[rugathin]

I just heard a trait of mine discussed on television. It fits as a symptom of OCPD and I wonder if anyone else out there suffers from it? I cannot do anything wrong - I have this strict moral order I must stay within and have demanded it of myself for over 40 years. The weight is incredible and the anxiety has contributed to numerous hospitalizations . (Unfortunately, this is just one of several issues but this post offers me a place to talk about it.) Thanks

[MyBestKids2]

Hi rugathin

Welcome to PC. I personally do not have OCD, but there are some members in our community who have been diagnosed with same. Have the hospitalizations helped at all? I hope you are able to manage your symptoms with whatever form of treatment you seek.

Good luck and look forward to seeing ya around.


Dee

[Perna]

OCPD is difficult! I hope you find some support here, it's a good place. What was the TV show? I hadn't noticed this personality disorder before.

http://psychcentral.com/disorders/sx26t.htm

[rugathin]

I had on Book TV and the author was talking about Roget of thesaurus fame. He apparently had OCPD. I didn't know there was a difference between OCD and OCPD. I'll be doing more reading. Thanks for the reply.

[Rapunzel]

The difference between OCD and OCPD is that people with OCD (an anxiety disorder) have compulsions that they must do something in order to avoid or decrease the intensity of obsessive thoughts that are very scary or uncomfortable; whereas people with OCPD (a personality disorder) have more of a rigid, perfectionistic, or controlling style of doing things. OCD has a bigger impact on the person themself, while OCPD tends more to affect other people around them.

[Perna]

Rap, I don't think everyone with OCD necessarily has obsessions and compulsions both; I think you can have one and not the other but it is an anxiety thing rather than a personality thing. I saw a lot of my old self in the OCPD description only I changed :-) so my rigidity couldn't have been that bad. My stuff was tied in to my relationship with my stepmother too so mostly just an untangling which I did well in therapy. But I've always been anxious so my therapist's basic thought of helping me with General Anxiety Disorder probably was fine.

[rugathin]

I now see these being the distinctions but from what I understand unfortunately like Roget a person can experience a blurring of the two. While I hate the checking that comes with having to deal with locks and keys and I fear the possible legal consequences of acting on my thoughts by leaving inappropriate messages repeatedly it was the mention of this no win can't always be perfect moral bind and the anxiety and self loathing that it brings that caught my attention. I'm curious as to why it hasn't been addressed in therapy all these years - maybe I've kept it well hidden. Maybe when I break my own rules I'm to embarrassed to share so what really sends me to the edge isn't really known.

[Rapunzel]

Yes, they can blur some. Compulsive checking of locks and keys, and obsessive fears about legal consequences sound more like OCD. One way to tell the difference between the two is that people with OCD get intensely uncomfortable if they are prevented from acting - the obsessions get out of control. Those with OCPD are more able to tolerate not acting.

People with any anxiety disorder tend to feel more than their fair share of shame and embarassment, and it is possible to keep OCD hidden at times. Probably when you do what your thoughts tell you to do, the thoughts leave you alone for at least a little while, and you can probably act like it isn't affecting you for that long.

BTW, there is also a way to differentiate OCD from other anxiety disorders. People with anxiety worry, and one technique is to have them set aside 15 minutes per day for time to worry (and then when worries come up at any other time, they are to save it for the appointed time). Most people, even with anxiety disorders, will get tired of worrying for 15 minutes straight. Those with OCD usually get through 15 minutes of worrying just fine, and could keep it up for much longer without getting tired of it.

[rugathin]

good advice on the setting aside worry time - i like that. And since I spend so much time trying to direct my thinking it might work for me. Do you think the dread I feel in regard to breaking rules of moral conduct or being in a compromising situation are just who I am and unrelated to the OCD or could I possibly take it too far? I guess i can only answer that. Thanks for the input.

[complic8d]

Several months ago my therapist said that my "behaviors" seem to be obsessive compulsive. I thought, well, I don't have any daily, routine compulsions that I have to do to keep my anxiety down, so I wasn't sure with that diagnosis.
Thank you for bringing up OCPD. I looked into that and that is what I figured she must be talking about (which she confirmed today at my session). I am a perfectionist and have definite ideas of right and wrong and a very strict moral code. It's pretty hard on my husband sometimes.
Anyway, you aren't the only one here with that disorder apparently. Thanks for bringing it to my attention. I wish you all the luck in the world working on it, coping with it. I know it is hard.
Take care!

One of the main differences between the two is that OCD is ego-dystonic, whereas OCPD is ego-dystonic. This means that in OCD (an anxiety disorder) the sufferer realizes that something is unnatural about the way that they are behaving. It is consciously bothersome. In OCPD (a personality disorder), the sufferer sees it as part of his/her personality and it really doesn't feel unnatural or "wrong" (for lack of a better term-- I really hate to use the words "right" or "wrong" in describing things). Anyway, OCPD sufferes are very unlikely to come into treatment by their own accord because they really just see it as an extension of themselves.

[RiverX]

Hi,
I am interested in this 'moral' bit. I have the same thing in that I have participated in imoral relationships, and tried to make them moral. As well as that, I find it hard to maintian friendships if I feel betrayed.
The trouble is, I so often feel betrayed, specially in therapy where I am, naturally the most sensitive. So I feel I cant pariticipate any more if the other person has behaved immorally in my view.

I do know where this comes from in my past. It doesnt seem wrong for me to be like this, yet, on the other hand, it brings to an end friendships, i end up unhappy and isolated.

do you know where your moral thing comes from?

riverx

[Rapunzel]

I think it would be easy to take the worrying too far. If you do the worry time, watch and see if you get enough of it in 15-30 minutes. The idea is that you only get that time for worrying , and the rest of the time you have to stop worrying and set it aside and don't let it interfere with your life. If it makes your life better, then use it, but if it makes you want to worry more, then it's not for you.

If you are worrying that you might break rules or be in a compromising situation, and that really isn't like you, then it sounds like it is likely to be related to OCD. What do you think?