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By: Christine Hammond LMHC People with Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder (OCPD) can seem to be overly responsible at first. But given time, their ability to escape responsibility becomes clear. After all, everyone has the same amount of time in a given day and while OCPDs seem to be more productive when compared to others, in reality they are less. This is primarily because their obsessive traits, thoughts, and behaviors consume large amounts of time and energy. Their never ending desire to be right in every instance and all circumstance is exhausting and draining. This perfectionistic trait frequently alienates them from loved ones who can’t live up to the demands of their fastidiousness. So to minimize the damage, they become escape artists. People with OCPD will gladly be responsible for the things they can be viewed as an expert. However, when others place responsibility on them, they view this as controlling. This violates one of their personal mantras: ...

By: Christine Hammond From the outside looking in, things look perfect. That is precisely the impression a person with Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder (OCPD) intends to give. They seem to be the model spouse, parent, friend, and most especially employee. And they have many rewards, honors, recognitions, and promotions to prove it. But things are not what they seem from the inside looking out. OCPD is not the same thing as Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). This article explains the difference: http://pro.psychcentral.com/exhausted-woman/2016/05/difference-between-obsessive-compulsive-personality-disorder-and-obsessive-compulsive-disorder/ . For those living with a person who has OCPD, life is frustrating. There is a sense that nothing the spouse or children can do is ever good enough for the OCPD. The constant nitpicking, exactness, narrowmindedness, and rigidity over insignificant matters can cause family members to feel as though they were going crazy. Here are twe...

By: Christine Hammond, LMHC It is amazing the difference one word can make. Add the word “Personality” to Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and it changes the definition and classification. There are some similarities such as obsessive and compulsive traits, thoughts and actions. However the underlying disorder is extremely different. Here is the DSM-V definition of both: Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder (OCPD) is classified as a type of personality disorder: A pervasive pattern of preoccupation with orderliness, perfectionism, and mental and interpersonal control, at the expense of flexibility, openness, and efficiency, beginning by early adulthood and present in a variety of contexts, as indicated by four (or more) of the following: Is preoccupied with details, rules, lists, order, organization, or schedules to the extent that the major point of the activity is lost Shows perfectionism that interferes with task completion (e.g., is unable to co...

By: Christine Hammond, LMHC The name Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder (OCPD) often gets confused with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) but it is definitely not the same.   It is however the same in that there are obsessive and compulsive traits, thoughts, and actions.   For instance, OCDs are obsessed with being clean and therefore do compulsive behaviors such as excessive hand washing.   Generally speaking the OCD is limited to a few areas or environments.   OCPD is not and as a personality disorder it is pervasive in nearly every environment. So what is OCPD?   Here is the technical DSM-V definition: ·       Identity:   Sense of self derived from work or productivity ·       Self-direction:   Rigid, unreasonably high, and inflexible internal standards of behavior ·       Empathy:   Difficulty understanding the ideas, feelings, or behavior...