Beware, Personal Perfectionists Are Vulnerable to Depression

To appear and do everything perfectly is not easy. That's why personal perfectionists are more prone to depression than people in general. Perfectionists are people who always try to appear perfect by setting standards that are too high for themselves and or others, which are often accompanied by excessive criticism of themselves and others. Perfectionism behavior can be seen both at a young age and in adulthood, both in terms of work, school, and social environment.

Vulnerable perfectionists are experiencing depression

Like personality traits, perfectionism can be positive and vice versa. There are two types of perfectionists, namely:

• Adaptive perfectionist

This is a healthy and directed type of perfectionist. Adaptive perfectionists have high standards for themselves and others, they tend to be very thorough and persistent in the face of adversity. They also don't overreact when they fail or when not all of their goals are met. Adaptive perfectionists focus on positive things and motivate someone to do things well. This behavior also tends to be associated with good psychological health, as well as high achievement, both at school or at work.

• Maladaptive perfectionists

This is a type of perfectionist that is too excessive and unhealthy. This type of perfectionist tends to be too busy and too focused thinking about the mistakes made before. In addition, they feel afraid of making mistakes, think too much of others' high hopes for them, compare themselves with others, fear of rejection, feel unsure of themselves, unsure whether their efforts are appropriate. Said to be unhealthy, because this behavior tends to cause excessive reactions, can cause stress, and lead to depression. For example, because of fear of not being able to meet the expectations of others, this type of perfectionist can experience intense stomach pain when wanting to undergo a test or make a presentation. Maladaptive perfectionism is often associated with mental health problems, including feeling unhappy, excessive inferiority, eating disorders, insomnia, to obsessive compulsive disorder.

Reducing the Perfectionist Attitude

It's not easy to change someone who has perfectionism. But to reduce it, you can start by trying the following steps:

• Don't expect too much and try to accept others as they are. Realize that everyone has strengths and weaknesses, and can make mistakes.
• Try not to get tired, and as much as possible avoid feelings of loneliness, anger, or hunger. People with perfectionism will feel more anxious and anxious in these conditions.
• Reduce inferiority to yourself.
• Accept and love yourself for who you are.
• Establish good communication with the people closest to you.
• Try to set more realistic and attainable goals, and focus on one task at a time.

If a perfectionist already feels really unhappy to experience depression, then he needs to immediately get treatment from a psychologist or psychiatrist. Counseling and psychotherapy, such as cognitive behavioral therapy, are expected to be a solution to change the perfectionist's perspective on goals and achievements.