What is the difference between Perfectionism and OCD?

OCD is a complex disorder that can range from a variety of different obsessions or compulsions. Perfectionism can be an aspect of OCD but is not always related. Some people can have anxiety and be perfectionists where they have an intense fear of failure and have a strong desire to perform well. Some people just like things to be neat and orderly so they organize their environments in certain ways or clean a lot. OCD is different for every person who has it. I have OCD and while I have some desire for perfection, this is not the main focus of my illness. My OCD focuses on germs and contamination as well as intense fear of tragedies occurring. Sometimes my germaphobia can be seen as being a perfectionist in how I clean myself or how I organize my bed or the "strange" rules I have regarding my items or food. Perfectionism is more related to my general anxiety about doing well and fear of failure but I do not obsess over perfectionism nor do I have compulsions regarding perfectionism. This is not to say everyone with OCD experiences the same things as me! Everyone with OCD is different. Some people with OCD need things organized in extremely specific ways or it causes them intense anxiety. I had a friend with OCD who went on a trip once and when he came back he found that his mom and sister had reorganized and cleaned his room. This caused him to have a sort of anxiety attack or meltdown because the way he needed his items organized was very specific and people coming in and changing his routine was a huge trigger for him. To me, perfectionism comes more regarding school work and relationships. I feel a need to be a perfect student and a perfect friend but as a human, I realize this is not a realistic goal and I need to be patient with myself when I make mistakes. In summary: Perfectionism can be a result of OCD or can be a completely unrelated ideal. OCD is a complex mental disorder that has a very broad scope of symptoms.

Perfectionism is a goal of having everything in your life in order, that comes with choice and decision making and goals. You are spiritually, morally and socially perfect. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder takes away choice and decision making. It is not about reaching a goal, more about thoughts and fears controlling your ability to function. Repetitive behaviour that must be done in order to function or move onto the next task. Concerns like if I don't flick the light switch on 10 times and then off 11 times my house will burn down, irrational in many ways. Not completing the repetitive behaviour can lead to even more anxiety.

Perfectionism is the desire to do everything exceptionally well. Many hard workers experience perfectionism in their work place or creative pursuits. Perfectionism can be a common trait to possess. However, OCD is a diagnosis of a disease. A person diagnosed with these disease completes rituals in order to avoid perceived harm to themselves or others. Perfectionism is a personality trait and, OCD is a mental health diagnosis and disorder. People with OCD require therapy and may also require medication. Someone who experiences perfectionism will most likely be able to manage this on their own if they desire to change.

Perfectionists often tend to feel more satisfied when things are perfect, such as the perfect alignment of books to a shelf. However a person with OCD does not feel the same satisfaction in carrying out this task. For people with OCD, it is seen as a task they must do to (e.g. prevent a loved one from dying). As the name Obsessive Compulsive Disorder suggests, it is something compulsive for them because of their obsessive thoughts over it and the dangers they perceive will happen if it is not carried out. While this may differ from different types of OCD, it is generally not enjoyable for people with OCD to carry out these tasks. For a perfectionist, they feel a sense of happiness/joy/satisfaction after it is perfect because of their need for perfection. Oftentimes the two may overlap in certain aspects, so of course should you suspect you have OCD, it'd be best to seek a professional to diagnose you instead of trying to carry out a self-diagnosis that may end up harming you instead through unnecessary stress/not getting the right help.

Perfectionism is the need to be or appear to be perfect, or even to believe that it's possible to achieve perfection. OCD is Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, which is a psychological disorder that is characterized by obsessive, unpleasant and repetitive thoughts and behaviors, which one cannot control. Perfectionism can be both healthy and unhealthy. The unhealthy kind is usually a symptom of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, where one's repetitive and uncontrollable behavior is pursuing perfection. This can be different for everyone with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. For some people, perfection can be brushing their teeth for exactly 10 minutes and for another person with OCD, it can be brushing their teeth exactly 3 times a day. These behaviors are usually coping mechanisms for the intrusive and unpleasant thoughts.

OCD is a compulsion. if you don't do it, something bad will happen (even if it is just a sense of doom). perfectionism is a want to have things a certain way, if it wasn't 'perfect' there wouldn't be consequences you just prefer it that way. you can get annoyed when the perfectionist standard isnt met but its not life or death. if you were too tired to clean for example with an OCD individual it would still have to be done. OCD also has rituals and specific things that ease the anxiety that is brought on like having groups of three or doing someone a certain amount of times. OCD is compulsive and anxiety-filled.

Well... personally in my experience. Perfectionism is a personality trait rather than a mental disease. OCD constitutes of more than just perfectionism , you may experience intrusive thoughts for instance, it may be like you want to control it but you just can't, generally in OCD you may be aware that it is mentally harming you . While perfectionism is personality trait , you just want things to be perfect , perfect in this sense it literally perfect ( While in OCD most of the the things aren't even perceived perfect ,they just seem perfect to you ) . Just like this there are many differences between these , I just listed a few . In the end , perfectionism is a personality trait while OCD is a mental illness

There is much more behind OCD than the need to repeat patterns! Obsessive compulsive disorder is an organic behavior disorder that affects approximately 1-2% of the population. People with OCD have been showing features of the disorder since childhood. The disorder has two parts - Obsession and Compulsive. Obsession is the recurrence of irrational unwanted thoughts. They inhale fear, anxiety and disgust in the patient's mind. Many people know that these feelings are unrealistic, but they cannot shrink them. There is a deficiency in neural circuits that sends warning signals constantly even in the absence of stimuli. There are many parents who complain that their child needs hours to bathe, dress or clean their room. These children get upset that they are not clean enough, so they continue to wash their hands or feet for hours. Many children keep their toys organized and rearranged until they feel the room looks perfect. The girls will return to their hair about a million ago because they think they are not perfectly adjusted. They are called compulsive behaviors, in which one feels that this is the right way to get things done and keep working. Even in adults, such recurring illogical behavior is seen. For example, constantly check the stove or geyser. People with OCD also want the best. If they don't get what they want, they'll go depressed. They show sadness and frustration if it doesn't happen by their standards. They represent a similar style of thinking that is seen in people with maladaptive perfectionism. This habit of doing the same task repeatedly deprives them of their precious time, in which they can actually do much more productive and constructive things with the product. In the field of psychology, perfectionism is defined as a human trait that transforms oneself and others to achieve an achievable goal. Failure to achieve the goals leads to frustration and disappointment. These individuals are critically critical of themselves and the people around them. This personality trait is also characteristic of people suffering from obsessive compulsive disorder. People with such qualities can be difficult to enjoy at home and in the office because they set very high performance standards that can be difficult for them and others. These people are very critical and constantly strive for the perfect task. A perfectionist worker is constantly worried about what his boss is thinking about his job, so he works on the same task until he feels perfect. For this reason, perfectionism is considered a double sword.

Perfectionism is a personality trait while OCD is a mental health disorder. OCD can't be perfectionism, but perfectionism can become part of OCD. It all depends on the type of perfectionist you are, as there is a difference between wanting things to turn out your way and trying your best to achieve that and obsessively arranging everything for it to go your way. While perfectionism is not a health concern on its own, it is commonly related to other mental problems including anxiety, OCPD and OCD. Being a perfectionist can help some people, but there's a very thin line between adaptive and maladaptive perfectionism. Maladaptive perfectionism is usually a sign that perfectionism is no longer a personality trait, and rather the result of another mental health condition

Hey there! As someone who lives with both perfectionism AND OCD (separately), I can say that OCD can SOMETIMES incorporate compulsive behaviors where you need things to be "just right" it's a subset of OCD called just right OCD but not all compulsive behaviors or obsessions have to do with perfectionism. I'd recommend looking into "just right OCD" if you're curious about the overlap between OCD and perfectionism. Although, I'd like to point out that there are MANY forms of OCD that do not involve perfectionism. Some can be EXTREMELY different. For instance, some people have intrusive thoughts and excessive worries about the possibility of hurting others. My "type" of perfectionism is not related to OCD and is more so worries that if I don't do things perfectly, that it means that I'll seem not smart. My OCD on the other hand, focuses mostly on morality. OCD and perfectionism can be very different for different people. I hope this clarifies, but if not, I'd recommend researching into OCD. There are literally infinite types of obsessions and compulsions which makes it really interesting and surprising to learn about, especially considering stereotypes. Some resources: https://peaceofmind.com/education/types-of-ocd/perfectionismsymmetry/