Ananchastic Personality: Characteristics And Relationship With Mental Health
As a general rule, we all like the feeling of having everything under control. This sensation makes us feel good and motivates us when carrying out our daily tasks. However, there is a difference between this and this feeling becoming an obsessive need.
Something similar is what happens with the ananchastic personality Throughout this article we will talk about this type of obsessive personality, as well as its main traits, what factors can cause it and the possibility of treatment through psychotherapy.
By anankastic personality we understand that type of personality that is characterized by a pathological concern for order and perfectionism. In the same way These people are distinguished by the need for control both their own and the environment and a lack of flexibility and mental openness, although all this interferes with their daily life or their work and social efficiency.
For these people, decision-making can become a slow and even painful process. The reason is that they have such difficulty deciding the priority of their tasks or how best to organize themselves that they may not start the task at all, due to the need to do it perfectly.
Behavior within the ananchastic personality is also characterized by sudden outbursts of anger or annoyance in those circumstances in which the person feels that they do not have control of their physical or interpersonal environment. However, this anger does not usually manifest itself aggressively, but rather through mood swings or constant negative ruminations.
In terms of interpersonal relationships, individuals with an ananchastic personality express their affections in a highly controlled and forced manner, and may feel very uncomfortable in the presence of other emotionally expressive people. Their daily relationships are characterized by being formal and serious, which can lead to uncomfortable situations for other people who perceive them as rigid and excessively sullen.
This type of personality can be considered a disorder, since it is an enduring pattern of internal experience and behavior that deviates from the person’s cultural norms. This pattern is enduring and inflexible, as well as constant across personal and social situations.
The main consequence of this type of personality is related to a significant deterioration of the person both socially and at work or in other areas of functioning, which can lead to strong feelings of anguish and frustration.
Main traits or symptoms of this personality
As mentioned in the previous point, the ananchastic personality is mainly characterized by an excessive concern for order and perfectionism. However, there is a whole variety of traits that define these people. In order to determine that an ananchastic personality pattern exists, at least four of the following traits must be present:
Traditionally, anankastic personality is usually diagnosed once the person is an adult, with the most serious symptoms manifesting between 40 and 50 years of age.
In very few cases it is perceived in childhood or adolescence due to the constant changes in development and personality typical of maturation. However, in those cases in which symptoms similar to the previous ones are perceived, they must last for at least a year for it to be considered a disorder as such.
Finally, this usually appears with a higher incidence in men than in women and it is estimated that it is present, approximately, in between 2.1 and 7.9 percent of the general population.
How does it develop?
At the moment, studies have not been able to clarify exactly what the cause is or how the ananchastic personality develops. However, there are a large number of hypotheses and theories that try to answer this question.
The vast majority of theorists agree on the influence of biopsychosocial causal factors. This means that among the causes that favor the development of this type of personality are both biological and genetic factors, as well as social factors such as the type of interaction with other people and family members, and psychological factors such as personality, temperament and coping and stress management skills
This means that there is no single factor responsible for the ananchastic personality, but rather A complex combination of personal and environmental factors can be probably the basis for the development of this disorder.
Can it be treated?
First of all, we must keep in mind that this personality does not always affect the person’s daily life and that only those patients in whom it does pose a problem, weariness or interference for social, family or work development will require assistance or treatment.
In the event that the patient, or someone close to them, requests professional help, The treatment for ananchastic personality is based on intervention through psychotherapy long-term. It is necessary that this therapy be carried out by a professional who is an expert in personality disorders, more specifically in obsessive-compulsive disorders (OCD).
In the most serious cases it can even lead to administer medication to help reduce the most problematic and debilitating symptoms as well as to alleviate the anxiety symptoms that, in some cases, may appear with this disorder.
