The Role Of Perfectionism In Eating Disorders

My current view on food is that it creates a sense of comfort and fulfillment, yet this was not always the case. During my teenage years I struggled with an ongoing eating disorder. During that time I viewed food as a threat, or an enemy. As part of my recovery process, I was given a task to make friends with food. I first approached this task with a closed mind, finding a wrong with every meal I ate. My view changed completely when my friends took me out to a vegan diner for a burger and sweet potato fries meal.

It’s been three hours while I sit here and stare at the blinking bar, symbolizing the fact that I have nothing. My page is blank, but I promise you, my thoughts are not. Thousands of ways to start this essay have run through my mind, but none of them are sufficient. Which, I suppose, is where I will begin. Perfectionism, as defined by Merriam-Webster, is, “a disposition to regard anything short of perfection as unacceptable” (“Perfectionism”). It is a trait that numerous people might regard as desirable or something to be proud of; a word used to describe oneself on a resume to impress employers. However, I see it much differently. Perfectionism is a fight for something unobtainable, a cyclical trap in which disappointment reigns, and

Granito Jr. and Vincent J. did a study in 2002 over the psychological response to athletic injury. The purpose of their study was to describe the athletic injury experience, focusing on differences between male and female athletes. 31 injured athletes (15 male and 16 female) were interviewed about their athletic injury. Each participant went through an interview process, consisting of an in-depth interview and follow-up telephone interviews. The interview data were analyzed, and compared between the male and female athletes. The results showed that female athletes tended to perceive the coaches as much more negative with respect to how the coach treated them following their injury; were less likely to talk about a significant other (boyfriend/girlfriend); and were more concerned about how the injury would influence their health at a future point. Conclusions focused on possible explanations and how the results fit into the current theory for the psychological response to injury for each gender.

Perfectionism keeps individuals frozen and full of fear. Perfectionism is wanting nothing less than being perfect at everything i do. Being perfect at everything is ok, however, perfectionism certainly comes with cons. Most of the time I lose sight of the “big picture” i worry more about details. this stops me from focusing on my main goal. My final dance project was to do a dance to a scene from lion king. My group of friends and i chose the the main hyensa. i was banzai, everyone said i was mean and i needed to be the mean hyena. I was the only one who did art, i was the main one to work on the costumes. I was more focused on our costumes being perfect rtaher than the “big picture” the dance. My group members came up with the dance. I learned the dance the day of the show. I recieved an ok grade, i messed up on parts of the dance which counted for most of our grade. Not the costumes being

Psychology impact of sport injuries is a topic no one hears much about until an athlete is injured and goes through it himself/herself. High school athletes as well as professional ones both are exposed to injuries at any time, the impact of this injury might be the same. Getting injured is devastating for most athletes, what they don’t hear much is how bad it can get to them mentally. Depending on the injury, some athletes are able to return to the sport, others are not so lucky. When they are affected emotionally or mentally, it does not only affect them, but their team, the fans, and even the coaches. In most cases, these injuries and the rehabilitation process are often followed by psychological consequences which can impact the athletes’ well-being, as well as their chances of returning to their sport. The importance of sport psychology will be discussed throughout the paper to give a better understanding on how it affects athletes when dealing with a sport injury. Being aware of the psychological symptoms, as well as knowing how to avoid the effects could make a difference on someone. As well as knowing how important rehabilitation is when wanting to return to the game as soon as possible, if probable.

Perfectionism is conceptualized as a multidimensional construct (Ayerst, Flett, & Hewitt, 2012). As cited in Ayerst, Flett and Hewitt (2012), Frost, Marten, Lahart and Rosenblate {I am working on getting access to this source} view perfectionism as a cognitive construct focused on concerns about making mistakes, posessing high standards, and doubting one’s actions. Additionally, Frost and colleagues also understood perfectionism as involving two

Perfectionism can be defined as an individual’s determination of extremely high standards of performance and behaviour. Hagen (2016) suggests that perfectionism stems from a genetic predisposition combined with environmental factors and an individual’s life experiences.

Do you push yourself to be the best? Do you get mad at yourself for not doing the best? Do you delay assignments till the last possible limit because of fear of rejection? Do you feel horrible when work isn’t done to your best ability of when minor failures seem like catastrophic ones? These are all signs of what is known as perfectionism (Pacht 1984). If you seem to agree with most of these things then you might be a perfectionist. According to Webster’s dictionary, it states that perfectionism is "a disposition which regards anything less than perfect, unacceptable." Many people in the world suffer from perfectionism. So is that case of Mike Bellah. His perfectionism lead him to a lifestyle where he lost

Merriam-Webster defines perfection, in regards to religion, as “the theological doctrine that a state of freedom from sin is attainable on earth.” The desire for perfection, however, stems into all aspects of life in the form of perfectionism. It can be argued that there are three main manifestations of perfectionism: self-oriented, other-oriented, and socially prescribed (Flett and Hewitt 457). Self-oriented perfectionism is driven by one’s own desire to achieve high standards, and as such leads to higher rates of self-blame if not achieved (Flett and Hewitt 457). This form has been associated with anxiety, depression, low-self-regard, and anorexia (Flett and Hewitt 457). The second form is based on “interpersonal perfectionistic behavior,” which involves holding high expectations for others and leads to a lack of trust, feelings of hostility,

Adaptability is the characteristic that enables the species to survive—and if there's one thing perfectionism does, it rigidifies behavior. It constricts people just when the fast-moving world requires more flexibility and comfort with ambiguity than ever. It turns people into success slaves. Perfectionism, when used in moderation and channelled appropriately, can bring significant value to leadership roles including striving for high, ambitious targets, a high level of determination and conscientiousness in ensuring work is undertaken to a high standard. Perfectionists frequently set the pace for their employees and other stakeholders, setting high expectations and ensuring standards are maintained and continuously improved. Research shows that effective leadership is largely about positive stretch. This is particularly relevant in today’s uncertain and competitive environment and markets, where organisations are all being challenged to do more with less, to work smarter and optimise the discretionary effort, ideas and morale of their workforce. Achievement-oriented leaders with high expectations of their people often stretch them well beyond their zone of comfort, urging them to strive for exceptional performance and never settle for second best. However, attention to detail and perfectionism, like any strength, can be overdone and results in all sorts of unintended consequences. When the perfectionist becomes obsessive about the detail and a slave to success, they frequently end up in trouble, both at work and in their personal life. Perfectionism in overdrive doesn’t only significantly raise the probability of leadership derailment, but also has high costs for the emotional and physical well being of the leader and those they interact

In work with injured athletes, some sport and exercise psychologists have proposed that certain attitudes might predispose athletes to injury (7). According to this

For High Performance athletes, there can be a lot riding on their results and performance in competition. If athletes develop an over-reliance on sporting success as a source of self-worth and identity, it can lead to serious emotional issues if things do not go as desired. Athletes often identify their self-worth with their ability to perform, and performance failure has been significantly associated with depression (Taylor, 2015 pg.11; Troijan, 2016, pg. 137) Athletes face many struggles and when something goes wrong it can leave them not knowing where to turn for help. They can be left with they feelings that they are nothing, undeserving, and alone. This may also exacerbate their feelings of seclusion, depression, or grief. Most athletes

Martinant and Ferrant (2007) aim to comprise clusters of athletes based on their anxiety and to compare them on their levels of perfectionism and self confidence. The authors used the Competitive State Anxiety Inventory - 2 and Sport-multidimensional perfectionism scale to gather results. The results determined five different clusters of athletes based on anxiety criteria. The subgroups not only separated by anxiety intensity and frequency, but also by direction of anxiety. For example, the anxious debilitators contained athletes with high somatic and cognitive anxiety levels with low anxiety direction, which resulted in a debilitating effect. Interestingly, the anxious facilitator group endured the same level of intensity and frequency, but directed their

There’s two types of perfectionism, adaptive and maladaptive where adaptive components are beneficial to the situational and maladaptive components will be detrimental to the individual.

Perfection is a deadly sickness. It is a wicked plague which clouds the mind, destroys focus, and eliminates any value you may hold for yourself. We are all told that perfectionism is, well, perfect. A flawless way to live where you make no mistakes, avoid any challenges, and are loved and cherished by everyone around you. But this cruel mindset is like a collar that chokes fun and kills passion, constricting joy and creativity in favor of the one and only best decision. The decision that will get you perfect grades, a perfect reputation, and nary an ounce of criticism. Now, while this might seem good, I can tell you for sure that it’s not. How? Because I’ve tried it.