- Causes
- Symptoms
- Diagnosis
- Diagnosis
- Treatment
- Possible complications
- Comorbidity
- Asperger syndrome
- Eating disorders
- References
The obsessive - compulsive personality disorder is characteristic of people with a fixation for doing things "the right way". There is an excessive concern for order, perfectionism and personal and interpersonal control.
This concern for details and perfection prevents the completion of much of the goals that are proposed or the things that begin. Due to the lack of flexibility, people with this personality disorder may find it difficult to establish interpersonal relationships.
On the other hand, these people are prone to anger in situations where they cannot maintain personal or environmental control, even if the hatred is not directly expressed.
Causes
Under the genetic theory, people with obsessive personality disorder (hereinafter 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 life event occurs. These events can be childhood trauma 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 that is responsible, but an interaction between the three.
Symptoms
Personality disorders are often diagnosed in adulthood as they describe resistant patterns of behavior. It is rare for it to be diagnosed in childhood or adolescence, as children are constantly developing in personality and physical maturity.
Like most personality disorders, it tends to decrease in intensity with age. Its most frequent symptoms are:
-Concern for details, rules, lists, organization and schedules.
-Excessive devotion to work and productivity, excluding free time activities.
-Show perfectionism that interferes with the completion of the activity.
-Inflexibility and scrupolosity 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.
-High stubbornness and rigidity.
-The money tends to be saved for possible future needs.
-Does not want or enjoy close interpersonal relationships.
-Shows coldness, detachment or lack of affection.
Diagnosis
It is a general pattern of concern for orderliness, 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:
-Preoccupation with details, rules, lists, order, organization or schedules, to the point of losing sight of the main purpose of the activity.
-Perfectionism that interferes with the completion of tasks.
-Excessive dedication to work and productivity, excluding leisure activities and friendships.
-Excessive stubbornness, scrupolosity and inflexibility on issues of moral ethics or values.
-Incapacity to throw spent or useless objects, even without sentimental value.
-He is reluctant to delegate tasks or work to others, unless they submit exactly to his way of doing things.
-Adopt a greedy style in spending.
-Rigidity and stubbornness.
Diagnosis
It is usually diagnosed by a mental health professional, such as a psychiatrist or psychologist. Family physicians or practitioners are not trained or well equipped to make this type of psychological diagnosis.
Although a family doctor is initially asked for an opinion, they should refer you to a mental health professional.
There are no genetic or blood tests that are used to diagnose POST.
People with COPD often do not seek treatment until the disorder begins to seriously interfere with their personal lives.
Treatment
There are three main options for treatment:
-Cognitive-behavioral psychotherapy: improves the person's awareness of the problem and corrects negative thought patterns. The goal is to decrease stiffness 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 food supplements are not effective for this disorder.
Treatment is complicated if the person does not accept that they have OCT or believes that their thoughts or behaviors are correct and do not need to be changed.
Possible complications
In TPOC, the person's chronic concern for rules and control appears to prevent drug use, unprotected sex, or financial irresponsibility.
Possible complications are:
-Anxiety.
-Depression.
-Difficulty in completing tasks.
-Difficulties in personal relationships.
Comorbidity
OCD (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; Obsessive thoughts and behaviors typical of OCD are not usually present.
OCD is an anxiety disorder rather than a personality disorder. People's attitudes vary between these types of disorders:
- People affected with OCD believe that rules, symmetry and excessive organization behaviors are unhealthy and unwanted, being the product of anxiety and involuntary thoughts.
- People with obsessive compulsive personality disorder (OCD) believe that these behaviors are rational and desirable (routines, perfectionism, control…).
Some features of OCT are common in people with OCD. For example, perfectionism and concern for details
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 more delayed gratification than those with OCD. That is, they suppressed more their impulses to acquire greater rewards in the future.
Asperger syndrome
There are some similarities between people with Asperger's and PDO, such as adherence to the rules and some obsessive aspects.
People with Asperger's are differentiated primarily by their poorer social skills, difficulties with theory of mind, and 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 for OCT.
Eating disorders
Rigid personalities have also been linked to eating disorders, especially 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 a history of anorexia were found to meet the conditions for TPOC.
The presence of this personality disorder is related to a range of complications in eating disorders, while the more impulsive characteristics - such as those of histrionic disorder - predict a better treatment result.
The TPOC predicts more severe symptoms in anorexia, worse remission rates, and the presence of behaviors such as compulsive exercise.
References
- 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 March 14, 2013.
- 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.
- Hofvander, Björn; Delorme, Richard; Chaste, Pauline; Nydén, Agneta; Wentz, Elisabet; Stahlberg, Ola; Herbrecht, Evelyn; Stopin, Astrid; Anckarsäter, Henrik; Gillberg, Christopher et al. (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.