Contents:
- Medical Video: Are the whispers of Satan a type of OCD? | Infographic Video
- Perfectionism at a glance
- Overview of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
- Are perfectionists suffering from OCD?
- To what extent can perfectionism be a feature of OCD?
Medical Video: Are the whispers of Satan a type of OCD? | Infographic Video
You might be said to be a perfectionist if you always demanded that every work done must produce the best results completely blameless. There is nothing wrong with the desire to try to look perfect. Perfectionism might even be a boost to your success in a competitive society. But, is it true that perfectionism is a feature of what obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is?
Perfectionism at a glance
Nobody is perfect. But that does not mean we should not try to be the best. But there is a big difference between being someone who is the best in his field, and someone who is a perfectionist.
Achieving excellence presupposes that we exert all the best abilities we have to accomplish a task. Because the achievement target can be achieved, there is motivation in that direction. The pursuit of excellence motivates us to try harder to make it better than the ones that have been done before. Therefore, work done well will feel satisfying. Satisfaction itself does not have to come from the praise of others, but from feeling satisfied with oneself has passed a personal target.
Conversely, someone who is a perfectionist expects perfection from others as well as from themselves for the high personal standards he sets. They are hard-working people (or maybe workaholic) who crave order and predictability. Although there is nothing wrong with having these characteristics, perfectionism is a poisonous character when you want everything to be done "right without defects", or you will feel very anxious and stressed when this hope fails to reach.
Toxic perfectionism is driven by fear of failing to please others and fear of being rejected and criticized. In the end this anxiety manifested in feelings never felt proud or satisfied because they never believed that their work was completed with "good enough". Therefore, perfectionists will do various ways to ensure that everything goes according to the criteria - by delaying starting / completing or even repeating work until he is sure that he is right, even demanding / criticizing others to work better. They can be very focused on trivial details so they forget the purpose of what they did.
Overview of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
Obsessive-compulsive disorder, aka OCD, is a mental disorder characterized by thoughts, imagination, unwanted images and / or repetitive behavior. Obsession creates anxiety and an urgent need to do compulsive behavior. People with OCD feel they have to do an action repeatedly or something bad will happen. This compulsive behavior is "therapy" for themselves to reduce anxiety and stress due to this obsession.
For example, obsession is excessive thinking and concern about germs. Meanwhile, the compulsive behavior associated with an obsession with germs is hand washing. A person with OCD may have obsessive thoughts that he will be seriously ill with a deadly infection if his hands are so dirty that he will continue to wash his hands five to ten times in a row before he can leave the house.
People with this disorder may not be able to stop this thought or move on to the next thought until their obsessive thoughts are reduced or stopped by their behavioral impulses. Unfortunately, the compulsive behavior is temporary, causing the person to be trapped in a vicious circle - fear of germs, hand washing, fear of germs after washing hands, washing hands again, and so on like playing a broken tape. OCD rituals can last up to at least one hour a day.
OCD can cause a person to experience severe stress, even to the point of weakening for individuals who, for example, must repeatedly wash their hands until they bleed, and continue to do so without understanding the reason. In other words, OCD interferes with daily life.
Are perfectionists suffering from OCD?
Judging from the explanation above, there are indeed a few similarities between the two. Both may also be triggered by the same thing, such as childhood trauma or poor parenting. But basically perfectionism is a character, while OCD is a mental disorder that is recognized by the medical world and requires treatment. OCD is usually caused by genetic factors, congenital, and / or damage to certain parts or nerves of the brain.
Repeated behavior shown by someone who is a perfectionist is based more on the desire to achieve perfection; an endless result. This behavior can still be controlled by the conscious mind. A perfectionist usually always follows the 'rules'. As long as the individual carries out the rule, there is no problem. However, someone with OCD will repeat the behavior so that it can cause physical and mental fatigue.
Because, someone who suffers from OCD is unable, or almost unable (forced), to do certain physical or mental activities without completing the ritual first. Anxiety disorders associated with NOT carrying out these rituals are almost unbearable; so he feels he must and will work hard to reduce that anxiety.
A perfectionist will not experience symptoms of excessive anxiety. He may feel angry and stressed for failing, but usually not protracted and not overshadowed by obsessive thinking. A healthy perfectionist will make failure a lesson to achieve success in the future. That's why not everyone who labels himself as a perfectionist fulfills medical diagnostic criteria for OCD.
To what extent can perfectionism be a feature of OCD?
Unhealthy forms of perfectionism (characterized by excessive stress and anxiety) can be strongly associated with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). Especially if you have a strong desire for something to be done "right" or need certainty, so that the feared results will not become real.
This connection is especially apparent when your OCD symptom type focuses on checking (checkers) For example, if you feel you don't have perfect certainty (obsessive thinking) that you have locked the door or turned off the stove, you might come back to check it repeatedly (OCD symptoms). Related to this is excessive fear of making a big mistake (a perfectionist characteristic), such as letting the door open all day or burning the house by letting the stove light up.
Ironically, checking over and over reinforces the idea that you are imperfect or maybe even "losing your mind." This can make you feel worse and less confident, which of course makes you check more often.
In the end, the characteristics of unhealthy perfectionism can further enrich obsessive thinking. For example, like many people with OCD, you might believe that you must have complete control of your body and mind. Thus, when a strange or sad thought arises in your mind, you will label it as a danger because you cannot control them.This then causes you to go deeper into the thought, thus helping to create an obsession.
