Common 'personality traits' of OCD sufferers?

[Guest BoneChina]

I was wondering about what seems to be that age-old topic of (general) personality traits of OCD sufferers. I've been thinking about this because my university mentor (whom I see usually every week) says that there appear to be 'benefits' of my OCD... he isn't an expert and it's just his observation based on having worked with me quite closely for the last 10 months or so. I commented that when it was particularly bad, then the pain it caused will have completely outweighted any of the 'benefits' of what could be attributed to OCD. I suppose my OCD doesn't control my life so much these days (it has been very bad at times in the past) and that I'm particularly meticulous/that I tend to work with a lot of detail -- I feel I need to clarify things (though someone might suggest that this is part of my personality that made me susceptible to developing OCD), am pretty good at anticipating and planning (which perhaps could be credited to the times when I had to plan ahead to get myself to a 'uncomtaminated' place from a 'contaminated' place without spreading the 'contamination' -- so washing keys while I had access to a tap before having to put them into 'uncontaminated' locks, arranging a wipe just in case the keys touched something 'contaminated', having somewhere ready to put my 'contaminated' clothes, etc. (basically lots of practice)), along with some other things. I know that when I finished a course of CBT a few years ago, the therapist hinted that I had traits of an obsessive compulsive personality (though perhaps not to the extent of the disorder) -- maybe this is not surprising. I just wondered what you thought of this -- perhaps this is for people that are not completely in the throes of OCD at the moment and are managing to live life relatively 'normally'.

BC

[Guest Nik]

Hi,

I have also been told by my university tutor that I can use the OCD to benefit me. However, just like you I have found that when the OCD is at it's worst it is completely paralysing for me, I just about manage to function, although I do function. I know some of my OCD traits have helped me considerably in the past, especially when it comes to planning, my friends always leave me to plan everything we do because I do it so meticulously! It has also helped me when it comes to revision for exams, however on the other hand my other OCD traits have prevented me from concentrating when I do need to revise! So, as much I think the OCD traits can be useful to me, they are equally as destructive when they want to be. I guess it's a case of having to take the good with the bad but for now I'm not sure how to use the good OCD traits and quieten the bad ones if that makes sense!

[Guest Icicle]

Hmmmm, I'm good at planning and anticipating (like you say needing to plan ahead), I'm a 'natural' leader (because I always have to take responsibility even though I hate it), I'm very thorough and meticulous in my work (perfectionism), I speak out and say what's on my mind (because I don't like to think one thing but say another) and very 'grounded' - I get told this alot and my last manager used to say it was one of my best qualities was no matter what was thrown at me I just seemed to take it in my stride and my reaction was always very calm (I think this is years of hiding what's really going on for me and how I really feel).

I don't know if the above are just the way I am or due in part to ocd, probably a mix of the two. When things are okay these things stand me in good stead, but when the balance is tipped it's unbareable. It's nice sometimes to try and look at the good though in amongst all the pain!

[Guest sofia]

What I think is common for us sufferers is our controlling nature - we want to have things under control which can be a good thing (but also very bad). Then I don't know really what kind of ocd personality traits I've got, planning could be one of them though. I make lists of almost everything, pretty disturbing but can be helpful sometimes. Dealing with guilt has made me a better person in a way, so on an ocd-free day it could be good because it has made much more honest and responsible for my actions. I do think though that there's a pretty thin line between what's healthy and unhealthy when it comes to these traits, and due to our disorder it's mostly bad.

[Guest *Lou*]

Hi Bonechina,

OCD is positive and negative for me at uni. Positive because I am scared of missing lectures, being late, extremely organised, and I obsess over revision and starting work months in advance. However, OCD is also negative as I over think everything, try too hard and include the detail in coursework but miss the simple things and do not write clearly due to this and therefore lose marks. I also have no social life and uni/ocd rules every living second in term time.

Lou

[Guest BoneChina]

Some very interesting aspects!

I was thinking earlier about (over)sensitivity for other people and (over)awareness of other people's space as I was out and about today -- I stopped to let some people go past while I was on my bike. I remember that I got anxious when people would be very close to me/get in the way of my rituals (which is probably quite common!) and so I felt I had to give people space in the hope that it would be reciprocated.

There is also seems to be a division between those behaviours that might have an effect of appearing positive (as a result of a ritual which is generally distressing for the sufferer) and those that are more engrained in the personality (i.e. the things that we are not so aware of doing and may not necessarily be negative/distressing, but are nevertheless 'obsessive' -- though this type of thing is what the therapist I saw those years back may have been alluding to when talking about my personality!). I wonder if OCD behaviours become part of the personality over time? For example (a nice positive one, though there are negative ones too!!), I used to worry about what other people thought of me so I would be nice to them in the hope that they would be nice to me. Nowadays I don't seem to worry/thing about this so much, but it seems important to be nice to people... Or maybe that's a bit simplistic...

Sorry, feeling a little confused tonight -- I hope this makes some sense/isn't complete rubbish!

Edited August 26, 2012 by BoneChina

[Guest Steve1983]

I am able to do my work due to my analytically nature. I do not know if this is an ancillary to OCD or not. Having lived with OCD since age 4, it has contributed to a level of maturity and understanding.

[Guest FobicFairy]

I am very organised and great at planning. I actually have to reel myself in and sit back to let others organise things as I feel bossy if I get too involved. Being ribbed by my family about being so in control leaves me embaressed. Actually, it makes me feel like I am a bad person, some sort of control freak! I am good at controlling myself in stressful situations, dealing with vile customers is no biggy for me, I can stay perfectly calm and collect. I am a very logical person. I was very mature for my years as a child, not sure if thats to do with a **** upbringing, no stability and living in fear, or my OCD.

FF

[Guest neverend]

I'm a realist but in the worst way. I am also the most negative person on the planet. Utterly terrified of life and of people. Ever before the perceived disaster happens i have the whole nightmare played out in my head and in it's most frightening form. Convinced it will happen someday when i least expect it. And that fear glues itself to me with all it's strength and i can't let it go. And that's where i become stuck and don't know how to deal with it. Life has thrown alot of nasty stuff my way since i was a kid. Alot of let downs and dissapointments and rejections. So maybe that has abit to answer for the way i am today. I am not entirely blameless myself though. In a positive sense i do get things done. If something needs to be sorted i will keep at it until i feel it's right. But with OCD it's never 'right' of course.

[mummyoftwogirls]

However much I hate OCD it has shaped the person I am today. Im more empathetic to others, I'm very caring , more mature than most my age, and I do not discriminate or judge in any kind of way anyone relate ? X

[Guest Icicle]

Im more empathetic to others, I'm very caring , more mature than most my age, and I do not discriminate or judge in any kind of way anyone relate ? X

Yeah I can relate to this! Before I realised it was my ocd I thought the fact I was far too empathic was what caused me all my misery, but now I'm getting a handle on it it's not as bad (although still not great really). I like that I'm not judgemental though, I think that may be part of the reason everyone seems to confide in me.

I remember that I got anxious when people would be very close to me

I'm the same, I get really agitated when someone stands close to me. When I'm at my worst I'd rather leave a queue than stand with someone right next to me, although it's been a few months since that's happened. I occasionally wonder if I put out some sort of signal that says "keep your distance", I've been pregnant twice and everyone I know has spoken about how when you're pregnant you become pulic property with people thinking it's okay to touch your bump, but no-one ever came near me either time - not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing!! :closedeyes:

[SaraJane]

This is a good thread BC.

I agree with many of these traits listed. There are a lot of positive traits seem on this board which seem fairly common to ocd sufferers - my experience here has shown me that ocd sufferers are pretty other centered, caring and understanding. There is a lot of encouragment on this board and positivity - even in the face of a horrible illness. I think ocd can cause people to develop empathy for others - we know what it is like to suffer so we're a lot more understanding of others suffering and we're positive about suffering being overcome.

I have wondered about this before - people tell me I'm organised, I remember people's birthdays and other things. I keep track of deadlines better and try to get to places on times.

It's a chicken and egg though - are these traits that come out of ocd or was ocd more likely to develop in us because we're caring and don't want to hurt others or because we're more aware of things. Either way it does help me feel more positive about ocd because of those things - as I've sought to beat the ocd I've been keen to maintain those positive traits that may have come out of the illness.

FF - I worry about controlling others too - but that worry is in itself another sign of other-centeredness. If you're concerned about not controlling others then you're not controlling them - you're being sensitive and respectful to them and that is a good trait.

Hope this all makes sense - still don't feel fully awake this morning

Sara

[Guest Swan15]

I'd say my OCD may have some benefits to it but when it's bad, any benefits are completely lost. I'm not sure whether the "personality" traits are what helps to lead to OCD or whether they are caused by having OCD either. Anyway, I consider myself to be pretty much a perfectionist, very thorough and detail orientated and very methodical which has meant I've always been thought of as a star employee in previous jobs (yes I know teachers pet!) The times when it goes against me are when things don't go to plan and I have to adapt or cut corners as I find it hard to not do things thoroughly and properly. The only saving grace is that I am quite a speedy person so at work if we get behind, I just speed up but still make sure I do everything as it should be done.

The downside is that I can be very controlling which I don't like. Not in a deliberately dominating pushy way, but I just get anxious and stressed when other people don't do things the proper way or my way of doing things, and so I tend to hang over people a bit and observe what they are doing (which I know annoys them) or just try and do everything myself. At home I do pretty much do all the cleaning etc as it's just not worth the hassle of standing there trying to get someone else to do it my way. I really don't like this aspect to OCD as I hate for people to think I'm some bossy pushy cow , it comes from anxiety, not some power trip.

I also think many of us are quite sensitive and thoughtful souls, especially to the needs of others. I'm usually very considerate and aware of how my actions will affect others. I think this is where some of my harm obsessions have got at me in the past because I'm actually very sensitive to others needs and don't want to upset people so my OCD has taken that and tried to twist it

However much I hate OCD it has shaped the person I am today. Im more empathetic to others, I'm very caring , more mature than most my age, and I do not discriminate or judge in any kind of way anyone relate ? X

That is definitely true too. I am very open minded and like listening to people (if my OCD isn't really bad and I can't take it) I've always had an ability to put myself in other peoples shoes so I don't judge. Example, I don't ever get depression but I can actually imagine how it would feel so I am very understanding of people that do have it.

Edited August 27, 2012 by Swan15

[Guest legend]

Hi Bonechina,

OCD is positive and negative for me at uni. Positive because I am scared of missing lectures, being late, extremely organised, and I obsess over revision and starting work months in advance. However, OCD is also negative as I over think everything, try too hard and include the detail in coursework but miss the simple things and do not write clearly due to this and therefore lose marks. I also have no social life and uni/ocd rules every living second in term time.

Lou

I wouldnt say its a positive being scared of missing lectures, id call that debilitating myself, and very unwanted, so in theory it may seem positive, but in my opinion id say youd

prefer to not be this way ?

Traits that are ocd driven have no postives i feel personally.

[Guest BoneChina]

Traits that are ocd driven have no postives i feel personally.

OCD-driven -- I suspect not, as they are distressing to the sufferer even if they appear positive by others, but how about those that are indirectly there because of OCD? Those that are more related to an "OCD personality", if you get what I mean? What is the set of attributes that a "typical" OCD person has that differs from the general population? There seems to be quite a few good suggestions here, perhaps resultant of past OCD rituals that have become more solidified in behaviour, or perhaps behaviours that lead to susceptibility to developing OCD. I have seen, for example, that many OCD sufferers are perhaps more open to many different people's views/traits and are mature than many other people I've met, though that may not be true and just my observation of the people I've met in general/slightly blinkered observation. Also the old one about precision and to the point of wanting to achieve "perfection" or near "perfection" -- this, for example, can be very valuable if the emotional burden of not achieving "perfection" is reduced somewhat.

[Guest legend]

I suppose that if a trait of perfectionism isnt ocd related then it may be a trait that someone has anyway, and that they feel that they have to be perfect, or ottherwise they see themselves

as a failure. But id place my money on the fact that the person would probably be a " perfectionist" because they probably have self doubt, and feel uneasy if it isnt perfect,

so that would probably fit into the ocd bracket perhaps ??

therefore that person would then work at not being "perfect" and to accept that you may feel not right, but that mot right feeling dissipitates once you have adjusted your behaviours of trying

to achieve perfection.

I see traits in people that are non ocd sufferers, in the sense that they have positive unique behaviours, without having ocd, so there are 2 sides to the coin

I see lots of things in black and white, and take things literally. Thats a negative trait, and thats the way my brain is. I also have lots of empathy, and did have pre ocd

My mum has empathy and is very caring, but she doesnt have ocd

Edited August 27, 2012 by legend

[Guest BoneChina]

It's very true that everyone's unique and we have unique perspectives and traits -- I'm not trying to say that OCD sufferers are gifted on the whole by having OCD, despite its problems and everyone else has not a great deal, nor that OCD sufferers have 'the edge' -- this isn't about promoting the 'benefits of OCD'... I'm just asking if people perceive there to be general personality traits of OCD sufferers (be it as a forerunner/predisposition to OCD or as a consequence of OCD), and wondering whether there are potentially 'beneficial' ones (i.e. ones that are seen as positive and produce a positive outcome, and that are not distressing to the sufferer), as my mentor alluded to. For example, I used to have a real problem with perfectionism, spending too much time looking at a few particular details, and I still do have a bit of this problem, albeit much smaller -- I am generally able to say "that's enough now" and leave some things "not perfect" with very little anxiety, and people still comment on my high level to detail when it's required. Arguably this is my personality that led to OCD, but if certain behaviours lead to OCD, then maybe these sets of behaviours are part of an "OCD personality" -- it's just a thought really. There seem to be common aspects, but this set aspects may of course feature in people regardless of them being (ex-)OCD-sufferers or not; this is not to say that no one else in the population has any of them either -- for example, there are many kind people in the world who don't have OCD!

Edited August 27, 2012 by BoneChina

[Guest legend]

Its an interesting to[ic, james, as another thing i have is an ability to recall conversations with clients. This benefits my job , because i can ask the client a question from the conversation

we had say 6 weeks ago. And they feel valued for me remembering it, a personal touch so to speak.

But is that a trait or benefit of having ocd ? or are non sufferers capable of doing this.

Your original post says the ocd may have helped you at uni . re benefits. I dont think there are any benfits of having ocd, but perhaps, as you said we do things in a way that we have learnt

from our ocd, but no longer bother us.

I used to be terrible at time, obsessed that you had to be on time, arrive 10 mins before etc, and id often stand in a pub on my own, only for my mates to turn up say 20 minutes late

Now i get there when im ready and dont obsess over time, but the positive is i suppose is when its an important thing, im very organised and well on time lol

[Guest *Lou*]

I wouldnt say its a positive being scared of missing lectures, id call that debilitating myself, and very unwanted, so in theory it may seem positive, but in my opinion id say youd

prefer to not be this way ?

Traits that are ocd driven have no postives i feel personally.

Hi Legend,

Yeah you're right. I would prefer not to be this way but in terms of learning and commitment for uni it is a good thing, even though it comes with high anxiety and poor time keeping ie being half an hour or more early for everything which is a huge waste of my time. However, I have not got to the stage where I except my OCD traits as debilitating, but rather a way of being reliable to others, even if it does cause suffering to me.

Lou

[Guest BoneChina]

Yeah you're right. I would prefer not to be this way but in terms of learning and commitment for uni it is a good thing, even though it comes with high anxiety and poor time keeping ie being half an hour or more early for everything which is a huge waste of my time. However, I have not got to the stage where I except my OCD traits as debilitating, but rather a way of being reliable to others, even if it does cause suffering to me.

Hi Lou,

Ideally it shouldn't be about the 'greater good', but about you! You are a person after all! Legend is right about this as it's causing you the pain -- it really should be immaterial how others perceive you when you're going through this -- there is certainly a degree of balance to be had. Really I was commenting on 'learned' behaviours -- not OCD per se -- but behaviours coincident of OCD-developed habits and general personality traits perhaps linked to OCD in some way (rather than OCD traits, per se).

BC

[Guest ihaveocd23]

I am neat and tidy always have been,i like to be organised and write lists a lot of the time, i wouldnt say i like to be in control,but i like to sort things out straight away otherwise i cant rest,growing up i spent a lot of my time thinking about various things i dont know if thats part of my ocd,Ive always needed reasurrance in my life off everyone, i think thats part of ocd.i spend a lot of time worrying over things that dont really seem to bother others and i always think the worst, i think that could be the ocd, i check things all the time, i suppose it is good but not when it takes over your life, no id rather not have ocd at all, i am very sensitive and have always worried about things, maybe that has something to do with the ocd i dont know.

Its hard to say or wonder what i would of been like if i didnt have ocd,i am the most anxious out of my family, i always wondered why. i cant say no to people i find it very hard,i have lost a lot of confidence in myself although people might not notice. i have to accept thats part of me i guess x