Posted by Racer on June 29, 2006, at 12:50:11
In reply to Re: OCD and schizotypal » B2chica, posted by Dinah on June 28, 2006, at 10:17:28
> OCD is more intrusive thoughts and impulses to do rituals to ward off feared consequences, and is classified as an anxiety disorder.
>
> OCPD is usually described in terms of perfectionism and a lack of flexibility. It's considered a personality or characterological disorder. I think that's an overly negative view, personally. I think it would be more compassionate to view OCPD as a way to control anxiety. A person might feel if they could just control everything around them and make sure it's done "right" then nothing bad will happen. But of course they can't control everything, and the resulting anxiety sometimes comes out as anger. I have a fair amount of sympathy for it, myself.
>Yeah, I'd agree with all of that. Mind you, I'm no expert, and haven't read any text book explanations of it all -- except the textbook from my general psych class -- but I do have close continuing contact with someone with OCPD, and I have nearly enough traits for the diagnosis to be made in my case, too. (Although in my case, they tend to be state related -- when I'm thin, I'm very OCPD, bordering closely to the OCD range itself.)
What I'll say is that in the case of the person I'm thinking of with OCPD, it is fear -- outright fear -- that tends to bring on the worst symptoms. There are always background behaviors related to it, but the strongest symptomology comes out when she's in a situation that involves uncertainty. THEN she wigs out totally.
And I have a great deal of sympathy for her. Except that, under the New Math, my sympathy is tempered by how much of it she takes out on me...
:-D
poster:Racer
thread:662028
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/psycho/20060623/msgs/662574.html