Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder

The traits of obsessive-compulsive personality disorder (OCPD) include excessive control, organization, and perfectionism. The most prevalent type of personality disorder is OCPD. While OCD and OCPD sound very similar and share some similarities, they are distinct in significant ways.

The main difference between OCPD and OCD is that OCPD does not possess the intrusive component that OCD has. While people with OCD feel overwhelmed by their thoughts and compelled to act in certain ways, people with OCPD often welcome their patterns of behavior and thoughts because they find them useful and necessary. Furthermore, if someone who suffers from OCD were not able to complete a certain compulsion, they would face a great deal of anxiety. However, someone with OCPD would not get caught up on not being able to do a certain action they desired, and they would likely not experience much anxiety at all.
Another difference between OCPD and OCD is that many people with OCPD do not even notice their disorder. While some people with OCD live without knowing they have it, most people with OCD are aware of their OCD and understand the irrationality of their actions. However, it is easier for someone with OCPD to overlook their condition, as they normally view their actions as justified and correct.

Example of the desk of someone with OCPD

Example of the closet of someone with OCPD

Additionally, OCD usually develops in childhood, while OCPD normally begins in the late teen years or early adulthood.
An interesting difference between those who suffer from OCPD and those who suffer from OCD, which can be seen in a study by Pinto et al. (2014), is that people with OCPD have a greater capacity to delay gratification compared to those with OCD.
Individuals with OCPD can harness their condition to excel in various parts of their lives, especially in tasks or professions requiring high degrees of order or precision. On the other hand, the fixation on intrusive thoughts characterized by OCD prevents proper functionality in various parts of life.

Superstitions

Superstitions are beliefs that specific actions or behaviors, having no actual effect on a specific result, are linked to the likelihood of an outcome. Because these rituals were performed consistently before a desired outcome, despite having no impact on the desired result, people believe that they were involved in generating the result. For instance, “knocking on wood” has no impact on any of the outcomes one desires, but one will still go on with the action to prevent “bad luck.”
People with OCD usually have a higher propensity for superstitions, and those with superstitions usually have a higher propensity to develop OCD. While low and moderate-level superstitions do not disrupt normal function, OCPD can, and OCD can overtake neural circuitry and significantly impair one's daily life.

Treatment