Eating Disorders and OCPD

People with anorexia nervosa (restricting type) will more often have OCPD than other personality disorders. A person with anorexia values rules, which are necessary to maintain harsh food restriction. This person has no problem with suffering for the sake of perfectionism. It is common to see a person with anorexia have no need for care from others because she believes she does everything well. She therefore restricts her "intake" of people just as she restricts intake of food. Meanwhile, she will be eager to help others deal with their issues, because she can easily see "defects" in others' behaviors.

Eating disorders are often linked to personality disorders. With OCPD, the rules and focus on perfection can lead to restriction of certain foods, over exercise, or negative body image. Feeling like a failure at every little flaw on the body, or every "bad" food choice is exaggerated and can lead to obsession. Anorexic behavior is a manifestation on the controlling mindset that is apparent in every aspect of ODPD life.

A interesting writing by Dr. Albert Rothenberg, who made some connections between OCPD and anorexia looks at the modern push toward female thinness as a place to focus obsessive thoughts and behaviors. He believes that social and educational factors, along with a predisposition to obsessive compulsive illness influence the development of anorexia, and social and educational factors also contribute the development of OCD. He further states that recently, obsessive compulsive neurosis has emerged among adolescent girls in a form involving food and disorders of eating. In Western culture, anorexia nervosa and bulimia have become a predominant form of obsessive compulsive illness. According to Rothenberg, anorexia is a modern manifestation of OCD, because thinness in women has become a major and pervasive criterion for attractiveness and beauty.


It's important to note that not all OCPD sufferers have eating issues, and vice versa. I just know that seeing the links between food rules and body perfection, and how I try to control the rest of my life had been very illuminating.

So what is Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder?

No, it's not the same as OCD, like you see on "Monk" or other dramatic depictions of hand washing and light switch hitting rituals. The "Personality" part is what makes it a different disorder, and while related, the behaviors are more internalized and integrated with the sufferers inner world.

OCPD is for many characterized by rigidity of thought and behavior. This can manifest in a focus on perfection of self and others, being "right", keeping to a plan or schedule, and lack of empathy for those who are "wrong", including the sufferer themselves. But at the same time OCPD leaves the sufferer disorganized and frantic! Anxiety and self conciousness about being "Wrong" or "out of control" can be common.

Here is a list of the traits of OCPD from The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders fourth edition, DSM IV-TR,

A pervasive pattern of preoccupation with orderliness, perfectionism, and mental and interpersonal control, at the expense of flexibility, openness, and efficiency, beginning by early adulthood and present in a variety of contexts, as indicated by four (or more) of the following:

• Is preoccupied with details, rules, lists, order, organization, or schedules to the extent that the major point of the activity is lost
• Shows perfectionism that interferes with task completion (e.g., is unable to complete a project because his or her own overly strict standards are not met)
• Is excessively devoted to work and productivity to the exclusion of leisure activities and friendships (not accounted for by obvious economic necessity)
• Is overconscientious, scrupulous, and inflexible about matters of morality, ethics, or values (not accounted for by cultural or religious identification)
• Is unable to discard worn-out or worthless objects even when they have no sentimental value
• Is reluctant to delegate tasks or to work with others unless they submit to exactly his or her way of doing things
• Adopts a miserly spending style toward both self and others; money is viewed as something to be hoarded for future catastrophes
• Shows rigidity and stubbornness

For more from Wikipedia go here: Wikipedia: Obessive Compulsive Personality Disorder

Or Check out "The RIGHT Stuff: Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder: A Defect of Philosophy, not Anxiety"
by Steven Phillipson, Ph.D.
Center for Cognitive-Behavioral Psychotherapy


Here is a Google Book chapter about OCPD in "Personality Disorders" By Mario Maj


Just like any mental health issue, seek out a professional. I am not a professional. I'm just a young woman dealing with this, and trying to share some info!