<P> Control freaks appear to have some similarities to codependents, in the sense that the latters' fear of abandonment leads to attempts to control those they are dependent on . Recovery for them entails recognising that being a control freak helped paradoxically preserve codependency itself . </P> <P> In terms of personality - type theory, control freaks are very much the Type A personality, driven by the need to dominate and control . An obsessive need to control others is also associated with antisocial personality disorder . </P> <P> In the corporate world, control freaks tend to publicly admonish their inferiors, especially during meetings . More positively, the term can also refer to someone with a limited number of things that they want done a specific way; professor of clinical psychology Les Parrott wrote that "Control Freaks are people who care more than you do about something and won't stop at being pushy to get their way". There may be a fine line between being a detail - oriented manager, who likes to have things done' right', and being a (destructive) control freak . Control freaks are usually a cause of micromanagement . </P> <P> In some cases, the control freak sees their constant intervention as beneficial or even necessary . This can be caused by feelings of separation or departure from a loved one; or by the belief that others are incapable of handling matters properly, or the fear that things will go wrong if they do not attend to every detail . In other cases, they may simply enjoy the feeling of power it gives them so much that they automatically try to gain control of everything and everyone around them . </P>

What does it mean to be a control freak