When cleanliness and order becomes an obsession

Cleanliness and order usually bring us well-being. It is normal that we all like to arrange or clean our things in a certain way, But there are people who turn this task into an obsession and cause coexistence problems in those around them. They are maniacs about cleanliness and order, people who turn these concepts into an end and not a means. They end up being intransigent with themselves and with their environment because they end up not letting others do anything. They are not allowed to clean, much less get dirty.

Cleanliness and order

They clean the house every day. They always keep things in the same place. They feel uncomfortable if they find a speck of dust or something in a different way than they expected. They review the tasks that others perform. Nobody does them better than them. They even get upset and turn the lives of those around them into hell. This mania, which a priori seems positive, can become an obsessive-compulsive disorder when it enslaves and creates problems in the environment.

The path that separates mania from obsession is sometimes shorter than we imagine. If this obsession prevents us from leading a normal life, if we invest too much time in carrying them out and we feel upset because we cannot keep things our way, we are on the path of obsessive pathology. that requires the help of a professional.

Curiously, although it is one of the most widespread manias, In most cases, order and cleanliness freaks are not aware that this obsession has become a problem.. For those who are by his side and continually suffer his reproaches and demands, coexistence becomes unbearable and day-to-day life is a true hell.

What is Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)?

To know when we cross the limits of “normality” in cleaning, we are going to expose What does OCD consist of according to the latest DSM-V (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 2015).

Obsessions, compulsions, or both must be present. The obsessions of defined by:

Recurrent and persistent thoughts, impulses or images that are experienced at some point during the disorder as intrusive or unwanted, and in most subjects cause significant anxiety or discomfort.The subject tries to ignore or suppress these thoughtsimpulses or images, or neutralize them with some other thought or act (performing a compulsion).

The compulsions are defined as:

Behaviors (e.g. washing hands, tidying up, checking things) or mental acts (e.g. praying, counting, repeating words silently) repetitive actions that the subject performs in response to an obsession or according to the rules that must be applied rigidly.The objective of behaviors or mental acts is to prevent or reduce anxiety or discomfort, or avoid some feared event or situation.; However, these behaviors or mental acts are not realistically connected to those intended to neutralize or prevent, or they are clearly excessive.

Finally, add that obsessions and compulsions require a lot of time (e.g., more than one hour daily) or cause clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning. Obsessive-compulsive effects also cannot be attributed to the physiological effects of any substance. and the alteration nor is it better explained by the symptoms of another mental disorder.

How to help this type of maniacs?

These types of pathologies usually begin in adolescence or early adulthood. Unlike other disorders, Most of the time, this mania is associated with a personality trait and not a problem. Even with the intention of helping and reducing the anxiety of the maniac, the family submits to his rules, obeys and keeps things in order and with the cleanliness they demand, but in the medium term this “submission” instead of helping harms the person. the manic person.

The most important thing to help the person with this problem is to make them realize that their mania has become an obsession, an obsession that enslaves them and those around them. Going to a professional will be the most appropriate option if the manic person is unable to reduce the anxiety and stress caused by not completing the tasks that he or she demands of himself.. The objective of going to a psychologist in these cases is for the person to free themselves from this heavy burden to improve their life and, consequently, the lives of those around them.