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OCD is driven by perfectionism, but it’s not the same.
healthy soch
New Delhi, April 27, 2019 ;
People with obsessive-compulsive disorder know that their behavior is problematic but they can’t stop it. People with perfectionism don’t care – it makes their lives orderly.
OCD is a mental health disorder that involves repeated, unwanted thoughts or urges that cause a person anxiety. In order to reduce that anxiety, the individual performs a compulsive action or ritual – sometimes one that isn’t necessarily related to the fear or anxiety that they’re trying to overcome.
They may understand that what they’re doing is irrational but still spend hours a day doing it. Sometimes people have fears of germs; sometimes it’s the need for counting or certain things to happen in certain quantities. Sometimes it’s just an obsessive thought that they can’t get out of their head.
They know that they shouldn’t have to do it, but they must do it, because to not do it means to have an increase in their level of anxiety that’s intolerable. The whole process is very bothersome to the individual.
How it relates to perfectionism
Someone who has perfectionism as a personality trait may also have habits or rituals that they follow rigidly, like a certain morning routine or a way of organizing their desk at work. But they’re not necessarily doing it out of anxiety. They’re content to do those things because it works well for them, even if it drives everyone else crazy.
This personality trait is usually associated with good organization and goal-oriented behavior. Healthy perfectionism may drive some people to achieve excellence.
But, on the other hand, these high standards can also drive people to be extremely critical of themselves and others. Perfect is the enemy of good. When perfectionism becomes problematic, the individual themselves is usually the last one to know.
The Author of this article is Dr K K Aggarwal, Padma Shri Awardee
