The relationship between dysfunctional perfectionism, anxiety and depression.

We explain how excessive perfectionism can lead to depression or anxiety.

In a society where the importance of effort and hard work ethic is constantly emphasized, it is often assumed that being a perfectionist is, by default, a good thing. However, this is not entirely true. Psychologists know that there are various forms of perfectionism, and some of them prove dysfunctional, wearing down mental health in the person and their overall quality of life.

For example, this is what happens when the quality standards that we set as a benchmark are given to us mainly through social pressure, and when we are more motivated by the fear of falling behind others than by the desire to do things well for the satisfaction that the task itself generates.

Taking this into account, it should come as no surprise that dysfunctional perfectionism is linked to disorders such as generalized anxiety or depression.. In this article we will see how this type of link between apparently very different psychological elements takes place.

How can dysfunctional perfectionism favor the appearance of anxiety problems?

Dysfunctional perfectionism is characterized by the establishment of very high standards of demand or performance, to often unattainable heights, in an area of life or before the obligations and responsibilities of the day to day in general.

Such demands, whether in the academic or work environment or in interpersonal relationships, originate from a behavioral dynamic in which the demands of the environment and self-demand are mixed and become confused. because of the biased way in which the person interprets what life expects of him or her.

I will now talk about how this perfectionist way of being can lead to physical and psychological burnout through the accumulation of anxiety.

1. Excessive control

One of the main ways in which dysfunctional perfectionism can lead to a case of anxiety in the person who suffers from it is through the excessive control of any activity that is carried out, and the permanent search for "excellence" (in inverted commas because the person is the one that is in search of "excellence"). (in quotation marks because the person assumes it as something objective and external to himself, although in reality it is not so).

Trying to be in control constantly in any daily activity ends up being psychologically exhausting for the person and is a situation that usually generates generalized anxiety or even Burnout syndrome.

Fear of failure

Fear of failure is another of the main generators of anxiety in people who present a profile of dysfunctional perfectionism in any area of their daily lives.

This permanent fear of failure or simply of not achieving the expected success in a particular job, an exam, a physical test or any other activity ostensibly affects the person from a psychological point of view, and over time the effects of discomfort or anxiety can be even worse.

In the most extreme cases, this psychological element is also conducive to the emergence of another kind of anxiety disorder: phobias.. And the fear of failure can paralyze the person, to the point that he/she enters into a dynamic of avoidance of what he/she feels the need to do.

3. Obsessive thoughts

Another classic characteristic of many people with dysfunctional perfectionism is the obsessive or ruminating thoughts that constantly replay in their head.

These recurring thoughts exert a very negative effect due to their eroding effect on mental health. eroding effect on mental healthIt doesn't feel good to have to deal over and over again with the same kind of disturbing mental images, catastrophic predictions, and so on. They are of the type: "I have to succeed in my project or no one will respect me anymore", "I have to be the best to make a living" or "I have to improve my performance a lot to be accepted in my circle of friends".

4. Burnout Syndrome

Burnout Syndrome consists of a chronification of work stress and is strongly related to the anxious symptoms of dysfunctional perfectionism.

This syndrome is suffered daily by thousands of workers in our country and is characterized by a generalized state of physical and mental fatigue, dissatisfaction and dissatisfaction and discomfort with the work performed and the results obtained.

5. Eating disorders

Another of the areas linked to dysfunctional perfectionism consists in constantly reviewing and judging one's own personal or physical image.. This leads many people to try to alleviate the discomfort this causes them by entering into a spiral of excessive exercise and preoccupation with body weight, something that occurs especially in women.

People who worry excessively about their weight or who are all day thinking about exercising and burning calories can develop an eating disorder, with anorexia and/or bulimia being the most common.

• Related article, "Why are EDs among the most dangerous psychopathologies?"

How is dysfunctional perfectionism related to depression?

Dysfunctional perfectionism can also be related to the appearance of cases of depression; here we will see some of the ways in which this can happen.

1. Self-esteem problems

Low self-esteem in people with dysfunctional perfectionism is related to excessive self-demand and the belief that one is not going to be able to achieve one's goals. the belief that one is not going to achieve anything one sets out to achieve.. This happens in part because the person learns to value him/herself solely on the basis of objective results in what he/she wants to Excel in, without considering everything else.

By not reaching the quality standards or objectives proposed, the person ends up thinking recurrently that he/she is not good enough for the position he/she has been assigned, that he/she is not as good as he/she thought or that he/she is a fraud, suffering from impostor syndrome.

2. frustration

Dysfunctional perfectionism also feeds permanent feelings of frustration, which can end up causing the appearance of cases of depression. This occurs when the person had internalized a set of unrealistic expectations about a promising future that awaited him or her.

This frustration usually extends to all areas of a person's life, whether at a personal, work, academic or social level.

3. Demotivation

Demotivation is also related to frustration, and is a very characteristic state of dysfunctional perfectionism that leads to a lifestyle marked by passivity and passivity. leads to a lifestyle marked by passivity..

Many people who feel dissatisfied or frustrated with their performance will also end up feeling demotivated or sad because they believe they have not done as well as they set out to do. In turn, a passive and sedentary lifestyle, linked to social isolation and physical wear and tear, facilitates the onset of depression, among other things because it does not provide incentives or exciting experiences.

4. Negativity

People with a dysfunctional perfectionism profile have a tendency to have very negative thoughts about the futureand to consider that everything will go wrong for them. They adopt a pessimistic framework of interpretation of reality, which leads them to go through more unpleasant situations that, in turn, confirm this pessimism.

This way of thinking also contributes to general negativity and can eventually lead to depression.

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I am a psychologist with more than a decade of experience in the mental health field and I treat adults, adolescents and couples; I offer online therapy sessions via video call.