What Is Obsessive Compulsive Disorder?

Individuals with obsessive- compulsive personality disorder attempt to maintain a sense of control though painstaking attention to rules, trivial details, procedures, lists, schedules, or form to the extent that the major point of the activity is lost. They are excessively careful and prone to repetition, paying extraordinary attention to detail and repeatedly checking for possible mistakes. They are oblivious to the fact that other people tend to be very much annoyed at the delays and inconveniences that result from this behavior. [...] Time is poorly allocated and the most important tasks are left to the last moment. The perfectionism and self-imposed high standards of performance cause significant dysfunction and distress in these individuals. They may become so involved in making every detail of a project absolutely perfect that the project is never finished. [...] Deadlines are missed, and aspects of the individual's life are not the current focus of activity may fall into disarray.*

 

*Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders: DSM-5. 5th ed. Washington, D.C.: American Psychiatric Association, 2013. 679. Print.