Many situations occur in the workplace that can cause problems. Beyond the particular circumstances of each person, there is a tendency to seek the general organization of each job and employees are in charge of tasks intended for this. This aims to create a good work environment and generate adequate results.
Despite this, when people who are part of work teams have a rigid personality that is inflexible to change, some problems may arise. If you have had to share a job with someone with OCD, it is important that you keep in mind how people with this disorder behave. Can a person with OCD work? In this PsychologyFor article we will answer your question and see how OCD affects you at work.
OCD or obsessive-compulsive disorder is a clinical condition whose main features are the formation of fixed, rigid and inflexible ideas about various topics in life. Likewise, the presence of pre-established rituals with the aim of maintaining an order that they consider necessary is quite common.
Taking this into account, some issues related to work in people with OCD can be inferred. First, people with OCD may have difficulty working as a team since this requires flexibility in decision-making and consensus with other members. This contrasts with the rigidity and structure that these people need to maintain emotional balance.
On the other hand, when being in contact with other people, having to compromise on work decisions can lead to a major source of conflict. Generally speaking, people with OCD feel the need to impose conditions that are not accepted.
How OCD affects work
Although the organizational capacity of a person with obsessive traits could benefit the work order the truth is that it has some limitations that is necessary to know. Next, we will explain how OCD affects work:
Difficulty accepting changes
Work, like life, is subject to unforeseen events and surprises that alter previous planning for various events. When this happens people with OCD They usually develop great rejection and deep discomfort. In this article you will find more information about Types of OCD and its symptoms.
Lack of resolution
One of the qualities that differentiate people diagnosed with this disorder from others is conscientiousness. This makes them want to carry out actions in a way that they consider perfect and they do not allow any detail to be left to chance. Consequently, This could have negative effects on other activities that remain unresolved given that there is an obsession with detail. In turn, there is a delay in other areas.
Can they give you disability for OCD? Depending on the severity of the clinical condition and how it affects the person’s life, it is sometimes possible to request a total or absolute Permanent Disability due to Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD).
Why it is important to raise awareness about OCD at work
The symptoms produced by obsessive-compulsive disorder are not part of the will of the person who suffers from it. For this reason, none of the actions and/or rituals that are carried out have a marked intentionality. The importance of knowing this lies in knowing precise information about the subject.
In this section, we will point out why it is important to raise awareness about OCD at work and what not to do with a person with OCD:
Allows you to accept the person’s conditions : knowing that there are marked rituals and obsessions in those human beings who have OCD produces relief in the workplace. Those who share the work will take into account the significance of each OCD action and thus avoid confrontations.
Enables new actions respecting the person : Understanding how OCD works makes it possible to generate different ways of working that represent learning for other members of the same job. Furthermore, this can be applied in other social areas such as family, education, among others.
If you want to know more information about this topic you can read the article How to help a person with OCD.
How to make work easier for people with OCD
Including people who suffer from this problem in work circles means giving them a better quality of life since they can feel useful and contribute new elements. In this way, we will address how to make work easier for people with OCD:
Establish specific guidelines and objectives : Uncertainty is not a friend of OCD. Therefore, it is necessary to present work goals in a clear way that is achievable in a specific period of time. This will allow the person to organize and adopt schemes to solve tasks.
Mark your own space : Organization and order are usually fundamental pillars for people with OCD. Because of this, it is necessary that the required work can be carried out in its own delimited and concise space. This includes not only the place but also the time of action.
Reaffirm achievements : When the person has achieved certain goals, one of the most beneficial options may be to reaffirm what has been accomplished. Generally speaking, people with OCD usually need validation of achieved goals to have full confidence.
In this article you will find more information about How to Overcome OCD.
This article is merely informative, at PsychologyFor we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.
If you want to read more articles similar to Can a person with OCD work? we recommend that you enter our Clinical Psychology category.
Bibliography
Lozano-Vargas, A. (2017). Clinical aspects of obsessive-compulsive disorder and related disorders. Journal of Neuropsychiatry, 80 (1), 35-41.
Vásquez, A. (2015). The Phenomenon of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Related to Consideration of Future Consequences and Future Anxiety. University of the Republic of Uruguay. Faculty of Psychology.
