People often throw around the sentiment that they are “so OCD” about things casually in conversations. This usually is in reference to an organized desk or a color-coded closet. The reality of obsessive-compulsive disorder is much more complex than a preference for neatness.
When OCD and perfectionism feed into each other, the result is an exhausting cycle that chips away at your quality of life. Understanding how these two work together is an important first step in breaking that cycle.
What OCD Looks Like
OCD is a mental health condition characterized by intrusive thoughts called obsessions and repetitive behaviors or rituals known as compulsions that are performed to reduce stress. The compulsions are much stronger than a mere preference. They are stress responses to your brain sounding the alarm, even when there is no danger present.
Obsessions are difficult to control and can be quite distressing. Common obsessions include:
- Fear of contamination or illness
- Persistent fear that a task was done incorrectly
- Intrusive thoughts about harm or safety
- A sense that something is not right
- Excessive concern about symmetry and order
These themes all have an underlying thread worth noting. OCD often targets the thing you care most about, opening the door for perfectionism to thrive.
The Role of Perfectionism
Perfectionism extends beyond wanting to do something well. It is a pattern of thinking that leads you to feel like a failure when performing anything less than flawlessly. Perfectionists are often rigid in setting standards and fear judgment from others. Uncertainty is a struggle.
For someone with OCD, perfectionism becomes the fuel that drives the associated compulsions. Your brain alerts you that something is wrong, and the perfectionist thinking convinces you that the only solution is to keep checking or redoing until everything feels right. The problem is that the feeling of being right is unattainable. No matter how many times you check a lock or replay a conversation, the doubt does not lessen.
How They Reinforce Each Other
This is where the OCD-perfectionism relationship gets tricky. OCD generates doubt and distress. Perfectionism insists that the only way to relieve it is through finding certainty. Compulsions will temporarily reduce anxiety, which convinces your brain that the ritual or habit worked. The next time you feel doubt, your brain jumps right into the compulsion.
The more this situation is repeated, the stronger the pull toward the ritual grows. Anything outside of that starts to feel less helpful. The window of what is acceptable narrows. You can find yourself spending more and more time on a task just to keep distress at bay.
This cycle is not a matter of willpower, nor does it have to be permanent. It is a neurological pattern that typically responds well to treatment.
What Can Help
The most evidence-supported treatment method for OCD is something called Exposure and Response Prevention, or ERP. Under ERP, you learn how to tolerate the discomfort that comes with obsessive thoughts by not performing the compulsions. Gradually refraining from engaging will weaken the hold of the cycle. Eventually, your brain will learn that uncertainty does not require a ritual response.
When perfectionism is a central component, therapy can also examine the beliefs that made uncertainty feel so threatening and help you build a healthier relationship with the idea that good enough is, in fact, enough. Somewhere along the line, you learned that you need to get everything right. Just as it was learned, it can be unlearned.
You Do Not Have to Stay Stuck in the Loop
If OCD, perfectionism, or persistent anxiety is affecting your quality of life, know that support is available. Our therapists are trained to work with anxiety in all its forms, including OCD. Reach out today to learn more about therapy for anxiety and take the first step in restoring a life that is not controlled by doubt.
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