What are the symptoms of obsessive-compulsive personality disorder

The symptoms of obsessive-compulsive personality disorder mainly include excessive pursuit of perfection, stubbornness and rigidity, excessive attention to details, emotional suppression, and excessive control. Compulsive personality disorder is a type of personality disorder in which patients typically have a strong need for order, rules, and control, which may affect their daily lives and interpersonal relationships.

1. Excessive pursuit of perfection

Patients have extremely high expectations for their own and others' behavior, work results, etc., and often experience anxiety due to the inability to meet ideal standards. This perfectionism may lead to procrastination or repeated checks, and even refusal to complete tasks due to fear of making mistakes. Patients may spend a lot of time repeatedly modifying files or cleaning items, ignoring efficiency and actual needs.

2. Stubbornness and rigidity

Patients insist on following specific rules or procedures and have difficulty adapting to changes. They may require others to strictly follow their established methods, such as household arrangements or document organization, which can cause strong dissatisfaction if disrupted. This rigid thinking often leads to interpersonal conflicts and makes it difficult to accept alternative solutions or compromises.

3. Overly fixated on details

Patients tend to focus too much on trivial matters and neglect overall goals, such as struggling with font formats in projects that delay progress. Often accompanied by behaviors such as making lists and keeping journal entries, it is extremely sensitive to details such as numbers and order. This trait may lead patients to be evaluated as nitpicking or inefficient.

4. Emotional suppression

Patients often suppress emotional expression rationally and avoid emotional communication in intimate relationships. It may manifest as an excessive emphasis on logic while ignoring the feelings of others, replacing emotional interaction with organization. Long term emotional isolation may lead to feelings of loneliness, but patients often deny their emotional needs.

5. Overcontrol

Patients have a strong desire to control resources such as time and finance, and may strictly plan their schedules every minute or save excessively. Not willing to delegate tasks to others, worried about losing control. This trait may develop into hoarding behavior or workaholic tendencies, affecting life balance. Patients with obsessive-compulsive personality disorder often lack self-awareness and are less likely to seek medical attention proactively. If the symptoms have significantly affected work, social, or mental health, it is recommended to seek psychiatric or psychological professional evaluation. Cognitive behavioral therapy can help improve rigid thinking patterns, while interpersonal relationship therapy can promote emotional expression. Daily adjustments can be made gradually through setting flexible goals, practicing accepting uncertainty, etc., but it is necessary to avoid excessive analysis of symptoms on one's own. Family members should reduce criticism and blame, communicate in a non confrontational manner, and jointly establish reasonable expected standards.