Type A Personality

[Guest guest]

" has what psychiatrists call an obsessive-compulsive

personality. In trendier terms, his personality bears the Type A

label. Many high achievers are Type A, and most of them boast about

the traits that are linked with the type. It's easy to see why. Type

A people are intelligent perfectionists who have a tendency toward

being obstinate. They're dedicated workers, seldom overlook details,

and are as neat in their appearance as they are in their work.

Almost like the legendary Mr. Spock of STAR TREK, they prefer facts

to feelings. They're logical and make excellent problem solvers. But

they're feisty too. They enjoy playing devil's advocate, and for the

sake of argument they'll often take the opposing point of view on

any topic and build a good case. They love to win (and generally

do), but the real sport is scoring the points. Flexibility may not

be their strength, but then, nobody's perfect. However, they never

stop trying.

Obsessive-compulsive people are as marked for anxiety as they are

for success. No one is more apt to be anxious than a Type A person.

The same traits that cause him to excel also cause him to worry. He

sets high goals and works tirelessly to reach them. If he falls

short, he's devastated. He has no patience with failure or

mediocrity. Not only does he expect perfection of himself but also

of everyone around him. With unrealistic expectations such as these,

he endures a lot of disappointment. Frequent disappointment leads to

more anxiety, and the cycle begins again.

The Type A person usually chooses a challenging career that requires

a great deal of training. Even after he completes his education and

enters his field, he is under constant stress. That's the nature of

his job -- whatever it is -- and that's one reason he chose it. It's

not surprising that more than 90 percent of the doctors and 76

percent of the pastors we have tested show strong Type A personality

traits.

Women are just as likely to be obsessive-compulsive as men. Their

tendency toward perfectionism and workaholism has always been there,

but it generally went unnoticed until recent years when women became

a more potent force in the business world. Still, one of the best

illustrations of a Type A person that we have is a woman of biblical

days.

Martha, like most compulsive-obsessive workaholics, lived in the

future. She loved to plan and prepare, but she didn't know how to

relax and enjoy. She welcomed Jesus and his disciples into her home

but then spent most of the time fretting over dinner. She expected

her sister, , to help her and was disappointed when decided

to relax and enjoy their guests. Rather than sitting at Jesus' feet

to hear his teaching, Martha chose to work. She expected to be

praised for her efforts, but instead, Jesus gently pointed out that

she was too concerned with details and that had made the wiser

choice to sit and listen.

" There is really only one thing worth being concerned about, " said

Jesus. " has discovered it. "

Though separated by centuries, Martha and Dr. M. share

characteristics. Both were consumed by their work and were driven to

achieve. They felt guilty about relaxing, and they craved

compliments. needed the approval of his parents, and Martha

sought the praise of Jesus. " Will you love me if I become a rich and

famous surgeon? " subconsciously asked his parents. Martha

seemed to say to Jesus, " Will you be impressed with me if my house

is in perfect order and I serve you a delicious meal? " Because they

misinterpreted negative answers to mean that their performances had

fallen short, their only recourse was to work even harder. "

*** " Don't be alarmed if you diagnose yourself as Type A. We and

many of our staff members admit to an abundance of obsessive-

compulsive personality traits and probably couldn't have completed

medical school and seminary training without them. Being

competitive, disciplined, and punctual has value, especially in

classroom and professional settings. In spite of our Type A traits,

we enjoy rewarding careers and relaxing personal lives. You can too.

It just takes a little work to work a little less.

Recognizing a tendency toward perfectionism and workaholism is

helpful in controlling work habits and keeping negative anxiety to a

minimum. We doctors carefully monitor not only our own schedules and

anxiety levels, but those of our coworkers as well. Recently the

executive director of our clinic was diagnosed as having " running

pneumonia " . This is a stepped-up version of walking pneumonia and

seemed appropriate since he had a habit of running through airports,

O.J. Simpson style. Because of his Type A personality, he insisted

on keeping all his appointments including seminars, speaking

engagements, and administrative responsibilities. As his friends, we

finally stepped in, encouraged him to cancel his obligations, and

sent him home to bed. He objected, but we overruled. Doctors'

orders. He survived both the pneumonia AND the brief sabbatical. " ***

Copyright 1989. " Worry-Free Living " , Written by Minirth, M.D.,

Meier, M.D., Don Hawkins, Th.M., published by

publising company.