What is the difference between Perfectionism and OCD?

Perfectionism is the desire for perfection but OCD is an uncontrollable compulsive act that occurs without much control

It is easy to confuse OCD and perfectionism but there are key differences. If you constantly find yourself worrying whether you’ve completed a paticular task: locked the door, turned off the dishwasher etc, you’re probably just a completely rational and logical person, possibly a perfectionist. OCD, is something different. OCD is an anxiety disorder, where the person feels compelled to carry out tasks ritually as if they’re in a trance. Perfectionist go out of their way to make it known that they require organisation and prefection. But those with OCD often try to fight these compulsions and break away from this rhythmic routine they call life.

OCD is any worry that you act on by repeating actions. For example you may be worried about germs so you keep washing your hands again and again. You feel like you can’t stop. Perfectionism is just when you want to make something perfect but you feel in control of it. OCD isn’t just about putting things in a perfect way

Perfectionism is someone that "refuses" to deal with not being perfect. OCD is a person who has Excessive thoughts that lead to repetitive behaviors.

Perfectionism means doing things in an order and OCD means doing things perfectly in order. In spite of doing things in Order In OCD person never gets satisfied till he thinks it is absolutely perfect and nothing have been left.

This is a common misconception. People will often say they have ocd but are really just perfectionist. Just because you “like everything perfect, or the right way” doesn’t mean you have ocd. It just means you are a perfectionist. There is a lot of different types of ocd, but perfectionism is mainly having everything perfect, or even “equal”.

OCD is compulsive thought process that torments people into performing ritualistic action. OCD is a brain disorder, and a mental health diagnosis. OCD is not just about cleaning continuously, or repeating certain actions. OCD can be unseen, in the form of repetitive thoughts, these thoughts can haunt a person, and sometimes contain elements of truth. This is Real Life OCD - negative destructive thought patterns based around traumatic past life events which the mind will continuously focus upon and distort until the thoughts do not represent reality. This can cause a lot of pain and suffering. Perfectionism can't be defined, it isn't a mental health diagnosis, and could be both positive and negative depending on the person. I see this as a personality trait. "I must get this house in order, god i am such a perfectionist"

I believe the difference between perfectionism and OCD can be very tricky to distinguish sometimes. Liking perfection and neatness is one thing but when it gets compulsive and causes problems in the home or work or anywhere then it starts to become OCD, Obsessive, Compulsive Disorder. The obsessive part is paramount. A person truly must do whatever their obsession is, there is no distracting them, there is no consoling them, they MUST do the task or may turn into a rage or become really distressed. A Perfectionist, does not have this extreme obsession, they work tirelessly to perfect, they correct, they feel happier when things are in their idea of perfect order, but they can be distracted from their task or be challenged without the extreme discomfort and distress that someone with OCD will react with..

OCD involves a repeatedly nagging “obsession”—and an unwavering, extremely strong compulsion to satisfy that obsession by completing a certain action. Often the obsessions and compulsions are so debilitating that they get in the way of living daily life in a normal way. For me, I’ve found myself to be a perfectionist when completing school projects. Even visually, everything must be aligned perfectly if I’m making a PowerPoint or poster board. If it’s not aligned perfectly, I make sure everything fits together until it does. Sometimes my perfectionism can be stressful to me because it can cause me to spend hours making everything EXACTLY how I want it to be or how I picture it. On the other hand, I have a friend who has clinically been diagnosed with OCD. He carries bottles of hand sanitizer with him everywhere he goes and wipes down any surface he encounters before touching it. It has become a huge burden in his life both mentally and financially as he struggles to afford purchasing other items besides hand sanitizer. This is common in someone with severe OCD: a debilitating obsession that won’t go away until satisfied causes pain that hinders the enjoyment of everyday life. It is important for us to educate ourselves on the nature of mental illness so we can better understand the afflictions of those who have them, as well as know the differences between a common feeling (like a desire for perfection in certain items) versus a more uncommon and serious struggle such as OCD.

OCD is an anxiety disorder that affects a person's daily life and people with OCD are compelled to perform certain tasks ritually, which they have little control over stopping. Perfectionists may find themselves wondering whether they've locked the front door, turned the oven off, or double checked the lights are off. An individual with OCD might spend hours of their day ensuring everything is put-together and clean. They may also spend large amounts of time counting things. This then becomes a routine where, if not completed, the person suffering from OCD can become extremely anxious. As an example: a perfectionist student might submit their assignment online and check again to ensure they've submitted it. A student with OCD might submit it several times and check the submission box periodically to ensure the assignment hasn't disappeared.