It’s important to distinguish OCPD from OCD. While OCD involves unwanted obsessions and compulsions, OCPD is a pervasive pattern of preoccupation with orderliness, perfectionism, and control, at the expense of flexibility and efficiency. These traits are ingrained in one’s personality. We can help individuals find more flexibility and reduce the distress that this rigid pattern can cause.

Common Symptoms or Things to Look Out For:

• Is preoccupied with details, rules, lists, order, organization, or schedules to the extent that the major point of the activity is lost.
• Shows perfectionism that interferes with task completion.
• Is excessively devoted to work and productivity to the exclusion of leisure activities and friendships.
• Is overconscientious, scrupulous, and inflexible about matters of morality, ethics, or values.
• Is unable to discard worn-out or worthless objects even when they have no sentimental value.
• Is reluctant to delegate tasks or to work with others unless they submit to exactly his or her way of doing things.
• Adopts a miserly spending style toward both self and others; money is viewed as something to be hoarded for future catastrophes.
• Shows rigidity and stubbornness.