how does OCPD affect women?

Hi, Anon, and thank you so much for your question.

OCPD, for Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder, is not related to OCD, or Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, though the two do share some characteristics. One of the more interesting things I learned was that people with OCD may be aware that their behavior is abnormal (such as intensive hand washing) but need to continue to do that behavior, while people with OCPD believe their behavior is good, and normal.

OCPD has the following symptoms, according to psychiatricdisorders.com:

• abnormal preoccupation with lists, rules, and minor details
• excessive devotion to work, to the detriment of social and family activities
• miserliness or a lack of generosity
• perfectionism that interferes with task completion, as performance is never good enough
• refusal to throw anything away (pack-rat mentality)
• rigid and inflexible attitude towards morals or ethical code
• unwilling to let others perform tasks, fearing the loss of responsibility
• upset and off-balance when rules or established routines are disrupted.

Another interesting thing is that people with OCPD can actually find their behavior rewarding -- with success at work, for instance -- for these very characteristics

Their article has wonderful information about how OCPD manisfests itself in a person's life:

http://www.psychiatric-disorders.com/articles/personality-disorders/obsessive-compulsive.php

I haven't yet found anything that explains how OCPD manifests differently in women than it does in men, though the above article does mention that more men get it than women, and that there may be a genetic component.

Realmentalhealth.com has this article, which talks about studies and research over the years on people with OCPD:

http://www.realmentalhealth.com/personality_disorders/obsessive_compulsive_personality_disorder.asp

Be sure to click through all the pages of that article; it talks about not only OCPD at work, but also with self-image, in relation to others, in relationships, with authority, and defenses that an OCPD person puts up to keep their need for order and control intact.

Have you or someone close to you been recently diagnosed with OCPD? Is this information helpful? Do you have more specific questions as well?