The DSM V describes obsessive-compulsive personality disorder (OCPD) as a pervasive pattern of preoccupation with
- perfectionism, and
- mental and interpersonal control.
Individuals with presenting phenomena of OCPD give up their flexibility of behavior and thought. They become “closed up”, showing lack of openness to the environment around them.
The consequence of being in a constant state of obsession-compulsion is chronic inefficiency in doing daily tasks resulting from the preoccupation on distracting details or rules and schedules which leaves the main tasks undone. The quest for having tasks done perfectly also leaves tasks unfinished. While everything takes longer to complete, there is also an added obsession with work and productivity. This leaves the individual with little energy left for leisure activities and relationships. Relationships eventually suffer because there is a tendency to be overconscientious and inflexible, oftentimes about matters of ethics. Many individuals with OCPD tend to hold on steadfastly to religious or ideological stance. They may also have fixed ideas of how things should be done while not delegating their work to others. Some individuals may exhibit tendencies of holding on to unnecessary objects or being miserly. A certain feature of this personality style is the display of stubborn rigidity.
Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder Explained with Gestalt Therapy
Looking at this condition through the gestalt therapy lens, we may be able to appreciate the complexity of the client’s treatment process. In seeing the process at each stage and the resistances of the individual towards change, we can follow the clients’s path with more understanding and patience.
At the sensory stimulation phase (the initial phase): one’s own needs are ignored. Habitual behavior and thoughts take the place of present needs. Feelings that arise in the foreground become interrupted by background noise of routine activity. The patient may find difficulty articulating needs or accessing emotions. Difficult emotions are avoided. In place of this is the need to continue habitual behavior.
At this phase of treatment, focus on arising emotions is the work. Often the patient is able to recount difficult life situations, but the narration lacks emotional content. The therapist’s job at this point is to support the patient in embodying the denied emotions, instead of blocking them out with compulsive thought.
At the Orientation phase: There is seeking of external rules. The self has to be perfect, and be right. “I must do it right”. “I must check this…”
There is a sense that being not perfect may lead to loss of love, rejection and helplessness. Control to avoid touching these feelings are directed towards the external environment.
Experiment with words, making statements and dealing with projections (e.g. other people will judge me if ….) plus dealing with emotions is the work at this stage.
At the Action phase: This is the phase that occurs when the individual is guided to act on behalf of his/her needs rather than acting on his/her impulses. This can bring about anxiety. OCPD actions are acts out of fear of helplessness. The behavior and thoughts are triggered in order to avoid the possibility of situations that leads to helplessness. This requires the attempt at controlling and perfecting the environment and external self. Ultimately nothing suffices.
Therapy at this phase brings to light the anxiety that arises. There is also projections (attributing thoughts of the self on other people) and retroflections (holding the self back, or blaming the self) that need to be worked through.
At the Assimilation phase: At this phase, the individual would have tried to change his/her behavior. This is possible through practicing will-power, or having behavioral-style therapy. However, attempts to change behavior get quickly sabotaged by introjected messages (like “this is wrong”, “it will not work”) that lead to the individual rationalizing the attempt, denying the point of attempting change, feeling contempt for the effort or try playing down the problem. This is the reason why in gestalt therapy, we are aware that behavior modification attempts alone does not resolve the issues of OCPD.
At this stage, it would be better to check with the patient about his/her introjects, and feelings of guilt or shame that may arise from taking appropriate action.
At the release phase: Let’s say that the patient has managed to overcome the first four phases, the next tendency would be to hold on to the identification of the self with OCPD. The need would be to hold on to the habitual thoughts and action as if these were the “right thing to do”. This is a protection mechanism against the grief that can arise from feelings of loss and feelings of loneliness.
At this phase, the patient may seem very sad or look depressed or angry. He/she shows strong emotions. The therapist supports the patient by being present and acknowledging the client’s difficult emotions, and helping him/her work through the mourning process.
The treatment process in Gestalt therapy for OCPD, when done in it thoroughness, with the above phases worked through requires a good amount of patience within the psychotherapeutic alliance. At each phase, difficult emotions need to be acknowledged and processed.
Treatment of symptoms arising from personality disorders take time. Patience is essential for both therapist and patient. Where dealing with loss is concerned, the mourning process is an important, positive step to healing.
Physical appearance is usually thin, haggard, not enjoying, gray, tensed.
The emotions include fear, anxiety, loneliness, helplessness, defiance, vulnerability. Initial emotionality may look flat, and restrained.
Psychosomatic reactions may include stomach and gastro pain and symptoms, constipation, circulatory system problems (e.g. myocardial infarction).
Polarities to work through are :
- Powerfulness – Helplessness
- Fear – Aggression, Anger, Bitterness
- Control – Chaos
- Obedience – Defiance, unruliness
American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (DSM-5®). American Psychiatric Pub.
Anger, H. (2018) Gestalt Diagnostics. Private Lecture at the Sigmund Freud University, Vienna.