Clinical pictures

Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder is a different clinical picture to obsessive-compulsive disorder. In obsessive-compulsive disorder, sufferers experience recurring compulsions to do or think a certain thing. They can hardly resist them, even though they are aware of the futility of the compulsions.

Personality disorders relate to facets of the personality that are intensely pronounced, but at the same time not very helpful for a healthy, unencumbered life. Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder falls under this category. Those affected are driven by exaggerated perfectionism, a desire for control and excessive orderliness. Due to their excessive demands on themselves, they get bogged down and bogged down in many tasks and activities. They are very concerned with order and rules and follow them strictly. As a result, they lose flexibility and quality of life and develop stress and/or other illnesses.

There is still no real explanation as to how obsessive-compulsive disorder develops. As with many mental illnesses, a genetic predisposition is one of the triggering factors. However, heredity alone is usually not enough to trigger the onset of the disorder.

Another factor could be a disease of the brain, particularly due to changes in metabolism. However, it is not clear whether these actually cause the disease or merely accompany it. However, it has been shown that they disappear after successful treatment. It is also assumed that psychological factors play a role in OCD. These include upbringing, traumatic childhood experiences, negative later life events and a personality predisposition.

So-called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), which are also used for depression, are recommended for the medicinal treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder. If the desired effect is not achieved, it can be enhanced by adding a low dose of an atypical antipsychotic.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder is treated psychotherapeutically with cognitive behavioral therapy in combination with medication. Cognitive behavioural therapy helps those affected to recognize the thought patterns that cause compulsive behaviour. It also aims to change these thought patterns. Behavioral therapy, on the other hand, attempts to treat those affected by directly confronting their compulsions.

Starting therapy at an early stage ensures that the restrictions associated with the illness are prevented. However, OCD can also be treated very successfully after a long period of illness. It can be helpful for the treatment to involve family or friends.

Those affected by obsessive-compulsive disorder initially present relatives and friends with a great puzzle. The symptoms of the disorder seem strange and senseless - when a sufferer washes their hands in one go, collects masses of empty bottles in the home or makes sure a dozen times that the stove is really switched off.
 

Instead of getting angry about this behaviour, relatives and friends should recognize it as an illness and react appropriately. First of all, this means that they should not support those affected in giving in to their compulsions. This would allow them to become entrenched and subsequently dominate the lives of their relatives. Family and friends should convince those affected to seek professional help as soon as possible. This is because OCD will not disappear if left untreated, whereas the chances of success with treatment are very high.