Exploring the Dangers of Perfectionist Thinking

Exploring the Dangers of Perfectionist Thinking

Despite external factors, including financial difficulties and social pressure, internal conflicts are often the biggest contributors to the development of Failure to Launch syndrome. Perfectionist thinking is one of the main internal factors that can have a negative impact on your ability to excel in adulthood. A.M. struggled with perfectionist ideals for herself while growing up in a complex home environment. Her perceptions of her role in the family spurred her to reach for impossible heights while attending college, which led to an inevitable downward spiral. By addressing her thought patterns and renewing her goals, she was able to successfully launch into adulthood. If you suffer from perfectionist thinking, you can follow a similar path to achieve a successful transition into adult life.

Dangers

At first, holding yourself to perfection can inspire you to reach for goals you would not otherwise attempt. Unfortunately, if you fail at any step in the process, your thought patterns can turn on you and drop your self-esteem levels in an instant. You may struggle to reconcile the discrepancy between your high expectations and current abilities. As A.M. found out, the pressure to succeed can overwhelm your psyche and deplete resiliency.

Thought Processes

To challenge yourself to let go of perfectionist thinking, you must address your willingness to allow for failure. A.M. was rigid in her thoughts about failure and could not accept small deviations from the main plan. A failure here and there is absolutely normal to experience on the long road to goal achievement. If you cannot allow yourself to fail gracefully, you could develop severe depression and suicidal ideations. You must challenge these thought patterns to allow for fluid planning necessary for success in adulthood.

Internal Challenges

To outsiders, your perfectionist thought patterns could be perceived as a positive trait. Without total understanding of your inner monologue, even loved ones can remain ignorant to the extreme pressure you place on yourself. A.M. was unable to share her struggles with her parents, and could not reconcile her inadequacies through positive thought patterns, which ultimately resulted in a suicide attempt. Even after returning home, perfectionist thinking continued to wreak havoc until she was able to address her rigid views of herself and the world.

Finding the Middle Road

To combat the development of anxiety, depression, and other negative cognitive effects, you must work to rid yourself of perfectionist thought patterns. Rigid views on the way your failures and successes shape your inner self can ultimately lead to a downward spiral. In that spiral, you may need to return home for a reevaluation and restart on life, as A.M. explains in her inspirational video. Upon discarding perfectionist thinking, you can also reach new heights without the fear of failure and its repercussions. With healthy thought patterns, accepting small failures along the way will just serve to renew your efforts without taking a toll on your self-worth.