Perfectionism

Are you exhausting yourself trying to “do it all” and to do it all just right?  Do you find yourself preoccupied with what others think about you and use your perfect performance to ensure their approval?  Does your perfect performing and excessive achieving ensure your own approval of yourself?  If you find yourself working tirelessly to be perfect, look perfect, and act perfectly, you might be a high achiever struggling with perfectionism.

Perfectionism is different from healthy striving.  Healthy striving is about self-improvement while perfectionism and overachieving are addictive thinking patterns focused on gaining the approval and acceptance of others, even yourself.  If you struggle with perfectionism, your self worth is tied to everything you do and is susceptible to the opinions of others and yourself.  Perfectionism is a lonely experience that is characterized by shame and self-condemnation and can lead to anxiety, depression, eating disorders, and addiction, among other life and mental health issues.

If this resonates, you do not have to try and break the cycle by yourself.  At Known Counseling, we are here to help you acknowledge your vulnerabilities, know your worth, identify your shame messages, and develop resilience and self-compassion.  You do not have to live imprisoned anymore.