Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder (OCPD) is a personality disorder that involves black-and-white thinking, rigid routines, obsessive perfectionism, difficulty working with others and intense self-doubt. Unlike clients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), which is a mental illness that responds well to treatment, people with this disorder often don’t know they have a problem.
Seeking treatment for this disorder can improve your quality of life. Camelback Recovery uses a combination of therapy modes, including cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) and individual therapy, to target the source of your stress and teach coping techniques that gradually ease your symptoms. Learning more about the signs of OCPD could help you determine if you need treatment.
Contact Camelback Recovery to learn more about therapy for this disorder.
Understanding Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder (OCPD)
Initially, people with this disorder look like overachievers. They’re strict, demanding and professional, placing them at the top of their class and helping them climb the ranks in the business world. However, these people quietly suffer from intense self-doubt and insecurities. They try to control every aspect of their lives to meet their impossible standards.
Other people might view them as too strict or aggressive. They may have a small inner circle because they expect perfection and alienate others easily. Sometimes these individuals exhibit hoarding behaviors and refuse to let go of objects. Despite their perfectionism, they struggle to make decisions and give up on difficult tasks.
What Is Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder?
Control is at the heart of this disorder. These people seek to control every aspect of their lives, even when it means distancing themselves from others and dedicating hours to meaningless tasks. They make lists, follow rules to the letter, obsessively organize their living space and demand that everyone else does the same.
This disorder may stem from trauma in a person’s childhood that led them to view the world as scary and unpredictable. A family history of depression, anxiety disorder or mental illness could also play a role. Whatever the cause, these people struggle to change their worldview and insist they don’t have a problem.
Symptoms of Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder
Common OCPD symptoms include:
- Perfectionism
- Strict routines
- Rigid moral principles
- Black-and-white thinking
- Excessive devotion to work or hobbies
- Difficulty coping with failure or criticism
- Inability to throw away worthless objects with no sentimental value
- Criticism toward others
- Refusal to compromise
- Obsession with rules and regulations
While OCD focuses more on fear and intrusive thoughts, this disorder influences nearly every aspect of the person’s life. This persistent pattern in people with this disorder makes it difficult for them to form interpersonal relationships. They might harshly criticize others or abandon relationships to avoid rejection. The constant stress leads to anxiety, negative emotions and depressive symptoms.
Reach out to Camelback Recovery to start your treatment program.
The Importance of Seeking Treatment for Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder
People with obsessive-compulsive personality disorder symptoms experience a low quality of life. After work, they’re too exhausted to relax or socialize. One mistake feels like an agonizing defeat, and compromising seems like a failure. Their quest for perfectionism leads to anxiety, depression, insomnia, physical issues and burnout. Their social life dwindles because they assume other people are holding them back.
If this sounds like you, therapy can improve your quality of life. You’ll trade your black-and-white thinking for realistic thought patterns and learn how to accept failure as part of life. As you ease your stress, you’ll start to enjoy work, hobbies and relationships again.
Why Professional Help Is Essential for Treating OCPD
People with OCPD might work long hours with few breaks and no social life. Everyday tasks, such as eating breakfast and driving to work, become a chore. They pass up opportunities because they’re afraid they might fail. Because they don’t trust anyone to meet their standards, they put too much pressure on themselves by insisting on doing everything alone.
Treatment of OCPD shows you how to step back and evaluate your life objectively. Instead of thinking “I’m a failure if I don’t get everything right,” you’ll tell yourself “It’s okay if I make a mistake because I’m only human.” You’ll start to realize that imperfections and spontaneous plans make life more interesting.
The Benefits of Therapy for Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder
Treatment for this disorder includes teaching you that mistakes are part of life, but you can cope with them in healthy ways. You’ll learn about breaking bad habits, increasing positive self-talk, taking new opportunities and working hard without overexerting yourself. Seemingly impossible challenges now seem achievable because you don’t have to master everything at once.
Therapy also reduces black-and-white thinking. Examples include “I’m always going to fail at this,” “This team never gets anything right” and “I’m the worst person who ever lived.” You’ll gradually replace these thoughts with understanding and nuance, helping you succeed in your personal relationships.
How Camelback Recovery Provides Treatment for OCPD
Camelback Recovery’s treatment plan focuses on long-term success instead of short-term gains. Our compassionate therapists discuss the symptoms of your disorder without judgment. After evaluating your situation, we develop a personalized treatment plan that helps you achieve your goals, reframe your thinking and become the person you want to be.
Individualized treatment may include one-on-one therapy, medication management and holistic wellness in a safe, quiet environment where you can recover at your own pace. Many clients start with an inpatient stay and then transfer to outpatient services as they reintegrate into society.
Effective OCPD Treatments Available at Camelback Recovery
Camelback Recovery uses evidence-based treatments to produce results. Our program includes tried-and-true techniques and innovative therapies that change the way you view recovery. To start, a mental health professional gives you a full assessment that addresses your childhood, early adulthood, current situation, personality traits and history of substance use.
Once we have a clear picture, we’ll start developing an effective treatment plan. Each method targets a different aspect of this disorder, including behaviors, thought patterns, habits, challenges and interpersonal relationships. This comprehensive approach helps you complete tasks in your daily life and look forward to a better treatment outcome.
Therapy for Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder
Your OCPD therapy program may include cognitive behavioral therapy, which helps you challenge negative thoughts and replace them with a positive, realistic outlook. Dialectical behavior therapy is another common technique that teaches you about emotional regulation and managing personal relationships. You’ll learn how to fairly assess situations without overreacting.
Our person-centered therapy teaches you to look at yourself objectively and change for the better while accepting your imperfections. You’ll also get individual therapy with a mental health professional who tailors their services to your mental health condition. When you graduate from our program, you’ll apply the techniques you learned to your everyday life.
Camelback Recovery’s Comprehensive Treatment Plan
Every situation is different, so Camelback Recovery offers personalized therapy for this disorder. Some clients benefit from CBT, while others need DBT or holistic wellness. Once we’ve discovered your needs, we integrate various methods into your program.
If your symptoms are severely impacting your quality of life, we might start with inpatient mental health services. You’ll stay on the campus 24-7 and enjoy a schedule of activities that include therapy, meals, exercise and socialization. Afterward, you’ll transfer to the outpatient mental health program, which allows you to work, visit friends and stay at your house while visiting the clinic for appointments.
OCPD and Addiction: Understanding the Connection
People who struggle with mood disorders often turn to drugs and alcohol to cope. Substances may provide temporary relief from burnout, self-doubt, obsessive thought patterns, major depressive disorder and other symptoms. However, addiction and a personality disorder are a dangerous combination that exacerbates your symptoms and makes it even harder to function.
Camelback Recovery’s dual diagnosis program treats your personality and substance use disorder simultaneously. Because one disorder often feeds into the other, tackling both is the only way to find long-term relief. You’ll work at a steady pace to face your issues head-on without feeling overwhelmed.
How Personality Disorders and Addiction Are Connected
This disorder causes extreme stress and places a strain on the person’s job responsibilities, family life and personal relationships. At first, drugs and alcohol appear to help them relax and de-stress. They may feel like they’re in control, limiting themselves to one dose each night.
Rigid thinking also plays a role in addiction. People believe they can’t live without the substance or that they’ll never find another solution. They might even start to define themselves as an addict. Once they’re trapped in black-and-white thinking, they struggle to see a life outside of substance use.
Treating Co-Occurring Personality and Substance Use Disorders
Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder treatment can help you recover from addiction. Once you start untangling your disordered thinking, you’ll see that a life outside of substance abuse is possible. Dual diagnosis therapy eases the symptoms of your disorder while helping you cope without drugs or alcohol. Eventually, you’ll effectively challenge your own thoughts and enjoy a sober life.
How Therapy for OCPD Helps in Addiction Recovery
Behavioral therapy shows you a life outside your rigid thinking patterns. Once you view situations realistically, you may find you have less desire to drink or abuse substances to cope with life. Instead, you’ll take on new challenges, accept setbacks and move on from the past.
Contact Camelback Recovery to learn more about treatment for personality disorders.
Start Your Healing Journey With Camelback Recovery Today
Camelback Recovery offers personality disorder treatment in Phoenix, AZ. Our integrative approach tackles your disorder at the root and helps you lose your dependence on substances. Personalized care, medication management, wellness programs and expert-led therapy show you that life can be better than you ever imagined. Reach out to our Arizona treatment center today to embark on your mental health journey.
