Do I have obsessive-compulsive personality disorder? Ask any of my family members and they’ll definitely agree.
According to Wikipedia.org, obsessive-compulsive personality disorder (OCPD) is a personality disorder that is commonly characterized by someone’s ‘rigid conformity to rules and procedures, perfectionism, and excessive orderliness.? Those with OCPD are also anxious about delegating tasks for fear it won’t be done correctly.
OCPD shouldn’t be confused with obsessive-compulsive disorder because it doesn’t involve repeatedly performing actions, like handwashing for fear of germs.
Hmm’where do I start…
Ever since I was little, I remember being a very clean and organized individual. When I’d make my bed I would make sure all my stuffed animals were in the same position every time’you know, my Pound Puppy had to be on the left, followed by my Popple. I remember how meticulous I was with keeping my Trapper Keeper organized with my various school subjects, too.
When I became older, say in high school, I began to hang clothes in my closet by color’all the red shirts went together, and all the cream sweaters went together, etc. I couldn’t even stand having clothes stick out of my dresser drawers.
In my later school years I would find myself getting frustrated if I spelled something wrong and couldn’t erase it, or if I didn’t like the way my handwriting looked. I would simply crumble up the paper and start new’no matter how many times it took.
I’m constantly making lists of things to do. At work, I always make a list of the stories I have for the following week and check them off as I complete them. I feel I need to write everything on Post-it notes, otherwise I’ll forget. I never leave for lunch unless it’s the top of the hour’don’t ask why’I know it’s weird.
Because I own my own home now, I actually like to clean house. I love when everything’s in order, and when it’s not, I get quite frustrated.
I remember being in elementary school and spending a weekend at my aunt and uncle’s house that was’well’a little messy. Just like it were my house, I began picking up the living room and folding some laundry that was laying out because I couldn’t stand the mess. Reminder: I was in elementary school at the time.
Occasionally, my husband goes into the cupboards and leaves them open. Without saying a word, I simply walk by and shut them. After he empties the bathroom garbage cans he sometimes puts the can down on a weird angle that, to me, throws off the whole bathroom decor. (He’s gotten better at putting both back how I like it now, FYI.)
I also like my hand towels to be hung a certain way in the bathroom, I like the pillows on my couch to be in the right color order, and I like my towels folded a particular way so they look nice in the closet.
As far as the delegating tasks issue, that’s happened more than once in my life.
Just the other day I came home from work to find my husband cooking dinner. It took all my strength not to get up and show him how to ‘correctly? press the garlic and brown the meat for spaghetti, but I did anyway.
Don’t even get me started on timing.
If I have an appointment somewhere, whether it be for a doctor or for an interview, I make sure I’m there at least five minutes early. I hate being late for anything!
My family always compares me to Martha Stewart and jokes that she somehow brainwashed me, but I’m beginning to think I really do have OCPD.
But so what if I have OCPD? That’s the way God made me and it hasn’t seemed to effect any of my relationships in a bad way at all. It’s sort of become a positive trademark with people.
As far as the comparison to Martha Stewart, I take it as a compliment’although, I was never confined to home for lying about my sales in the stock market. Betcha that wasn’t on her list of things to do.