Counseling & Psychotherapy Discussion Board

Hi all

Before one year several medical scientist consultants gave me a diagnosis to my symptomatology. I was diagnosed with the anankastic personality disorder or obsessive–compulsive personality disorder and a psychogenic pain.

I´m going to therapy since then. My psychotherapist works in the USA sometimes. This has given me the first input to write in English language forums for therapy. Sorry for my bad English. I hope I can learn here.

My OCPD: DSM-IV's criterion for Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder.

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:

I live in a family with instable structures and personalities. Since my childhood I´ve restoring order in my instable family. It´s very stressful to organize my whole family life. I´ve immolated myself for the family and the children.

[1] is preoccupied with details, rules, lists, order, organization, or schedules to the extent that the major point of the activity is lost.

I am so anankastic in all things and details. For example I´ll make me a copy of my reply here for me. I must fix all things in my life. I´m writing for my therapy an own program.

[2] 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)

I´m suffering a blockade by working over and over.

[3] is excessively devoted to work and productivity to the exclusion of leisure activities and friendships (not accounted for by obvious economic necessity)

I´ve deleted my life for family and stability because I´ve wanted to secure the well-being of the children. And I´ve read a lot of books. My thirst for knowledge was so excessive.

[4] is overconscientious, scrupulous, and inflexible about matters of morality, ethics, or values (not accounted for by cultural or religious identification)

In some things I am rather rigid, for example in all cases where children are inferior. I have my ethical principles.

[5] is unable to discard worn-out or worthless objects even when they have no sentimental value

Yes, it´s troublesome to organize a lot of things which I could cast away.

[6] is reluctant to delegate tasks or to work with others unless they submit to exactly his or her way of doing things

I think I can do it better because I am working exactly.

[7] adopts a miserly spending style toward both self and others; money is viewed as something to be hoarded for future catastrophes

I can pay the commitments only if we have a certain amount on the accounts.

[8] shows rigidity and stubbornness

I am very inflexible.

The new DSM 5 since may 2013

http://www.dsm5.org

T 01 Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder
Proposed Revision

DSM-5

The essential features of a personality disorder are impairments in personality (self and interpersonal) functioning and the presence of pathological personality traits. To diagnose obsessive-compulsive personality disorder, the following criteria must be met:

A. Significant impairments in personality functioning manifest by:
1. Impairments in self functioning (a or b):
a. Identity: Sense of self derived predominantly from work or productivity; constricted experience and expression of strong emotions.

Since my childhood I read and write extremely much. I am preoccupied with my targets. One of therapeutic experts means firstly I have alexithymia but it´s part of OCPD.

b. Self-direction: Difficulty completing tasks and realizing goals associated with rigid and unreasonably high and inflexible internal standards of behavior; overly conscientious and moralistic attitudes.

I have interruptions of work and it´s hard to dissolve these OCPD blockades. I see so many details have to do.

AND

2. Impairments in Interpersonal Functioning (a or b):
a. Empathy: Difficulty understanding and appreciating the ideas, feelings, or behaviors of others.
b. Intimacy: Relationships seen as secondary to work and productivity; rigidity and stubbornness negatively affect relationships with others.

It´s okay if feelings or relationships make sense for me, intuitively and logically. But that´s the problem: I find a lot of great feelings and suffering rather disproportionate and troublesome. On this way the sense is very relative for me. I begin to trade. I need facts not only unreliable feelings. It´s easier to concentrate on the facts and let be the feelings. In the therapy I have learned that feelings can give important informations like a sensor. Now I try this sensor to charge at extra cost. But only feelings aren´t good mentors I think. Feelings only would be very instable. I don´t want to lose the control about me and my life. But I love my family, this feeling is very strong.

Before this step of allowing feelings as a trigger to awareness I was at a loss with the most situations. I decided only with my intellect and couldn´t see what I feel. I was absolutely surprised later to see that I make many things which I don´t want really. Only my logical view let it do it even against my own feelings! And now my feelings have the right to join in a conversation, intellect and feelings together that´s the new extended sense. I was blind and now I see something. I´m very happy about this.

B. Pathological personality traits in the following domains:
1. Compulsivity, characterized by:
a. Rigid perfectionism: Rigid insistence on everything being flawless, perfect, without errors or faults, including one‘s own and others‘ performance; sacrificing of timeliness to ensure correctness in every detail; believing that there is only one right way to do things; difficulty changing ideas and/or viewpoint; preoccupation with details, organization, and order.

There are pros and cons. My central issue: My exact way is not always efficient and effectively leading nowhere. I must be more flexible. But I´m going to learn and optimize me. A trimmed-down version of the program.

2. Negative Affectivity, characterized by:
a. Perseveration: Persistence at tasks long after the behavior has ceased to be functional or effective; continuance of the same behavior despite repeated failures.

I´m working at this point: my interruptions of work. I must learn to see what´s really important and what not.

C. The impairments in personality functioning and the individual’s personality trait expression are relatively stable across time and consistent across situations.
D. The impairments in personality functioning and the individual’s personality trait expression are not better understood as normative for the individual’s developmental stage or socio-cultural environment.
E. The impairments in personality functioning and the individual’s personality trait expression are not solely due to the direct physiological effects of a substance (e.g., a drug of abuse, medication) or a general medical condition (e.g., severe head trauma).

I have OCPD since my childhood. I can remember me at typical OCPD attributes where I was 3-4 old. In the expertise the consultants name it the early infantile neurotic stage of the posterior OCPD.
I believe in God before somebody tells me that´s giving a God. My remember of this early time in my life is very remarkably exact and full of details.
I don´t drink alcohol and I don´t take other drugs. I have a physical pain disorder but I take only less analgesics.

I have a strong psychogenic pain or somatoform disorder and fibromyalgia in high gear on context of OCPD (obsessive–compulsive personality disorder) according to consultant expertises.

My psychotherapist and my medical practitioner give me support. I always write both together (e-mails). My medical practitioner is my second supporter in the psychotherapy. That was my wish after alternation of therapists. I need somebody who stay all the time. And my medical practitioner knows my life story and the expertise. He has my confidence. Both, therapist and medical practitioner. I have made many steps of progress in therapy with them. My psychotherapist is expert for somotoform disorders.

I am German editor and worked for Swiss publishing houses. Without OCPD I couldn´t realize this profession. That´t the reason for me to see the positive aspects of OCPD. My experts say the same. But my physical pain takes me energy. I couldn´t search new orders. And I am too accurate and anankastic by working. I hope my therapy can help me.

I am in this therapy process to allow intense emotions. It´s helping against the physical pain based of a somatoform disorder.

Now I´m listening in music (music as therapy). I have pains but I must do plenty of things. It´s important. I am assistance and must help a family member who has massive problems. And a lot of paperwork. Now I´ll have to duplicate many papers for several tax dossiers.

In this process of therapy my feelings are strong and melancholic. But the work is important. It´s short term focused.

I hope books against my interruption of work will help me. For the moment I´m reading the book Arbeitsstörungen written from Dr. Nicolas Hoffmann. There are modules in the book. The picture is an Atlas symbol I think. Unfortunately a German version I find only.

The author(s) also has/have written books about OCPD (German), for example: Zwanghafte Persönlichkeitsstörung und Zwangserkrankungen (German Edition)

But I will tell of it. Some thoughts summarized:

The target is important and the focus to it. It´s a intellectual decision of the declared intention and often against the feelings of aversion. This conflict makes tired. The sense of working is important. Stress is a product of strain and the negative believe to not reach the target. The interruption of work is result of the reduction of motivation, concentration, disorder of self-regulation and losing the control.

Interruption of work: The self-regulation and planning is not sufficient. The control about the working-organization is lost. It needs self-management, a positive active self-motivation and self-care for the change (progression of working resources, energy regulation, step-by-step-planning, realistic and logical planning, strategic self-commitment, self-focusing, energy mobilization, self-regeneration, steepening incentive).

At the end of this chapter I find "paper 2" with three points about my interruption of work: problematic working situation and symptoms - reasons - my plan for self-helping. The chapter describes some cases where feelings disturb the work. Symptoms: stress, problem with the concentration, negative feelings, self-doubt, anxiety. Reasons: problems with behavior models, selection, delegation, self-motivation, self-regulation, self-management, relationships.

There are fourteen modules for self-helping:
1. regeneration
2. power-management
3. work plans
4. self-motivation
5. simplification
6. self-care
7. positive working atmosphere
8. pick up courage
9. self-coaching
10. changes of behavior
11. conflict management
12. self-optimizing
13. trouble-management
14. flexibility

Firstly theme was

module 1:
regeneration (reduction of negative energy costs and development of positive energy reserves).

modules 2-6:
Important points: reduction of negative thoughts and development of positive clear plans with supportive structures in step by step progress.

modules 7-9:
important points:
- reduction of negative feelings, thoughts, behavior, energy costs
- development of positive feelings, thoughts, behavior, energy reserves, clear plans with supportive structures in step by step progress
- cognitive strategical methods against anxiety and negative obstructing

There are many helpful case examples in the book.

modules 10-12:
work analysis: having control and possibilities in work process, waking interest, sense and wishing for doing one's work.

I have read till page 133. Now I must copy a great many of papers.

Kevin with OCPD
Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder - created October 2008 by Kevin

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I have read until page 151 of the book Nicolas Hoffmann Arbeitsstörungen.

Another important points of module 12:

An essential part of self-regulation and self-motivation is the development of perspectives for mobilizing energy and a declared intention.

I´m in contact with some persons who diagnosed OCPD. The communication is very exciting and kindly. I´ve learned many in short time. Absolutely intelligent people with interesting biographies!

Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder

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Nicolas Hoffmann Arbeitsstörungen: read at the end (until 198) of this book.

modules 13-14:

important point in a interruption of work: change of the view angle!

Now I must fill out many forms!

obsessive compulsive personality disorder

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The next book which I´ll read: Günther Köhnlein, Phänomen Arbeitsstörungen (German edition)

I will tell about it.

Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder

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Wow! One of the four dossiers is managed. Now the second is coming.

I´m working with music coaching:

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Music has a great therapeutic effect in my case against the anxiety behind the OCPD and for helping to be easier and to have more energy for my actual work.