Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder

Injury	Disease	Nutrition	Poison

Symptoms	Surgery	Test	Special Topic

Obsessive-compulsive disorder

Overview

Symptoms

Treatment

Prevention

Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder

Alternative Names:

Personality disorder - obsessive-compulsive

Treatment:

Medications such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (for example, Prozac) may help reduce obsessions and compulsions. Cognitive-behavioral therapy may also help, and medications in combination with talk therapy may be more effective than either treatment alone.

Expectations (prognosis):

The outlook for people with obsessive-compulsive personality disorder tends to be better than that of other personality disorders. The self-imposed rigidness and control of people with obsessive-compulsive personality disorder may prevent many of the complications -- such as drug abuse -- that are common to the other personality disorders.

However, the social isolation common with this illness may eventually lead to feelings of depression later in life.

Complications:

Relationship difficulties
Depression

Calling your health care provider:

Call for an appointment with your health care provider if an attitude of perfectionism is interfering with employment or relationships.

Review Date: 12/1/2004
Reviewed By: James W. Dilley, M.D., Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco, CA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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