evidence-Based Treatment

These behavioral health therapy options provide patients with a personalized program combining various scientifically-backed evidence-based treatment options.

• Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is the most commonly used therapy and efficiently treats mental health problems and substance use disorders. CBT is intense talk therapy that involves changing the patient’s thinking and behavioral patterns, allowing them to develop coping skills and improve problematic thought patterns.
• Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) is derived from CBT and is another form of talk therapy that allows patients to understand how their thoughts affect their emotions and behaviors. DBT helps patients accept the reality of their lives, regulate their feelings, and change self-destructive behaviors into more positive actions.
• Group therapy involves guided sessions with your therapist and peers. Your therapist will suggest topics and moderate group discussions, which allow each patient to discuss their emotional state and recovery progress in a safe environment.
• Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) is a psychotherapy technique that helps combat traumatic memories and allows patients to heal from their past. Patients can decrease their triggers, improve stress management and self-control, and release negative feelings associated with painful memories.
• Family therapy allows patients to address issues in the family dynamic that contributed to relationship trauma and work to repair those bonds and find support from their loved ones. This helps patients heal from the past and create healthier family relationships.
• Motivational enhancement therapy is a tool therapists use to help clients overcome their disdain for seeking treatment. The main goal is to ensure that clients seek change independently rather than being forced into it by their family and friends.

Holistic Therapy

Our holistic treatment uses mindfulness techniques like yoga, massage therapy, guided meditation, nutrition, chiropractic care, fitness programs, art therapy, and adventure activities to help patients discover hobbies that improve their mental health and find joy in life.

Our treatment plans offer you a path to overcoming OCPD and improving your quality of life. We use a combination of treatment methods to address all aspects of your mental health and well-being so you can create a better future free from the rigidity of this disorder.

The Summit Wellness Group is here to guide you to recovery. Call us at (770) 824-3698 or fill out our contact form to connect with our team and determine which of our programs suits you.