Helplessness
Something I found interesting in the work of Flett and Hewitt:
Individuals with the third type of perfectionism (socially prescribed perfectionism) "perceive they are exposed to a situation of overcontrol resulting in a great deal of punishment for the self." This type of perfectionism "incorporates elements of helplessness and hopelessness".
"...Socially prescribed perfectionism is associated with motivational deficits...individuals with a helplessness orientation do not respond well when challenged by life difficulties." They "give up when confronted with difficult problems and reflect on personal inadequacies in an emotion-focused manner."
Furthermore, in the research by Epstein & Myer, regarding Constructive Thinking, they have found that:
"...poor constructive thinkers respond poorly when confronted with a difficult situation...they end to exhibit many of the characteristics associated with a helplessness orientation, including increased levels of negative affect and negative self-judgements involving blame and overgeneralization."
In his research with depression, Beck has found the following cognitive tendencies: "engaging in selective attention to and overgeneralization of failure...a tendency to engage in all or nothing thinking whereby only total success or total failure exist as outcomes." Which well-describes perfectionists who tend to engage in the overgeneralization of failure to all aspects of the self.
This is thought to stem, in part from an "ideal self-schema" and core irrational beliefs.
All the research suggests there is an absence of emotional and behavioural coping correlated with the third type of perfectionism as well as depression and nonconstructive thinking.
When I think back to the times I was in educational situations and my perfectionism became "socially prescribed" (i.e. the third type of perfectionism, as defined by Flett and Hewitt, the belief that perfection is expected by others) I tanked. I was overwhelmed with helplessness and hopelessness. I felt I couldn't do it. I couldn't be perfect. So I dropped out.
The same would be true regarding my general feelings about the external world--that I can't be perfect enough to survive. That I can't "make it". I can't cope.
I'm beginning to wonder to what extent my perfectionism has contributed to making my life impossible. To giving up and wanting to die.
Is perfectionism at the root of my mental illness and the absence of constructive adaptation to life?
In my next post I will examine the "mastery" aspect of perfectionism.
Something I found interesting in the work of Flett and Hewitt:
Individuals with the third type of perfectionism (socially prescribed perfectionism) "perceive they are exposed to a situation of overcontrol resulting in a great deal of punishment for the self." This type of perfectionism "incorporates elements of helplessness and hopelessness".
"...Socially prescribed perfectionism is associated with motivational deficits...individuals with a helplessness orientation do not respond well when challenged by life difficulties." They "give up when confronted with difficult problems and reflect on personal inadequacies in an emotion-focused manner."
Furthermore, in the research by Epstein & Myer, regarding Constructive Thinking, they have found that:
"...poor constructive thinkers respond poorly when confronted with a difficult situation...they end to exhibit many of the characteristics associated with a helplessness orientation, including increased levels of negative affect and negative self-judgements involving blame and overgeneralization."
In his research with depression, Beck has found the following cognitive tendencies: "engaging in selective attention to and overgeneralization of failure...a tendency to engage in all or nothing thinking whereby only total success or total failure exist as outcomes." Which well-describes perfectionists who tend to engage in the overgeneralization of failure to all aspects of the self.
This is thought to stem, in part from an "ideal self-schema" and core irrational beliefs.
All the research suggests there is an absence of emotional and behavioural coping correlated with the third type of perfectionism as well as depression and nonconstructive thinking.
When I think back to the times I was in educational situations and my perfectionism became "socially prescribed" (i.e. the third type of perfectionism, as defined by Flett and Hewitt, the belief that perfection is expected by others) I tanked. I was overwhelmed with helplessness and hopelessness. I felt I couldn't do it. I couldn't be perfect. So I dropped out.
The same would be true regarding my general feelings about the external world--that I can't be perfect enough to survive. That I can't "make it". I can't cope.
I'm beginning to wonder to what extent my perfectionism has contributed to making my life impossible. To giving up and wanting to die.
Is perfectionism at the root of my mental illness and the absence of constructive adaptation to life?
In my next post I will examine the "mastery" aspect of perfectionism.
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