What is the difference between Perfectionism and OCD?

OCD is all too often associated with perfectionism but not all obsessions are based on perfection or order. The generic premise of OCD is that intrusive thoughts generate crippling anxiety that requires compulsions to reduce or temporarily eliminate the anxiety. These thoughts can take on any form, some people have suicidal or homicidal thoughts, some have thoughts that something terrible will happen, and some feel that they are stricken with a terrible illness. Personally I constantly have intrusive thoughts that I will ruined my marriage or that I will be abusive towards my cats.

As someone who suffers from OCD, I can confirm that the two are extremely different! OCD involves intrusive thoughts, more often than not they're distressing. OCD also usually comes along with rituals or compulsions to prevent certain things from happening. From my understanding, perfectionism is just enjoying when things are correctly done.

Perfectionism is where you want to feel accepting by being the best and always doing the best. OCD is when you feel the need to do something, subconsciously doing something merely because something in your mind forces you to.

I think a perfectionist could stop himself if he wanted to. People with OCD just cannot stop their thoughts even when they couldn't handle more.

As someone who has suffered from OCD for the past 6 years I will tell you, The one thing someone with OCD hates, Is when a perfectionists says "I'm SO OCD" OCD is not a adjective, It is a (rather terrible) condition characterized by rituals, specific thinking patterns, and sometimes crippling anxiety... A common myth is that people with OCD are perfectionists, or need things perfect, in fact this is not true, a portion of people with OCD In fact have hoarding disorder as well, most of my rituals consistent having things crooked or piled for example! 😉

Perfectionism is a personality trait and someone who has it will hole themselves and/or others to high standards, and are not satisfied if something isn't done perfectly, assuming that perfection is even attainable to begin with. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder is a debilitating mental illness where sufferers experience anxiety inducing intrusive thoughts and are compelled to relieve the anxiety by performing repetitive physical and mental tasks. You can be a perfectionist and not have OCD and vice versa. As someone who has OCD, it irritates me to no end that people continue to conflate the two and use OCD as a descriptor for when they are adament to have something done in a certain way. Treating the disorder as a descriptor only serves to minimise it and the effects it has on people's lives.

Perfectionism is one possible symptom of OCD, but not everyone with OCD experiences this symptom. A person with OCD experiences repetitive distressing thoughts which often result in time-consuming and repetitive behaviours which they perform to avoid the anxiety. These thoughts might be about things being done perfectly or "just so" and if they weren't an OCD sufferer would feel compelled to try and fix it to avoid feeling anxious. However, with OCD the thoughts might be about anything. Some people with OCD worry they may hurt someone or that something bad is going to happen if they don't perform a certain behaviour or "check". They key here is the intensity of the thoughts and behaviours. Lots of people perform checks to reassure themselves or prefer things to be neat and tidy and they don't have OCD. OCD is, at worst, debilitating and exhausting, making sufferers feel they are compelled to do things and experiencing significant distress.

In my own personal experience. I have OCD and am a perfectionist. Perfectionism is something that is learned. We are taught this by parents, life, teachers, etc. It is when someone teaches us 'their' way of doing things. Something that is expected of us to be done a certain way every time and only that way is acceptable. For example. The cups on the shelf have to always be turned facing front, lined up exactly straight. With OCD that is something we aren't taught. It can be a coping mechanism though. In OCD we find 'ticks' or 'rituals' that bring comfort to us and help us to feel that we have some sense of 'control' and 'stability'. In OCD the cups on the counter have to be lined up neatly in order of color, shape and I have to touch them all at least once to make sure they are secure on the counter won't fall off and are in line.

Perfectionism is a desire to make everything as perfect as possible and flawless (ex: wanting to make a school project as nice and as resourceful as possible to obtain perfect grades) whereas OCD is a some kind of fear that makes people check on/repeat something even if the feeling is unwanted (ex: the feeling like I need to wash my hands repeatedly because I believe there are harmful germs that wouldn't go away unless I wash it repeatedly?

OCD (Obsesive Compulsive Disorder), is a disorder where one feels the need to ALWAYS have perfection, and have uncommon fears of germs, dust, and anything out of place, or slightly dirty. and perfectionism is where most/all think have to be neat and organized.