OCD vs. OCPD

I researched OCD and found out about OCPD: obsessive compulsive personality disorder. According to beyondocd.org,

“OCPD is a personality disorder, whereas OCD is not…. OCPD involves a preoccupation with orderliness, perfectionism and control in virtually every part of an individual’s life…. Individuals with OCPD like the world the way they shape it. By contrast, people with OCD don’t like what’s happening to them and are overwhelmed by the thoughts and fears that invade their minds.”

When we were little, my sister and I would play in the basement where our father’s workbench was. His workbench had a pegboard behind it where all his tools were hung. He would tell us, “you can play with any of these tools as long as you put it back where you found it.” It made sense and we were careful to replace the tools we played with.

But when you put it together with other things, like the attention to car oil changes, tracking the type of gas bought in order to mix mid-grade and premium gas in the car’s gas tank, grandiose comments in Sunday school, criticizing fellow church-goers, grass cutting, over-reacting to spilling milk at the table, wiping up the floor with a paper towel, etc. a pattern emerges.