Provide a brief three to four sentence character sketch of an individual with obsessive-compulsive personality disorder. How does obsessive-compulsive personality differ from obsessive-compulsive disorder?

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Ans: Bette is a true workaholic. She views all activities and relationships outside work as “frivolous.” Her perfectionism means that she rarely delegates tasks to her subordinates. Her perfectionism also means that she refuses to compromise quality. Combined with her perfectionism, her rigidity with respect to deadlines means that she spends evenings and weekends working. Her work ethic means that she is successful and well-paid; however, she has trouble parting with a dollar, hoarding her money in savings and investment accounts. Interpersonally, while she is pleasant and polite, she has little sympathy or patience for people caught in difficult situations; she tends to be inflexible with respect to the morals and values she believes people should hold. Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder differs from obsessive-compulsive disorder in that the objects of control are internal rather than external. Rather than wash one’s hands or check locks, a person with obsessive-compulsive personality disorder will try to control their adherence to internal rules or standards.
Learning Objective: 14.5 Distinguish among the anxious fearful personality disorders
Cognitive Domain: Application
Answer Location: Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder
Difficulty Level: Medium