Danielle Samantha L.

Tan
Section EA
The Thin Line Between Perfectionism and OCPD

Thesis Statement: Although this condition only affects a small percentage, it is important to know
the symptoms, to understand its effects and to correct one's notion of personality disorders being
the same.
Outline for Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder
I. Introduction

A. Hook

B. Standard Definition

C. Thesis Statement

II. Signs of OCPD

A. Signs

B. Example

III. Effects of OCPD

A. On patient

B. On others

C. Case study

IV. Difference of OCPD from other PDs

A. Cluster A

B. Cluster B

C. Cluster C

V. Conclusion

A. Restatement of Thesis Statement

B. Implications
 Steve Jobs may be one of the most successful entrepreneurs in the 21st century but it is

certain no one has ever heard of his disease, obsessive-compulsive personality disorder (OCPD)

(Lallanilla, 2013). What exactly is this mental illness unheard of? It is defined in the Handbook of

Evidence-based Practice of Clinical Psychology (2012) as “a chronic maladaptive pattern of

excessive perfectionism and need for control over one’s environment that affects all domains of

an individual’s life” (Eisen, Mancebo, Chiappone, Pinto & Musrassen, p.316). Its prevalence is

estimated to be around 2.1 to 7.9 percent of the population (Kotoufa & Furnham, 2013). Although

this condition only affects a small percentage, it is important to know the symptoms, to understand

its effects and to correct one’s notion of personality disorders being the same.

The signs of OCPD are the following: the obsession with rules, stubbornness and

inflexibility, hoarding behaviors, perfectionism that hinders progress, reluctance to work with

others for fear of not executing properly, extreme thriftiness and strained relationships with family

and friends (Van Noppen, 2010). First, the obsession with rules can branch out to schedules or

even as little as the positioning of pillows on a couch which can stress the person (Berman, 2014).

A person being stubborn and stiff can be attributed to one’s routine or moral and ethical values

and his inability to adapt based on his surroundings because he believes his way Is the correct way

(Berman, 2014). Another behavior that may exhibit OCPD is hoarding in terms of having the same

characteristics of a hoarder; an example being the person having difficulty letting things go with

‘sentimental value’ (Berman, 2014). It is also a sign if the person shows perfectionism that may

prevent from moving on from tasks and affecting work load (Berman, 2014). In the same way, the

person may hesitate to work with others because of apprehensions and impossible standards

(Berman, 2014). People with OCPD can also exhibit frugality, in which the individual may hoard
money but never use it (Berman, 2014). Lastly, for people with OCPD, family and friends are not

their main priority; hence, they have little to no friends and difficult relationships with family

(Berman, 2014).

Aside from the signs, they also suffer from one of the lasting effects which is a weaker

immune system due to their illness (Mcmurran, 2012). This in turn, causes those diagnosed with

this condition to affect the people around him and the severity of it can possibly backfire on the

treatment process. There are two kinds of therapy a patient can receive namely the Psychodynamic

psychotherapy and the Cognitive-behavior therapy (CBT) (Choi-Kain, 2016). On one hand,

Psychodynamic psychotherapy aims to help the individual understand and acknowledge his own

problems (Rajesh, et al 2010). On the other hand, Cognitive-behavior therapy is adapted from the

cognitive behavioral theory which theorizes that thoughts may affect overall emotion and behavior;

this is further categorized depending on need of the individual (Hoermann, Zupanick & Dombeck,

2013a). OCPD patients receive treatment and there are effects. There are two parties involved, the

patient and the people around him. For the individual, he can find it difficult to accept treatment

due to his symptoms surfacing. According to Gordon, Salkovskis and Bream (2015), patients stop

treatment because they cannot conform to it and their study supplemented it by stating that the

intensity of OCPD is a factor that caused unideal outcomes when they were prevented to go about

their routines or rituals. Because of refusing treatment, the family also gets affected. According to

Cognitive Behavior Therapy of DSM-5 Personality Disorders by Sperry and Sperry (2016), they

become so angry with their perfectionism, rigidity, and pessimistic outlooks; hence, the individual

is pressured to partake in group/family treatment. In some cases, it may prove to be ineffective

because of the individual’s symptoms hindering improvement (Sperry & Sperry, 2016). It makes

the problem cyclic and lengthy to overcome due to their perception (Khoshaba, 2013). A case

1
study by Reddy and Maitri (2015) presents a man who was successful in his profession but his

interpersonal relationships, particularly to his wife, was on the rocks due to his rigidity. It was after

seeking help from professionals that he was diagnosed with OCPD and given treatment thrice due

to relapsing (Reddy & Maitri, 2015).

After knowing its signs and its effects on the individual and others, one should know the

difference of personality disorders. According to Fineburg, et al (2014), a personality disorder is

defined as a severe disruption in behavior and character due to unusual tendencies. From these,

there are three different clusters under personality disorders and these clusters have different

definitions. First, there is Cluster A which is characterized by eccentric or odd behaviors and under

this cluster are the paranoid, schizoid and schizotypal personality disorders (Mcmurran, 2012).

Next, there is Cluster B which present flamboyant deportment; the antisocial, borderline, and

narcissistic personality disorders fall under this category. Lastly, there is Cluster C that is

categorized as anxious and fearful disposition namely the avoidant, the dependent and, the

obsessive-compulsive personality disorders (Mcmurran, 2012). The three personality disorders

that fall under Cluster C are different from each other, these are just commonly spawned from high

levels of anxiety. For avoidant personality disorder, it is more on those who are detached, fearful

of social rejection but crave for involvement (Sperry & Sperry, 2016). Because of this, they fear

social contact to save themselves from unpleasing situations (Hoermann, Zupanick & Dombeck,

2013b). Another disorder is the dependent personality disorder which is characterized as

individuals who have an excessive need to cling and be cared for and rely on others to make their

decisions (Sperry & Sperry, 2016). They tend to become submissive in fear of losing the support

of others (Hoermann, et al, 2013a). Though these disorders mentioned above are in the same cluster

as OCPD, they are still distinct in nature and diagnosis.

2
 Despite all these things, there is still a need to be aware of its indications, recognize its

consequences, and adjust one’s perception on the various personality disorders. Though there are

efforts to raise mental health awareness, it may be insufficient. In addition to that, it can be

concluded that the mental health literacy of many is lacking particularly in OCPD. It can be

implied that a huge number of the world population does not acknowledge this issue; hence, the

magnitude of the problem is worsening. It is time to address this impending issue before it can

affect more.

3
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