Do you love grammar, or do you have grammar wounds? Do you enjoy finding typos and feel compelled to correct your friends and family when they make grammatical errors? Do you use language to flaunt your intelligence and superiority? Or do you judge people based on their use of it? If you recognise yourself in any of these actions, you might have Grammar Pedantry Syndrome.
The discovery of a particular gene and fMRI brain studies exposed to real-time grammatical errors provided evidence that Grammar Pedantry Syndrome (GPS) may be a subtype of OCD/ODD (obsessive-compulsive disorder/oppositional defiant disorder).
OCD sufferers usually experience unwanted and uncomfortable thoughts, which fill them with dread and anxiety. They thus develop routines or rituals to get over their distress and deal with these feelings. Similarly, people with GPS feel urged to correct grammar or spelling errors since doing so relieves tension, frustration, or anxiety.
What does the research say?
The researcher also reported some surprising findings. For example, the fMRI, in addition to brain activity markers frequently seen in OCD/ODD patients, showed that the language-related brain regions Wernicke’s and Broca’s were smaller; or showed less activity in grammar sticklers than in average persons.
Therefore, Grammar Pedantry Syndrome (GPS) can cause psychological rigidity and an overpowering desire to control events. This might manifest as harsh or insulting comments on social media posts. Hence an aggressive or pushy attitude indicates that your love for grammar and spelling has passed the line into obsession. That obsession can make social life difficult and increase anxiety and stress.
Introverts are more sensitive than extroverts to typos and grammatical problems. They may even be less willing to share their life with someone prone to make these errors. This was proven in a study by Boland and Queen, in which participants were asked to score emails in response to a roommate. Some of the emails had typos, while others were error-free. The researchers then asked the participants to score the writers on characteristics such as friendliness, consideration, and trustworthiness.
Then the researchers added these ratings to provide an overall score for the possible housemate. The researchers discovered that when participants performed personality assessments based on the “big five” attributes, introverts were more likely than extroverts to judge persons as undesirable possible roommates if their spelling or grammar was poor.
Individuals with Cluster C personality disorders, including OCD, tend to experience anxiety and fearful thoughts, which is why this result is not surprising.
What can you do?
Suppose you believe that your fixation with fixing other people’s faults badly affects your life, and you suffer intrusive thoughts and compulsions. In that case, discussing your issues with a healthcare expert, such as a GP or counsellor, may be helpful.
According to the International OCD Foundation, the most effective treatments for OCD are cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and medication. Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) is a form of CBT that is considered successful and has strong evidence supporting its usage. As far as medication is concerned, Serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SRIs) are also beneficial in treating OCD. Indeed it is also the most commonly recommended approach in Australia. Yet not all clients tolerate or have benefited from such an approach.
I have found that using Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy has effectively relieved my clients of most OCD symptoms.
This form of psychotherapy involves helping clients access and communicate with different parts of their psyche to understand and heal past traumas, ultimately leading to inner peace. By actively participating in IFS therapy, my clients have been able to integrate these parts and alleviate their OCD.
