About Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder

Obsessive compulsive personality disorder is a problem that affects nearly everyone in the world. It is an affliction that is actually more common than we think, primarily because people are ashamed to admit that they have it.

There exists this misconception that obsessive compulsive personality disorder is something that is funny and good fodder for casual conversation – as a joke or an anecdote. However, it is more serious than we think. While it does not carry the risk of death, at least, not deliberately, the kind of mental and emotional stress it can bring to a person is a definite cause for concern.

What causes obsessive compulsive personality disorder? To say honestly, there really is no single source, nor have experts been able to pinpoint the exact cause. There are studies that show that certain chemicals in the brain, serotonin in particular, are low in some people, that's why others are compelled to do the same things over and over again. Serotonin is said to be the bodily chemical that keeps us from repeating ourselves too often. Some medications designed to treat obsessive compulsive personality disorder are meant to increase the levels of serotonin in a person's brain to combat the problem.

Obsessive compulsive personality disorder can damage a person's way of thinking. In fact, in some cases, it has been found to be a contributing factor to a developed insanity.

For example: one of the most common OCD problems is the anxiety felt over the fact that germs are everywhere. There are certain people who are so scared of germs that they often find themselves uncontrollably washing their hands repeatedly whenever they are in a public place. They don't want to keep washing their hands, but they can't seem to stop themselves from doing so because the anxiety overpowers them. Some people rub their skins raw as a result.

These repetitive habits, also called compulsions, are the OCD afflicted person's means of coping with the anxiety he or she feels. However, the compulsive behavior is a temporary cure and the person finds himself or herself battling the same demons again. The compulsion, or the rituals, feel like solutions to the fear at a particular time, but it can only do so much to assuage the nervousness until it strikes again.

Obsessive compulsive personality disorder is serious, yes. However, it is something that may be addressed. Certain medications are available to combat the disorder, though some schools of thought oppose this method, claiming that drugs only give out a placebo effect and have really no long-term value. Critics of the drug treatment method say that it only makes a person dependent on medicines for the rest of his or her life.

The other method is behavior therapy. It is a long and tedious process and may fail at the onset a number of times, but if a person is bent on making the disorder go away, behavior therapy is the most effective way of combating it. Its effects are long term and it does not just deal with a certain compulsion, but takes a look at a person's psyche and problem-solving abilities, as a whole.

In sum, obsessive compulsive personality disorder is not a joke. It is also not something that we should be ashamed of. It is as common as day and very much curable. Thus, it's best to go out in the open and seek help right away.