In our daily lives, we all experience a little bit of anxiety and perfectionism, but when they start to affect our daily functioning or stop us from going after our goals, it can become a problem. While perfectionism is not a psychological disorder, it has been linked to many other mental illnesses. This blog will dive deeper into both anxiety and perfectionism and how they can impact your entire life.
What Is Anxiety?
Anxiety is a consistent feeling of fear, dread, and uneasiness. It can also include strong feelings of stress, panic attacks, or intrusive thoughts. Those with anxiety may feel fear around common stressful situations like taking a test or going on a date, but these feelings are heightened for these individuals. Anxiety is a fear that doesn’t ever really go away and can be overwhelming.
There are multiple different types of anxiety including Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Panic Disorder, Social Anxiety, and Phobias. All types of anxiety include feelings of intense fear but the different types can include different symptoms and frequency of panic attacks.
Those who are more at risk for anxiety disorders include:
- Those who are more withdrawn or shy when in new situations
- Individuals with trauma from childhood or adulthood
- Family history of anxiety or other mental disorders
- Those in constant stressful situations or have stress in their daily lives
- Some physical health conditions like thyroid problems or arrhythmia
- Those who struggle with substance abuse
What Is Perfectionism?
Perfectionism is defined as “excessively high personal standards and overly critical self-evaluations.” There are many traits and stages of perfectionism including fear of failure, procrastination, hyper-focused on results, unrealistic standards, and being highly critical of themselves.
Individuals with perfectionism typically have all-or-nothing thinking. They work hard to achieve lofty goals and are only satisfied with achieving excellence or “perfection.” They often set goals that are unrealistic or that are hard to do perfectly. They put extra pressure on themselves to be the best version they can be and are not satisfied with less than perfect. It can be difficult to achieve anything at all when these individuals are trying to achieve perfection because that is not something that they can ever achieve. They will be in a constant cycle of failure and overachieving because their goals are so unrealistic.
Possible Causes Of Perfectionism
Some people are more prone to perfectionism than others. Personality types and culture will also play a part in those who struggle with perfectionism.
- Fear of judgment or constant disapproval from others
- Early set expectations and experiences that caused feelings of failure
- Poor self-esteem
- Feelings of inadequacy
- A need for control
- Having other mental illnesses with compulsion or perfection tendencies
- Cultural or social expectations
Are Anxiety And Perfectionism Connected?
Anxiety and perfectionism are connected in multiple ways. While perfectionism isn’t a psychological disorder, there are many of the same symptoms between the two. The constant pursuit of perfection can lead to high stress and elevate anxiety.
Individuals with anxiety and perfectionism will have a high fear of failure, avoidance of risk, negative self-evaluation, and even headaches and stomach problems. Physical and mental symptoms will vary for each person, but there are multiple persistent feelings when someone experiences anxiety and perfectionism.
Mitigating Anxiety And Perfectionism
There are a few therapy methods that are used to help with the thoughts of perfectionism and lower anxiety. Exposure and Response Prevention is a therapy technique that helps individuals recognize their fears and accept the uncertainties of life. This is a process that patients will have to learn over time. It takes practice and patience.
Some therapists will also teach patients grounding techniques. This can help individuals remain in the present moment and limit a panic spiral. Grounding exercises will help patients learn that feelings are not facts and that they can take action against these anxious tendencies.
Therapists can help patients set more realistic goals that don’t contribute to their unrealistically high expectations. Setting more attainable goals will help these people feel more fulfilled and show them that they can make progress. Completing something without making mistakes is just not an accurate way to live, so even if you don’t meet the goal in the way you envisioned, you still accomplish something.
Therapy From Ogden Psychological Services
Our therapists are specialized in many areas, including anxiety and trauma. There are multiple modern therapy techniques that we utilize to help patients gain better-coping mechanisms. Ogden Psychological Services focuses on Neurotherapy and neurofeedback to help restore the brain back to ideal health. No matter what struggles you have in life, our therapists are here to help. Learn more about our different services and book an appointment today!
