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Perfectionism

Perfectionism

Perfectionism can be defined as the need to be or appear to be perfect, or even to believe that it’s possible to achieve perfection. It is not a disorder but rather a personality style. Perfectionism is often seen as a positive trait that increases our chances of success, but it can actually lead to self-defeating thoughts and behaviours that make it difficult to achieve our goals. Additionally, it can also cause increased stress, as well as anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues. Individuals struggling with perfectionism may feel the need to achieve perfectionism constantly in one or several areas of their life such as work, school, relationships, neatness, organization, physical appearance, and health. 

Some symptoms of perfectionism include:
  • Not being able to perform a task unless it can be done perfectly 
  • Not seeing a task as finishing until it is perfect according to their standards 
  • Procrastination (not wanting to begin a task until it can be done perfectly) 
  • Spend excessive amounts of time completing tasks 
  • Feeling like you are often failing at tasks 
  • Being very controlling in personal and professional relationships 
Perfectionism is different from striving to achieve in the sense that striving for achievement involves tangible expectations that produce satisfaction. Perfectionism, on the other hand, involves inappropriate expectations and goals that are not tangible. The constant expectation to be perfect can be a large source of stress and contribute to maladaptive coping styles. 

How is Perfectionism treated?

A form of psychotherapy, known as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) can help individuals to learn new ways of thinking about their goals and achievements, in addition to address flawed beliefs that a person may have about the need to be perfect. 

If you feel like perfectionism is interfering with your ability to live a full and happy life, contact us for a free 15 minute phone consultation to see how we can help! 
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