OCD’s intrusive thoughts cause distress and feel at odds with your character, while in OCPD, the rigid traits are ingrained and perceived as inherent.
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and obsessive-compulsive personality disorder (OCPD) might seem alike since both involve rigid behaviors and fixations. But they’re two distinct disorders that you can experience very differently.
OCD, which was previously classified as an anxiety disorder, involves distressing obsessions and compulsions, while OCPD involves rigid personality traits that generally don’t cause distress.
OCD involves persistent, unwanted thoughts (obsessions) and repetitive behaviors or mental actions (compulsions) that you perform in response to those obsessions.
These symptoms can vary widely in content and intensity, often targeting areas or themes that hold significant importance for each person, such as fears about safety, morality, relationships, or personal values. As a result, OCD tends to cause significant distress and difficulty in daily life.
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders previously classified OCD as an anxiety disorder. But recent versions, including the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition, text revision (DSM-5-TR), have designated it as a separate category from anxiety disorders.
Researchers estimate that
OCD symptoms
The main symptoms of OCD are:
- Obsessions/intrusive thoughts: recurrent, unwanted, and distressing thoughts, images, or urges
- Compulsions: behaviors or mental activities done to relieve anxiety or avoid feared outcomes, manifesting either as visible actions or internal thoughts
- Fear and anxiety: persistent fear or anxiety associated with intrusive thoughts or the anticipation of having these thoughts
OCPD is a personality disorder involving a pattern of consistent perfectionism, preoccupation with orderliness, and a strong need for control. These traits are relatively stable over time and often cause difficulties in personal and social functioning.
OCPD is one of the most common personality disorders. Some research suggests that it affects about
Yet despite relatively high prevalence rates, OCPD is often underdiagnosed, especially in high achievers who channel these traits productively.
OCPD symptoms
OCPD is marked by a pervasive pattern of behaviors and attitudes that may involve:
- perfectionism
- excessive devotion to work
- inflexibility and rigidity
- excessive conscientiousness
- reluctance to delegate
- excessive frugality
- rigidity and stubbornness
OCD involves unwanted thoughts and repetitive behaviors that cause distress, while OCPD consists of persistent personality traits marked by perfectionism and rigidity, which are often perceived as inherent to a person’s character.
People with OCD often recognize their behaviors as excessive and driven by anxiety, whereas people with OCPD may not see their traits as problematic or distressing.
Although they are distinct disorders, OCD and OCPD
Mental health experts initially debated whether the two conditions were related, but some now suggest that they influence each other or even form a distinct subtype. Some theories suggest that OCPD might occasionally develop as a coping strategy after the onset of OCD.
OCPD vs. OCD examples
OCD examples
- A person with OCD might constantly fear germs and compulsively wash their hands dozens of times per day to reduce their anxiety about contamination. They feel distressed by their intrusive thoughts and their need to perform these rituals, but they can’t stop.
- Someone with OCD might experience intrusive thoughts or images of causing harm, such as pushing someone in front of a train, despite having no desire or intention to do so. To cope with this distress, they may enter a cycle of mental reassurance, repeatedly convincing themselves that they would never act on these fears.
OCPD examples
- A person with OCPD might rigidly organize their workspace, insisting on precise arrangements and spending excessive time ensuring that everything meets their strict standards.
- Someone with OCPD might want to oversee everything in group projects or family plans, making sure everything follows their exact rules and methods. They might find it hard to let others take charge or make decisions, which can cause stress and arguments in the group or family.
The DSM-5-TR criteria for diagnosing OCD are as follows:
- presence of obsessions, compulsions, or both
- obsessions or compulsions that are time consuming (take more than 1 hour per day) or cause significant distress or impairment in daily functioning
- symptoms that are not due to the physiological effects of a substance or another medical condition
- disturbance that is not better explained by another mental disorder
The DSM-5-TR criteria for diagnosing OCPD involve a pervasive pattern of preoccupation with orderliness, perfectionism, and control.
Here are the specific criteria:
- preoccupation with rules, details, lists, organization, order, or schedules to the extent that the central point of activities is lost
- perfectionism that interferes with finishing a task (may be more focused on the process than the goal)
- excessive focus on work and getting things done, to the exclusion of hobbies or relationships (not due to financial necessity)
- excessively rigid in adhering to personal moral or value systems, unrelated to cultural or religious affiliations
- difficulty getting rid of worthless objects, even when they have no sentimental value
- reluctance to trust others with tasks unless they conform to one’s own standards
- miserliness toward oneself and others (money may be viewed as something to be hoarded for future catastrophes)
- rigidity and stubbornness
For OCD, treatments typically include:
- Exposure and response prevention (ERP): ERP, a type of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), involves controlled exposure to feared situations without engaging in compulsive behaviors. The goal is to reduce anxiety over time.
- Medications: Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are typically considered the first-line medications for OCD treatment.
For OCPD, treatments often focus on:
- Therapy: Psychotherapy, including psychodynamic therapy, CBT, schema therapy, and interpersonal psychotherapy, holds promise, but more research is needed.
- Medication: While the Food and Drug Administration has not approved any medications for OCPD, SSRIs are commonly used. However,
evidenceTrusted Source for their effectiveness in OCPD has been mixed. Antipsychotics and mood stabilizers show inconsistent effectiveness, supported by limited studies and case reports.
While OCD and OCPD have some similarities in terms of rigid behaviors and fixations, they are distinct mental health conditions.
OCD involves distressing obsessions and compulsions that cause significant disruption in daily life. On the other hand, OCPD involves enduring personality traits, such as perfectionism and control, that do not necessarily cause distress.
If you suspect you might be experiencing symptoms of OCD or OCPD, don’t hesitate to reach out to a mental health professional. They can provide an accurate diagnosis and guide you toward suitable treatment options to effectively manage and address these concerns.
