Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is often confused with obsessive-compulsive personality disorder (OCPD). While they are very similar on the surface, a bit of research will show you there are major differences between OCPD vs OCD.

What is Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder?

Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder (OCPD) is a mental health condition marked by severe perfectionism, orderliness, rules, and control. Due to this nature, OCPD causes individuals to need to be in charge of every little detail of their lives, even if it comes at the expense of openness. ¹

OCPD is a personality disorder which is the first major difference from obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), a type of anxiety. Personality disorders leave a person with personality traits that are: ²

• Atypical
• Consequential
• Long-held
• Stable

Out of this, someone with OCPD will have difficulty developing connections with others. Furthermore, they may have problems in school, work, or other daily activities.

OCPD Symptoms

If you struggle with OCPD, you may experience the following symptoms: ³

• Abnormal dedication to your work
• Developing order and lists for tasks
• Difficulty in giving up control of a task
• Feeling restrained or restricted due to your emotions
• Loyalty to rules in an inflexible manner
• Need to control relationships with others
• Perfectionism down to the smallest detail
• Problems empathizing with others (maintaining a relationship)
• Struggles with self-identity and/or self-direction
• Trouble giving something to someone else

Since these symptoms are similar to other mental health conditions, a medical professional may not immediately come to the conclusion that you have OCPD.

What Causes OCPD?

Similar to other mental disorders, researchers still aren’t 100% sure what causes OCPD. One theory suggests that children struggling with the following can develop OCPD later in life:

• Empathy and other emotions
• Inability to relate or attach to their parents
• Overprotective parents

However, OCPD may be caused by elements found in other personality disorders:

• Childhood Trauma – One study found there was a direct connection between childhood trauma and the development of various personality disorders, including borderline personality disorder (BPD). ⁴

• Genetics – Some research has found a link between genetics and personality disorders. ⁵ For example, one study discovered a malfunctioning gene in those with OCPD. ⁶

• Verbal Abuse – One study observed 793 mothers and children where verbal abuse played a role in their relationship (i.e. screaming, threats, saying they didn’t love them). The study concluded that children who experienced verbal abuse were three times as likely to develop borderline, narcissistic, obsessive-compulsive, or paranoid personality disorders. ⁷

Furthermore, several other health conditions can lead to OCPD: ⁸

• Depression
• Eating disorders
• Illness anxiety disorder (previously known as hypochondriasis)
• Parkinson’s disease

OCPD Diagnosis

For a doctor to diagnose you with OCPD, you must have “a persistent pattern of preoccupation with order; perfectionism; and control of self, others, and situations.” Furthermore, you must meet at least four of the following personality traits:

• Excessive devotion to work and productivity (sacrificing leisure activities, friends, and family)
• Excessive conscientiousness, fastidiousness, and intractability in concerns with ethical or moral issues
• Inability to get rid of worn-out or worthless objects, even if they hold no sentiment
• Lack of ability to work with others unless the work is exactly as you desire
• Perfectionism (the need to do something so perfect that it interferes with the task)
• Preoccupation with rules, schedules, organization, details, and lists
• Rigidity and stubbornness
• Unwillingness to spend money on yourself and others

A doctor will look to other areas of your life to ensure you struggle with OCPD. This includes whether or not you avoid intimacy, get stuck on ideas, or decrease emotional expression.

OCPD vs OCD: What’s the Difference?

Since some OCPD vs OCD symptoms overlap, it can be difficult to tell them apart. However, there are a few key questions to ask yourself to determine the differences between OCD and OCPD:

How Do You React to Obsessive Thoughts and Behaviors?

If you have either OCD or OCPD, you’ll struggle with obsessive thoughts. But your reaction to these thoughts will differ.

For those who struggle with OCD, you likely feel torture (or anxiety) over your obsessions. So much so that you relieve this distress through compulsions (i.e. cleaning, checking locked doors, etc.). ⁹

On the other hand, those with OCPD believe their actions have a purpose or goal. In fact, people with OCPD may be so convinced their symptoms bring them success that they avoid treatment. This is especially true for individuals who are extremely dedicated to their jobs. ¹⁰

How Often Do You Experience Symptoms?

Since OCPD is a personality disorder, symptoms tend to be more consistent. Without treatment, you’re bound to experience little change over time. While symptoms may fluctuate (i.e. be worse some days than others), this fluctuation usually isn’t too severe.

If you struggle with OCD, an anxiety disorder, it’s likely your symptoms aren’t consistent. More often than not, symptoms are determined by how much anxiety you experience. And while it’s not always the case, anxiety symptoms are less predictable. ¹¹

Are Your Symptoms Obsessions/Compulsions or Personality-Based?

When it comes to OCD, you’ll experience repeated obsessions (irrational thoughts and ideas) alongside compulsions (abnormal behavior). While many experience both symptom sets together, you can also experience each separately. Regardless, OCD will have detrimental effects on your quality of life and how you manage day-to-day activities. ¹²

The key difference with OCPD is symptoms tend to be part of a personality trait rather than ungovernable thoughts and behaviors. As mentioned, your symptoms are likely to be more consistent and you may even find them directly correlated with your success.

OCPD Treatment: What to Look For?

Unfortunately, there is no standard treatment plan for OCPD itself. However, there are several treatment options for those who struggle with a personality disorder. These often begin with a type of psychotherapy followed by medication. ¹³

Psychotherapy

The two most common types of psychotherapy for OCPD are:

• Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) – Allows you to identify negative thought patterns and, through doing so, make healthy changes to promote positive patterns. ¹⁴

• Psychodynamic Therapy – Allows you to comprehend conscious and unconscious thoughts and emotions to develop healthier lifestyle choices. ¹⁵

Depending on your circumstances, a psychiatrist may also suggest interpersonal therapy (IPT) or family-focused therapy.

Medication

Currently, there are no medications specific to OCPD. With that, it’s unlikely to be initially recommended. However, if you continue to struggle even after psychotherapy, your doctor may recommend an antidepressant. ¹⁶

If you struggle with another mental health condition, such as anxiety or depression, a doctor is likely to prescribe you medication for that disorder rather than OCPD.

Other Ways to Cope with OCPD

Beyond traditional treatment routes, there are some other ways to help manage OCPD symptoms. These include:

• Find Holistic Alternatives – From meditation to all-natural herbs, many holistic remedies can help ease OCPD symptoms.

• Research – By getting to better know OCPD and how it affects you, you’ll become more aware of symptoms. This will allow you to take the steps to overcome them.

• Stress Management – When it comes to any mental health condition, stress is one of the biggest triggers for symptoms. For this reason, it may prove essential to develop stress management techniques.

Final Word

If you believe you struggle with OCPD, it’s important to seek out professional treatment as soon as possible. The sooner you identify and target symptoms, the better chance for you to overcome them.

As you can see, there are several important differences between OCPD and OCD. With that in mind, you need to understand which condition you struggle with and how to treat it properly.

References

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² Brock H, Rizvi A, Hany M. Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. 2024 Feb 24. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2024 Jan–. PMID: 31985955.

³ Diedrich A, Voderholzer U. Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder: a current review. Curr Psychiatry Rep. 2015 Feb;17(2):2. doi: 10.1007/s11920-014-0547-8. PMID: 25617042.

⁴ Yen S, Shea MT, Battle CL, Johnson DM, Zlotnick C, Dolan-Sewell R, Skodol AE, Grilo CM, Gunderson JG, Sanislow CA, Zanarini MC, Bender DS, Rettew JB, McGlashan TH. Traumatic exposure and posttraumatic stress disorder in borderline, schizotypal, avoidant, and obsessive-compulsive personality disorders: findings from the collaborative longitudinal personality disorders study. J Nerv Ment Dis. 2002 Aug;190(8):510-8. doi: 10.1097/00005053-200208000-00003. PMID: 12193835.

⁵ Reichborn-Kjennerud T. The genetic epidemiology of personality disorders. Dialogues Clin Neurosci. 2010;12(1):103-14. doi: 10.31887/DCNS.2010.12.1/trkjennerud. PMID: 20373672; PMCID: PMC3181941.

⁶ Ozaki N, Goldman D, Kaye WH, Plotnicov K, Greenberg BD, Lappalainen J, Rudnick G, Murphy DL. Serotonin transporter missense mutation associated with a complex neuropsychiatric phenotype. Mol Psychiatry. 2003 Nov;8(11):933-6. doi: 10.1038/sj.mp.4001365. PMID: 14593431.

⁷ Johnson JG, Cohen P, Smailes EM, Skodol AE, Brown J, Oldham JM. Childhood verbal abuse and risk for personality disorders during adolescence and early adulthood. Compr Psychiatry. 2001 Jan-Feb;42(1):16-23. doi: 10.1053/comp.2001.19755. PMID: 11154711.

⁸ Starcevic V, Brakoulias V. New diagnostic perspectives on obsessive-compulsive personality disorder and its links with other conditions. Curr Opin Psychiatry. 2014 Jan;27(1):62-7. doi: 10.1097/YCO.0000000000000030. PMID: 24257122.

⁹ Starcevic V, Berle D, Brakoulias V, Sammut P, Moses K, Milicevic D, Hannan A. Functions of compulsions in obsessive-compulsive disorder. Aust N Z J Psychiatry. 2011 Jun;45(6):449-57. doi: 10.3109/00048674.2011.567243. Epub 2011 Apr 21. PMID: 21510720.

¹⁰ Rowland TA, Jainer AK, Panchal R. Living with obsessional personality. BJPsych Bull. 2017 Dec;41(6):366-367. doi: 10.1192/pb.41.6.366a. PMID: 29234518; PMCID: PMC5709690.

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¹² Brakoulias V, Starcevic V, Martin A, Berle D, Milicevic D, Viswasam K. The familiality of specific symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder. Psychiatry Res. 2016 May 30;239:315-9. doi: 10.1016/j.psychres.2016.03.047. Epub 2016 Mar 30. PMID: 27058157.

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