ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder

Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder is a mental illness where someone has strong feelings of orderliness and control. It is like when you really like things to be in a specific way and feel upset when they are not.

Imagine you have a special toy that you really like to keep organized. You would sort all the cars by color or line up all of your action figures in a precise order. If someone were to come and mess up your system, it would probably make you really upset. This is how someone with obsessive-compulsive personality disorder feels about things in their life.

They have the strong urge to have everything perfect, but when they are unable to control every aspect of their life, it causes fear and stress. It might cause them to work excessively long hours or make them feel like they can never take a break because they need to keep doing things in order to feel in control.

People with this disorder also tend to be very hard on themselves and others. They can become very critical of themselves or others who they feel are not living up to their standards of perfection. They can also struggle with making decisions because they worry about making the wrong choice.

Overall, obsessive-compulsive personality disorder is a mental illness characterized by a strong desire for order and control that can cause fear, stress, and unhealthy behaviors.