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Obsessive-compulsive disorder
Obsessive-compulsive disorder

Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder
Definition:
A preoccupation with rules, orderliness, and control.

Causes, incidence, and risk factors:

This disorder tends to occur in families. Biological and developmental factors may play a causal role.
Symptoms:

A person with this disorder shows perfectionism and inflexibility, usually beginning in early adulthood. Perfectionism may interfere with the ability to complete a given task because rigid standards cannot be met. People with this disorder may emotionally withdraw when ill, or when not in control. Individuals who are high achievers, competitive, sense urgency in everything, or are often hostile or aggressive are at a high risk for this disorder.

  • Perfectionism
  • Inflexibility
  • Preoccupation with details, rules, lists
  • Reluctance to allow others to do things
  • Excessive devotion to work
  • Restricted expression of affection
  • Lack of generosity
  • Inability to throw things away, even if there is no value in the object
Signs and tests:
  • History
  • Psychological evaluation
Treatment:

There is no specific treatment; however, therapy or counseling may be of value.
Complications:
  • Tendency to annoy others to such an extreme that relationships become difficult or impossible to develop or maintain
  • Depression
  • Hypochondriasis and sexual dysfunction
  • Chronic guilt
Calling your health care provider:

Call for an appointment with your health care provider if an attitude of perfectionism is interfering with employment or relationships.
Review Date: 5/18/2001
Reviewed By: Christos Ballas, M.D., Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.
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