What's the origin of these traits that perpetuate anxiety? Such traits as creativity and emotional sensitivity may well be part of the hereditary component of anxiety disorders. On the other hand, perfectionism and excessive need for approval or control most likely have their origin in early childhood experiences. There are various ways in which you can acquire such traits. If your parents have these traits, you may learn them directly by following their example. If your mother and father are high achievers, and demand perfection of themselves, you may internalize their values and have in a similar way. Alternatively, such traits may develop our of your response to the ways in which you were treated by one or both of your parents. If, for example, you were criticized or reprimanded, you may have decided early on that nothing you could do was good enough. As a result, you strive to do everything perfectly. Or you might constantly seek reassurance and approval. In the process, you may have also learned to deny your feelings and ignore signs of stress.
Perfectionism has two aspects. First, you have a tendency to have expectations about yourself, others, and life that are unrealistically high. When anything falls short, you become disappointed and/or critical. Second, you tend to be overconcerned with small flaws and mistakes in yourself or your accomplishments. In focusing on what's wrong, you tend to discount and ignore what's right.
Perfectionism is a common cause of low self-esteem. It is critical of every effort and convinces you that nothing is ever good enough. It can also cause you to drive yourself to the point of chronic stress, exhaustion, and burnout. Every time perfectionism counsels counsels you that you "should", "have to", or "must", you tend to push yourself forward out of anxiety, rather than from natural desire and inclination. The more perfectionistic you are, the more often you're likely to feel anxious.
Overcoming perfectionism requires a fundamental shift in your attitude toward yourself and how you approach life in general. The following seven guidelines are intended as a starting point for making such a shift.
Let Go of the Idea That Your Worth Is Determined by Your Achievements and Accomplishments
But then her eyes sought Aylmer’s face with trouble and anxiety. She then said to him ‘Dearest Aylmer, I’m dying,’ and she died.” (Hawthorne 324). Perfectionism is something everyone should try to avoid. It can never bring comfort, instead it adds to the
It is human nature to strive for perfection, but we are striving for something that can never be reached. Nothing can be perfect according to Leo Tolstoy, who stated, “If you look for perfection, you’ll never be content”. (Tolstoy) We as humans have strived to reach perfection for many centuries now and we still have yet to achieve perfection, but this is no surprise. Wais, who wrote the paper Does Perfection Exist, said, “Perfection exists as an abstraction of our minds, but is not attainable in the physical world.” (“Does Perfection Exist”, Wais) The struggle for perfection in Aldous Huxley’s book Brave New World demonstrates that humanity can never be perfect.
According to Sharp (2012), “anxiety disorders are the most widespread causes of distress among individuals seeking treatment from mental health services in the United States” (p359).
Perfection is defined by Webster’s Dictionary as “being entirely without flaws; something that cannot be improved.” In today’s society many people, particularly young women desire to be perfect in their outward appearance. They want the perfect hair, the perfect skin, the perfect body, which so many think would be the perfect life. However, perfection of this kind is very difficult to achieve, yet so many people still want this perfect self-image. This desire for perfection has caused self-hatred within many and this pandemic of perfection is rapidly spreading amongst individuals. The song “Pretty Hurts” by Beyoncé Knowles clearly shows how perfection is truly a disease of a nation. People are faced with the pressure to be perfect in their daily lives, but why? Many individuals feel the need to be perfect because of parental influence, social acceptance and self-conflict.
Be a perfectionist just because you procrastinated to do homework assignments doesn’t mean you have to do sloppy work. After all it’s a MAJOR grade.
Previous studies into perfectionist personalities detailed negative impact in the lives of maladaptive perfectionists. Distinguishing maladaptive from adaptive perfectionism, maladaptive perfectionists differ “by their excessive concerns about making mistakes and living up to the expectations of others, self-doubt(Rice and Ashby 2007)” and have issues with “self-esteem, locus of control, depression, anxiety, life satisfaction, and general psychological distress(Mobley, Slaney and Rice 2005)(Grzegorek, Slaney, Franze, and Rice 2004)”. Maladaptivity relates to the inability to be okay with failure of living up to their standards. In a separate survey on college level perfectionists, more than half of those asked about the effects of their perfectionism, said that relationships were most affected. A related researcher noted that the reason perfectionists have troubled relationships is due to their tendency to react harshly to criticism, “tendency to withdraw, so their potential i...
Since most people think that the “ideal” is impossible to reach, they are led to feel inadequate. The idea of perfection is a mere deception because, the obsession of trying to reach perfection is taken to extremes, perfection is based on individual opinion and there is no such thing as actual perfection.
Within the novel Too Perfect: When Being in Control Gets Out of Control, Allan E. Mallinger and Jeannette Dewyze deliver a complete and thorough analysis of the problem that is obsessive personality. Both authors provide excellent descriptions of behaviors, underlying causes, and practical suggestions for change. In many cases, perfectionism can be rewarding, but it comes at a very large price as it interferes with one’s professional and emotional lives. It can drain energy, complicate even the simplest decisions, and take the simplicity out of life. Their message reaches a broad audience ranging from workaholics or hypochondriacs, anyone who fears change or doing the wrong thing, needs rigid rules, is excessively prudent, or simply is obstinate.
When going by the procrastinator styles listed in the text, I am a "Perfectionist-Dreamer-Crisis-Maker". I always want to do the best I can, which often leads to me not getting things done at all, due to feeling like I would disappoint myself and others with a poor or even just average job. Some strategies that might help me would be; setting lower goals, trying not to overthink things, and realizing I don't have to try to be perfect. In a smaller amount, I demonstrate aspects of the "Dreamer" type, e.g. not feeling like I can do something if it appears hard at all, and having ideas in my mind I can never transpose into reality. Even though I listed it last, I definitely am a "Crisis-Maker". I usually don't do things until the last minute,
Perfectionism can be defined in a number of different ways. One way is that it is a disposition to regard anything short of perfection as completely unacceptable or the setting of demanding goals, while being unrealistic in nature, are also accompanied by a disposition to regard failure to achieve these goals as completely unacceptable and a sign of personal worthlessness (Merriam-Webster, 2015a). Perfectionism can also be defined as setting of excessively high standards and striving for flawlessness in performance which is accompanied by a tendency to critically overevaluate one’s own behaviour (Frost, Marten et al., 1990; Flett & Hewitt, 2002; Stoeber & Stoeber, 2009).
Muscle aches, trouble concentrating, and being tired all the time, these are some effects that anxiety disorders can have on a person. Jake has been diagnosed with an anxiety disorder. Just like there are many different causes and different types of disorders, there are also many ways to treat the disorders. Three different types will be explained within this essay. Number one, the humanistic approach, or being able to fulfill a personal potential. Number two, the behavioral view of the change in behaviors, and then the third, the cognitive side, or mental processes. By looking at these specific views, we will define them and see where they believe the causes are formed and the care they can give to help in combating the anxieties of life.
During the school day, I always work my hardest to complete all of my homework, and if I end up bringing some home, I prefer to get it done as soon as possible. While working with my grandparents either in the garden or around the farm, I strive to impress them with my hard work and determination to get the job done. Even in my current job, I work hard to complete the given tasks correctly and also efficiently. Perfectionism is obviously incorporated in all of those working environments, and I believe that it pushes me harder and harder each day. As a result of my perfectionism the outcome of my work is usually the best it can be. Although it might limit me, I always give one hundred percent when it comes to completing various tasks, and find pride in being a hard
5 and try to learn from your mistakes as opposed to running away from them. They also state that "your worth as a person is not determined solely by your accomplishments. " When a perfectionist learns that you can still be important without always accomplishing everything perfect, their life will become better manageable. Coping with perfectionism may not be easy, but these are a few key ideas to help those living better in life, and instead of trying to be perfect, to be "above average" or "normal. " The many individuals in the world who suffer with perfectionism deal with it day-to-day.
Perfectionism isn’t about being perfect or doing something perfectly. According to the Centre for Clinical Interventions, perfectionism involves putting pressure on oneself to meet demandingly high standards, greatly influencing one’s self perception. Perfectionists can be self-oriented, other-oriented, or socially-oriented. Self-oriented perfectionists have irrational standards for themselves that lead to strong motivation and harsh self-evaluation. Other-oriented perfectionists have unrealistic expectations for others that turn the pressure onto their peers. Socially-oriented perfectionists believe that others have unrealistic expectations for their behavior, experiencing an external pressure to be perfect.
According to Merriam-Webster Dictionary, anxiety is defined as “Apprehensive uneasiness or nervousness usually over an impending or anticipated ill: a state of being anxious”, but anxiety is different for everyone. “Anxiety comes in many different forms—such as panic attacks, phobia, and social anxiety—and the distinction between an official diagnosis and ‘normal’ anxiety isn't always clear” (MacMillan) Everyone can have some symptoms of anxiety, but that does not precisely mean that you have an anxiety disorder.