OCPD vs OCD (Obsessive-Compulsive: Disorders)
Last updated date : March 29, 2023
The abbreviated names may sound very familiar when we say OCPD vs OCD?
Although OCPD and OCD sound similar, they are actually two distinct mental health disorders. Many people, including professionals in the field of psychology, often mistake one for the other. However, it is important to understand that both disorders have different features and treatment plans.
One of the key differences between OCPD and OCD is that the former is a "personality disorder." This means that it is characterized by a maladaptive pattern of thought that colors how one relates to the environment, while OCD is characterized by intrusive and unwanted thoughts.
To better understand the differences between these disorders, let's take a closer look at their characteristics.
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
OCD is the presence of recurrent obsessions or compulsions that interfere with a person’s ability to function properly.
Obsessions or compulsions are not every day worries. In fact, they are constant and often illogical thoughts, images or ideas that recur in one’s mind without going away. Obsessions may be one’s own thoughts and they may find it difficult to control. However, things with these obsessions cause significant distress to the individual. Moreover, it forces them to act in irrational ways to remove those thoughts. Compulsions are irrational and distinct activities one performs to dispel anxieties or obsessions. Examples of compulsions include: For example,
- Constant cleaning, hand-washing, double-checking, or sweeping.
- Boring behaviours to stop something shocking from happening. Even when there is no proof of it happening.
constant use of scrubbing or bathing to get rid of germs that have infected the hands.
Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder
An individual neither has obsessions nor compulsions. In OCPD, a strict – and often irrational –constancy to orderliness can be seen. There is nothing wrong with sticking to strong principles as long as there is some room for flexibility. Especially that it does not get in one’s way. People with OCPD continue to maintain their strong adherence to orderliness even at the risk of their efficiency.
Personality traits that show OCPD:
- Need for perfection and control over the environment and their interpersonal relationships.
- Distraction with rules, lists and order such that they miss the whole point of an activity.
- A strict commitment to work and career at the expense of their family and loved ones.
- Storing up items that do not have any value to them anymore.
- Firm moral even when it affects their performance.
However, a person with OCPD may go on to succeed in their career.
Their perfectionism keeps them at a high standard. That said, others may find the individual with OCPD difficult to work with because of their style of operating
Dr Simon Rego (Chief of Psychology at Montefiore Medical Center and Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, NY )
Key Differences – OCPD vs OCD
When we say OCPD vs OCD, there are clear differences. Although there is considerable overlap between both disorders. There are four major distinguishing features between OCPD and OCD.
The 4 differences between OCPD and OCD are:
Feature 1:
- OCD – Irrational obsessions and compulsive behaviours.
- OCPD – No obsessions or compulsions. The person just has a strict adherence to one’s principles, even when they seem not to be helping.
Feature 2:
- OCD – Patients are distressed by these disturbing obsessions and try to seek help for them.
- OCPD – people believe that their thoughts and behaviours are correct.
Feature 3:
- OCD – People often know that these obsessions or compulsions are irrational.
- OCPD – People do not and often do not understand how their behaviours affect other people.
Feature 4:
- OCD – The symptoms may change with the severity of the anxiety.
- OCPD – The thought pattern is believed to be normal and it guides their behaviour over a long period.
Treatments for OCPD and OCD
OCD is best treated with anti-anxiety medications and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy(CBT).
Inn treating OCD, CBT commonly utilises exposure and response prevention techniques. During exposure therapy, patients are slowly exposed to situations or stimuli that trigger their OCD, but are stopped from engaging in compulsive behaviors. This approach helps patients learn to cope with their anxiety and reduces their sensitivity to triggers over time.
The goal of CBT for OCD is to help patients learn to realise their obsessive thoughts and resist the urge to enact compulsive behaviors. By doing so, they can break the cycle of fear and anxiety that is part of OCD. Through exposure and response prevention, patients can develop effective ways to cope that allow them to live their lives without being controlled by their obsessions.
OCPD is also treated with involves CBT techniques but in a different type. It’s not performed with medications. CBT teaches the person to re-evaluate their thoughts and behaviour. It will make the person with positive adjustments. It also helps the person identify the distress that is driving the need to achieve perfection. It’s important to know that CBT helps to understand the standards they live by and how it keeps them from a happy life.
Importantly, people with OCD or OCPD or both, OCPD and OCD may not notice the harmful impact of their behaviour(s). If you or someone you know are having the symptoms of OCPD and OCD, assist them to seek professional help.