Signs of Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder in Children

Obsessive compulsive personality disorder (OCPD) generally develops a foothold in early childhood. It is also often confused with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), although there are several variables that should be noted.

Signs of Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder in Children
The child with OCPD feels compelled to follow strict procedures for everything they do, paying close attention to detail for the purpose of achieving a perfect outcome. The need for self-control at all times is necessary for making it through the day, and the child will often maintain an extensive list so as not overlook any details. OCPD disrupts the child's life, and causes friction with siblings and friends.

Children with OCPD typically don't become distressed by their behaviors, unlike children who have OCD. However, their need to live their lives in an orderly manner will be loudly announced in an unpleasant fashion if another child makes a mess in the OCPD child's room.

When the OCPD child's usual schedule for the day is changed or otherwise interrupted, the child will become distraught and possibly exhibit aggressive behavior. The National Institute of Mental Health (NMH) offers this simple example: "If a child has OCPD, he is careful and compulsive about everything in his life. You may find that your child must arrange his toys in a certain manner, clean his room every day, adhere to the same bedtime ritual, and follow rules precisely."

What Causes OCPD?
Although no specific cause for OCPD has been identified, it has been suggested that an authoritarian parenting style could be a contributing factor. An authoritarian style of parenting, where high demands are consistently placed on a child, may result in the child having unrealistic expectations of herself. Children with OCPD have a rigid desire for perfection. The smallest of tasks must be completed to their level of satisfaction, no matter how long it takes.

The insistence on perfection can have devastating consequences. A simple homework assignment can be painstakingly drafted, proofread repeatedly and rewritten until it is considered to be the best ever written. A child with OCPD may spend several hours on a short homework task when the same task is easily completed by others in a fraction of the time. Situations such as these can lead to less-than-pleasing grades because the student failed to submit their work in a timely manner. It is not unusual for the first warning signs of OCPD to be a gradual decline in the child's performance at school. 

Although research has determined some association between OCPD and OCD, which is an anxiety disorder, a child with OCPD sees his efforts at sport, school and trivial matters as better than anyone else's, even though he is highly self-critical. OCD is sometimes characterized by an irrational fear of germs, the urge to check things repeatedly or by an excessive need for hand washing. In either case, people associated with the sufferer become disgruntled over the time spent getting anything done, or the monotonous repetitive behaviors that most people cannot understand.

It is difficult for a child with OCPD to enjoy leisure activities, because she will not allow herself to enjoy a game for fear of not playing it correctly. This attitude is typical Type A behavior, and the competitiveness can prompt the sufferer to become aggressive. In addition, as the child grows, she will tend to become increasingly indifferent and actively avoid relationships, especially those that involve physical contact.

OCPD often has symptoms that overlap with, or are similar to, other personality disorders. It is also important to note that a diagnosis of both OCPD and OCD is possible.