Type A Personality vs. Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder vs. OCD

Chances are you’ve heard the terms “Type A personality” and “obsessive-compulsive” thrown around willy-nilly—it seems like anyone who’s driven and focused on the details could be labeled Type A or obsessive-compulsive.

But these terms, used in these ways, aren’t exactly accurate. In fact, Type A personalities, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and even obsessive-compulsive personality disorder—which you’ve probably not heard as much about—are distinct characteristics and conditions that have little to do with one another.

Read on to learn more about Type A personalities, obsessive-compulsive personality disorder, and obsessive-compulsive disorder, and how they relate to one another.

What Is a Type A Personality?

Although the colloquial understanding of a “Type A personality” might make you think of someone who’s detail-oriented and fastidious, this is not exactly true. A Type A personality was initially described by two cardiologists in the 1950s as a personality construct that they believed had a greater chance of developing coronary artery disease.

It is actually characterized by achievement-orientation, impatience, organization, time pressure, anxiety, competitiveness, and sometimes even out-and-out hostility and aggression. 

To others, this may seem obsessive, but those with a Type A personality usually consider it beneficial.

Type A personalities may often end up in leadership positions (another generally understood trait of a Type A personality) but their traits can also make working with them difficult, especially considering their time urgency and devotion to career success.

However, they are also prone to anxiety and might apply their rigid and controlling characteristics not just to their work, but also to their social and home lives. In any case, someone with a Type A personality is more likely to let self-care take a backseat to their overachieving.

Of note, although there is a lot of awareness of the concept of a Type A personality in popular culture, research on the validity of this concept is mixed. In fact, it might not be an established "personality type" at all, but rather a cluster of personality traits.

What Is Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder?

Most people haven’t heard of obsessive-compulsive personality disorder (OCPD), instead confusing it with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) which is more present in the public mind—but they are in fact two very different things.

For someone with OCPD, their focus on perfection is so strong that it becomes a fixation. Those with OCPD also have an overwhelming sense of order and need for control.

These obsessions often disrupt the life of someone with OCPD to such an extent that they have difficulty functioning in a healthy way—this is a tenet of a personality disorder diagnosis, distinguishing it from a preference or personality trait. 

Their inflexibility and resistance to change can make it difficult to deal with otherwise solvable problems that may arise. Their preoccupation with details, schedules and rules can negatively affect their productivity and ability to actually complete tasks.

Despite being a lesser-known condition than OCD, and being generally underdiagnosed, OCPD is actually thought to be one of the most common personality disorders in the general population. It is considered a Cluster C personality disorder. individuals with these disorders often appear anxious or fearful. 

Like other personality disorders, researchers believe that it is multifactorial—that is, is induced by a combination of environmental factors (who raised you and what happened to as you developed), as well as genetic and psychological factors.

What Is Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder?

Obsessive-compulsive disorder, or OCD, is characterized by the presence of obsessions (persistent and recurrent thoughts that are intrusive and cause the person experiencing them considerable distress), compulsions (attempts to suppress obsessions with specific thoughts or actions intended to negate the intrusive thoughts), or both. 

Many people associate OCD with a fear of germs, but this isn’t exactly accurate. In fact, this would be characterized as intrusive thoughts related to contamination and subsequent actions—like excessive hand-washing—taken by the person to combat that contamination obsession.

But the specific content of the obsession and compulsions can vary. In addition to contamination, symmetry, forbidden or taboo thoughts or potential fear of harm to oneself or others are common themes. 

While the behaviors or mental acts in response to the intrusive thoughts are meant to reduce anxiety or distress or prevent some dreaded event or situation, they commonly don’t have any realistic connection to the thing the person with OCD is trying to prevent.

For example, someone with OCD might have the recurrent thought that their house will burn down; however, the person becomes convinced that the only way to prevent this from happening is to turn on and off all the lights in their home five times in a row five times a day. 

Someone with OCD may feel driven to perform these behaviors and mental acts in response to an obsession according to rules that must be rigidly applied, these rules may not be connected to any objective reality.

OCD can be an incredibly disruptive and disturbing condition, often preventing those living with it from carrying out the normal, everyday actions they need in order to function in the outside world.

Similarities and Differences

While each of these conditions may share some things in common on the surface, each of them are actually distinct. However, it is important to keep in mind that these are not mutually exclusive; it is possible for someone with OCPD or a Type A personality to also have OCD.

We'll lay out the distinctions below, but for a quick visual aid you can refer to this Venn diagram to help clear up any confusion:

Type A and OCPD

Someone with a Type A personality and OCPD may both appear achievement-oriented, work-driven, and success-driven, with a need for control in all situations. However, while in a Type A personality this may be driven by ambition, competitiveness and internal pressure, in OCPD this behavior might be motivated by a need for perfectionism, rules, and control.

In addition, Type A personalities are defined by their impatience and need for speed; in contrast, those with OCPD are not concerned with time and efficiency as long as everything is “right.” In fact, this usually gets in the way of productivity, unlike the drive of someone with a Type A personality.

OCPD and OCD

Those with OCPD can be described as obsessed with order, rules, control and compulsively work towards their view of perfection. The rules that often need to be rigidly or "perfectly" applied to compulsions in OCD are aimed at reducing anxiety or preventing some dreaded event.

OCD involves recurrent, intrusive and unwanted thoughts and "illogical" actions taken to diminish those intrusive thoughts. Someone with OCPD might take "illogical" steps to achieve perfection that can actually end up hindering their work and success (e.g., I will work on this one paragraph until it is absolutely perfect, no matter how long it takes me and when the work is actually due). 

Type A and OCD

The colloquial understanding of a Type A personality's "obsessiveness" toward work is often erroneously associated with OCD.

However, there are no OCD-esque obsessions or compulsions that are associated with or considered part of a Type A personality.

In addition, OCD is not associated with the personality traits and behaviors considered part of Type A personality, Although, as mentioned, OCD can occur in someone considered a Type A. 

Using the Term "OCD"

The term “OCD” is often used incorrectly to describe someone who is fastidious, detail-oriented, or germ-phobic, rather than the serious psychiatric condition involving life altering obsessions and compulsions. This contributes to a general misunderstanding of OCD itself.

Perfectionism and cleanliness, for example, are not health conditions, but rather preferences and personality traits.

Misuse of the term “OCD” may contribute to people actually experiencing obsessions and compulsions to be taken less seriously.

So instead of saying, “Oh, I’m so OCD” when someone comments on your vacuuming, your schedule or your use of hand sanitizer, consider describing what it is you are actually experiencing instead. This may, in small part, make it easier for those who are living with OCD to be heard and understood.

Final Thoughts

Although the three share some common characteristics, Type A personalities, obsessive-compulsive personality disorder, and obsessive-compulsive disorder are actually quite unique in their own different ways.

Those with obsessive-compulsive personality disorder often may not seek treatment for their personality issues directly, but rather for a depressive or anxiety disorder that might accompany it.

However, if someone with OCPD is distressed by their personality patterns, there are psychotherapy approaches that can be helpful. And while you might not seek treatment for your Type A personality unless aspects of it are disrupting your work or home life, obsessive-compulsive disorder is a very treatable mental health condition with the use of specific types of psychotherapy and medication if necessary.