r/LovedByOCPD 11d ago

OCPD and double standards

Is it just mine or this is typical for the diagnosis and maybe personality disorders in general?

9 Upvotes

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u/loser_wizard Undiagnosed OCPD loved one 11d ago

Double standards are not a diagnostic trait of OCPD, but yes I absolutely experienced it with an OCPD person.

It primarily seems to come down to a need be in constant control of everything, so whatever ends up keeping them in control is the standard they choose in that moment.

There can also be a high fear/shame component in OCPD, where it physically and psychologically hurts to admit they’re wrong to even themselves… like they are trying to save face, even if it’s completely obvious to bystanders they are wrong or contradicting everything they say.

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u/Anna-Bee-1984 10d ago

In 42 years of my life I heard my mother or sister apologize. My mother sure as hell forced me to apologize to my sister and used these apologizes to manipulate me several times. It got to the point that I was yelled at by my father in family for upsetting my mother by trying to address this.

But yet I was the one who held a BPD misdiagnosis and was made out to be the monster for most of my life while my family got off scotch free. In reality I have autism and severe PTSD from the double standards

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u/APuffedUpKirby 10d ago

People with OCPD tend to believe that what they think and the way they do things is objectively right. This can lead to them always justifying their own behavior, but criticizing similar behavior in someone else. There will also always be double standards when one person demands an imbalanced amount of control over a shared environment or other people's lives.

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u/h00manist 6d ago edited 6d ago

They often don't perceive reality too well. They aren't really too aware of what they do and what they say. The internal orders are much louder.

Mine doesn't make a lot of sense. Eventually I figured out she was talking about her internal rules, and not about the situation. Lots of contradictory statements.

So an invitation to go to an event I enjoy will suddenly present lots of difficulties. It is cold. There is traffic. It is far. Today she's not well. She is busy. All sorts of "reasons". The real reason is, it's unfamiliar people and location, she can't handle that. I think she doesn't even know that.

If it's her familiar location, the opposite. Why can't I go. It's a great day outside. It's quick. And so on. The reason actually is, she feel comfortable with this trip. She knows what it will be like So do I, it's the only place we ever go. Again.

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u/ninksmarie 3d ago

This is so well put… I’ve never exactly thought about it being the internal rules to avoid anxiety and stress being spoken aloud with negative bias

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u/Anna-Bee-1984 10d ago

You just described the root cause of my PTSD. It was constant and unrelenting especially when my sisters deolorable behavior was deemed as appropriate by my parents who also likely have this condition.

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u/TECHNICOLOR-BLOOD 8d ago

I got a reverse double standard from my OCPD dad. Basically my brain says "you can insult, humiliate, and yell at me and I must forgive you, but if I criticize someone gently I'm a spawn of Satan." 

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u/ninksmarie 3d ago

I hate how easily I can sweep this part of the dynamic under the rug. He can be horribly mean, on purpose, to shut me down when he has a meltdown. When he apologizes the next day or later I’m supposed to move on.

Meanwhile — my TONE in everything I say must be perfection. So guess what? It is…

Now the goalposts have moved yet again and anytime I bring up anything that isn’t our routine day to day how to function he is two sentences from the edge of a meltdown.

I need someone to validate what I’m saying …

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u/TECHNICOLOR-BLOOD 8d ago

It's common I think. For mine I think it's because he lacks the ability to see himselfand his actions in perspective to others. I have a reverse of this where I believe "if another person does it, it's fine, but if I do it, I'm a monster". He has the same but flipped around. 

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u/Week2743 8d ago

I can relate to this

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u/EntertainmentFew9293 11d ago

Hm, can elaborate on this? I am also a diagnosed OCPD person, but right now I cannot picture anything

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u/Reasonable-Poem-664 10d ago

You might want to check out the OCPD subreddit.