Psychology Today: Perfectionism Can Lead to Depression. Here’s How to Tame It

"A recent study in the Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology suggests that an unrealistic need for perfectionism often begets depression, social disconnection, and a lack of belonging, among other negative outcomes.

To understand which kinds of perfectionism lead to depression, Rnic’s study focused on the perfectionism social disconnection model (PSDM). This theory suggests that perfectionism of any kind leads to a greater disconnection from others, which leads to a depressed mood and other symptoms of depression.

Below is a breakdown of the different forms of perfectionism studied by the researchers:

• Self-oriented perfectionism is a form of perfectionism that demands perfection of oneself and is what most people think of when they talk about being a perfectionist.
• Other-oriented perfectionism is a form of perfectionism that requires perfection from others, such as family members, friends, and co-workers.
• Socially prescribed perfectionism is a type of perfectionism that holds that others require you to be perfect to secure their approval.

The authors also pointed out that perfectionism can be expressed in different ways, such as:

• Perfectionistic self-promotion, or the active promotion of one’s talents and abilities to impress others. Unsurprisingly, this interpersonal style shares similarities with narcissism.
• Non-display of imperfections, or not showing one’s imperfections, such as avoiding participating in activities that could reveal one’s shortcomings
• Non-disclosure of imperfections, or not verbally sharing one’s imperfections, such as by avoiding talking about one’s mistakes or difficulties

According to Rnic, people often exhibit a paradoxical persistence in their perfectionistic thoughts and behaviors despite their negative consequences.

Rnic gave suggestions for anyone who might be struggling with perfectionism:

1. Think about how perfectionism has harmed you, along with thinking about how letting go of perfectionism might benefit you. Would you have more time for the things you enjoy? Would it be easier to get started on and complete tasks? Would you get along better with your spouse or partner?
2. Try out behavioral experiments where you intentionally practice making mistakes and doing things imperfectly. As part of these experiments, predict what will happen when you make a mistake and then follow through with the plan to see what actually happens.

Read the full article here!

Reflection:

Do you struggle with perfectionism?

#Perfectionism #Depression #Mentalhealth