Perfectionism

What is perfectionism?

Perfectionism is a set of thoughts and behaviours, a type of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), where people try to live up to very high standards and expectations in a way that can lead to problems for themselves and others. It is not a diagnosis, but a set of beliefs about life that have developed over time. There may also be genetic factors that contribute to the problem.

Perfectionism can cause a strong fear of failure or not living up to unrealistic standards and societal norms. You may be very self-critical and driven by feelings of shame for not performing well enough. They may also become frustrated and have difficulties in relationships and work. It is possible to get help if you suffer from perfectionism to improve your quality of life.

According to Beyond Blue, 3 million Australians are living with anxiety. Anxiety is the most common mental health condition in Australia. 1 in 4 people will experience anxiety at some stage in their life.

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Causes of perfectionism

There are several factors that contribute to the development of perfectionist thinking and behaviour, including both genetic and environmental factors. Upbringing and values play a role. If you have not been accepted for who you are by your parents and have developed a performance-based self-esteem, you may try to compensate by performing to feel good about yourself. Critical and demanding parents also contribute to copying the behaviour. This can lead to self-criticism or criticism of others. They may lack a basic sense of empathy and compassion for themselves.

Societal expectations also play a role in the development of perfectionism. For example, social media may have led us to compare ourselves more with others than in the past. Beauty ideals also have an impact, where people may believe that they have to look a certain way to be liked and accepted. So there are several reasons why people can develop perfectionism.

Perfectionism diagnosis

Perfectionism is not a psychiatric diagnosis but it can be part of other mental health problems. This does not mean that you do not have a disorder and it is treatable.

Perfectionism in childhood

People who have perfectionist demands on themselves and others may have learned this during childhood. Parents’ thoughts and actions towards their children affect how the child thinks and feels about themselves. This in turn affects how the child then acts towards other people. If the parents are critical and performance-oriented, the child may develop behaviours where they internalize the parents’ beliefs. This may mean that they do not accept themselves as they are and develop a performance-based self-esteem with lower self-worth.

If you have parents who behave badly in other ways, with controlling and blaming behaviours, you may get a sense of being wrong. They may begin to compensate for this by trying to perform in order to be accepted and loved. This type of learning often means that people don’t focus on what they want in life but try to get the approval of their parents or others. They can also become very achievement-oriented and angry with themselves and others if things don’t turn out exactly as planned and become inflexible. Such behaviour can create problems in everyday life.

Need for control perfectionism

The need for control is often high in people who are perfectionists. They want to be able to predict things and are inflexible in the face of changes such as when things don’t turn out the way they want. If you are very perfectionist, you may have difficulty trusting others and delegating tasks, which leads to stress because you have to do everything yourself. If things are not perfect, you may also become frustrated and angry. This can affect relationships and make it difficult to work with others.

Self-esteem and perfectionism

If you suffer from perfectionism, you may have basically developed low self-esteem and feel ashamed of yourself. This can mean that you actually believe that you are worthless but instead of challenging this belief, you start to compensate by performing and making unreasonable demands on yourself and others. If you succeed at something, you may get a temporary relief, but it doesn’t help in the long run and the feeling and thought returns. You find it difficult to accept yourself as you are and to assume that you are ok no matter what happens. It is possible to get help with this in treatment.

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OCD perfectionism

OCD is a psychiatric diagnosis where you have obsessive thoughts and compulsive actions. This can cause great suffering for the person affected and they may have thoughts that are unwanted and cause anxiety. To reduce anxiety, people engage in various behaviours or rituals that can take time and energy. If you don’t do the compulsion, you may have catastrophic thoughts and strong fears. Examples of OCD include turning lights on and off, checking the stove or washing your hands for fear of germs. OCD is similar to perfectionism because people often want to do the compulsion in a certain specific and exact way to get emotional relief. OCD can be treated, but it may require a little more effort.

Eating disorder perfectionism

If you have developed an eating disorder, you often have high expectations of yourself, a strong need for control and can be a high achiever. The eating disorder then becomes a way to control their feelings of shame and fear of not being good enough. People may believe that if they just have a perfect body, they will be accepted and liked. This belief can go very far and you can develop behaviours that are very harmful to your health. Food and exercise can be used to try to control the body, believing that your value will improve. They often have low self-esteem at their core. If you have an eating disorder, it is important to seek help and treatment.

Perfectionism and ADHD

Many people with ADHD suffer from perfectionism. Since the disability often involves difficulties with concentration and impulsiveness, you may have a history of making many mistakes. Difficulties with schoolwork or work tasks, for example, can lead to frustration and become very self-critical. You may also say things impulsively in relationships that you don’t really mean and this can lead to conflicts, which can increase self-criticism. Many people with ADHD feel ashamed of their behaviour and may try to compensate for it by overachieving and trying to be perfect. If you have difficulty managing your ADHD, you can seek help from a licensed psychologist or occupational therapist to help you manage your thoughts, feelings and behaviours in everyday life that become problematic.

Autism perfection

In autism spectrum conditions, and what used to be called Asperger’s, which is more high-functioning autism, perfectionism can be part of the problem. Often people are very detail-oriented and search for a perfect sense of a certain behaviour. You can see details that others don’t notice and have difficulty with change, with things having to be done in specific ways.

How perfectionism can affect your everyday life

If you have perfectionist symptoms or personality traits, it can affect your everyday life in several ways. You may be afraid of making mistakes and overworking or avoiding things so that tasks take a very long time to complete, such as when studying or working. This can lead to stress and anxiety. If you are very demanding and self-critical, you may also become frustrated or angry if things don’t go as planned. You may have difficulties in relationships and cooperation with others. Read more about the symptoms of perfectionism here.

Symptoms of perfectionism

There are several symptoms that can indicate that a person is suffering from perfectionism. Some characteristics are:

1. High standards: Perfectionists often set unrealistically high standards for themselves and others.
2. Self-criticism: They tend to be hard on themselves and react strongly to small mistakes.
3. Fear of failure: There is a strong fear of failure or not living up to expectations. This fear can be so pronounced that it prevents one from trying new things or taking on challenging tasks.
4. Excessive attention to detail: Perfectionists can pay a lot of attention to details and have difficulty seeing the big picture.
5. Procrastination: Sometimes perfectionism can lead to avoidance of tasks because of a fear of starting or completing a task if it cannot be done perfectly.
6. Difficulty delegating: Perfectionists may have difficulty delegating work to others because they tend to believe that no one else can achieve the standards they have set.
7. Lack of satisfaction: Despite achieving success, perfectionists often do not feel satisfied and they tend to focus on what is lacking or what can be improved.

If you recognize these symptoms, it may be a good idea to seek therapy to help change these thought patterns and attitudes. This can reduce your stress, make you feel happier and make it easier to relate to other people. If you often feel frustrated, therapy can also help you manage your emotions better and increase your self-compassion.

Perfectionism treatment

Psychological treatment is available if you suffer from perfectionist traits or thought patterns. Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is a form of treatment that focuses on thoughts, feelings and behaviours that can be helpful in bringing about change. There are also newer forms of CBT such as Acceptance and Commitment therapy (ACT) and Compassion-focussed therapy (CFT) that can be effective. ACT focusses on values, acceptance and change, and learning to live by the values that are important to you. You can also create a distance to thoughts through mindfulness to reduce negative thoughts about yourself and your performance. CFT works more with compassion to reduce self-criticism and feelings of shame. It can be a very good method to reduce perfectionist thinking, focussing instead on shared human experiences. It is possible to feel better and change the way you live.

Perfectionism CBT

CBT is an evidence-based treatment method for working with thoughts, feelings and behaviours. The treatment can be adapted to the individual’s needs and the number of sessions varies according to the severity of the problem. It can be anything from 4-20 sessions. A treatment includes various tools to achieve change and these can be, for example:

• Analysis of behaviours, thoughts and feelings to see how they affect everyday functioning.
• Techniques to address cognitive biases such as black and white thinking or catastrophizing.
• Behavioural change where you practice managing your emotions in different situations.

Seeking help can change your life

Perfectionism is not something you need to deal with on your own. Talking to a professional therapist or psychologist can not only help you understand your problem better but also offer CBT treatment to deal with it. You are not alone and it is okay to ask for help. On our website, we have qualified therapists and psychologists who are happy to help you feel better.

Your next step

If you or someone you know is struggling with perfectionist thoughts and beliefs, it’s a good idea to talk to a professional therapist or psychologist. We assure you that all therapists and psychologists on our platform are qualified and that your conversation is always confidential. Don’t be afraid to take the first step.

With the right support and tools, you can significantly improve your quality of life. If you are ready to take the step, we are here to support you. Book your first session today and start your journey towards a better future.

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