The Destructiveness of Perfectionism Implications for the Treatment of Depression
The article "The Destructiveness of Perfectionism: Implications for the Treatment of Depression" used research findings along with anecdotal evidence to support their idea of a connection between individuals' problems with perfectionism and the development of depression. Certain investigations and research provide evidence that perfectionism has a role in adaptive and maladaptive functioning including disorders such as depression and suicide. Some main points the article uses to support these assertions include the stories of three prominent respected men, all with perfectionism crises that committed suicide. The article points out the relationship between these facts, and how this problem may have developed into depression, leading to the eventual suicides. Through cross-examinations of several studies to define categories of perfectionism, two specific ones were generated. These two categories, self-oriented perfectionism and socially prescribed perfectionism, further relate to two types of depression. These types, introjective (self-critical) depression and anaclitic (dependent) depression, correspond respectively to the above mentioned categories. Some antecedents of self-critical, or introjective, depression were mentioned and analyzed in this article. Some identified precursors were disrupted parent-child relations, and childhood experiences of nonapproving or inconsistently approving parents with love that is conditional upon success. The article also addresses the implications of these findings on courses of treatment for depression. It is acknowledged that patients suffering from this perfectionism-derived depression must r...
... middle of paper ...
...ity to real, everyday life. Neurotic perfectionism is something that occurs often enough, and is serious enough that it deserves more research into the dangers and results it can lead to. After dealing with some family experiences with depression, I was interested to learn about different causes of depression and factors that contribute to the development of it, and how it can then lead to suicide.
One issue involving depression and perfectionism that was not addressed nor answered in this article was what can be done to prevent the problems people have with perfectionism to begin with. It discussed how parental influence can play a part in developing it, but the article never discussed what could be done to prevent this problem from becoming so widespread, rather than simply waiting for it to develop to the point in adulthood where it could lead to depression.
Stress Induced Suicide Julie Scelfo’s “Suicide on Campus and the Pressure of Perfection” first appeared in The New York Times magazine on July 27, 2015. Scelfo discusses the pressure that family, society, and the individual places on themselves to be perfect. This stress ultimately results in college- age students taking their own lives. “Nationally, the suicide rate among 15- to 24-year-olds has increased modestly but steadily since 2007: from 9.6 deaths per 100,000 to 11.1 in 2013.” Scelfo uses an anecdote, statistics, and expert’s observations to successfully portray her stance on this issue.
But then her eyes sought Aylmer’s face with trouble and anxiety. She then said to him ‘Dearest Aylmer, I’m dying,’ and she died.” (Hawthorne 324). Perfectionism is something everyone should try to avoid. It can never bring comfort, instead it adds to the
This paper will focus on depressive disorders, and it will describe what they are, how they manifest themselves, what causes them and/or what makes certain individuals susceptible to the disorder as compared to others. This piece will also describe the most common treatment practices, and the effectiveness of these treatments. It will conclude by offering some testimonials from individuals who suffer from depressive disorders as well as some additional commentary about depressive disorders and their implications/challenges.
Depression is an incredibly serious matter that affects many people around the world. It is fairly common for many people to experience depression in some sort of way after a tragic event, such as the death of a family member or the severing of a long-term relationship. In fact, some may argue that these feelings are indeed appropriate for the time being. However, for some individuals, these feelings of despair and stress can last for weeks at a time or longer. While some who are not dealing with depression may interpret the feelings and the mindset of those who are struggling with major depression as a case of “the blues”, depression is undoubtedly a serious condition when left to itself without any type of support or medication. Depression
The participant’s BDI scores reflected moderate depression severity in the depressed group (mean = 29.62, SD = 9.27), and no depression in the control group (mean = 3.26, SD = 3.83). To measure for the level of perfectionism of an individual the performance perfectionism scale which is a 32-item questionnaire that measures outcome expectancy for performance associated with perfectionism was used. The PPS indexes how individuals expect their perfectionism to influence their performance. To make a graph from the measurements two dimensions are used in this study include, the outcome expectancy for performance (positive or negative), and the source of the high standards for performance (self-generated or prescribed by others). Four subtypes of perfectionism are quantified in the PPS: Positive Self-Oriented Performance Perfectionism, Negative Self-Oriented Performance Perfectionism, Positive Socially Prescribed Performance Perfectionism, and Negative Socially Prescribed Performance Perfectionism. Another test was conducted to measure the depression symptoms which was called Beck depression inventory II. This test includes 21-items questionnaire and the coefficient alphas were .93 and .94 for the Cognitive and Non-Cognitive subscales, respectively. The results revealed that positive and negative outcome expectancy
The story of Devadatta raises a compelling argument in regards to his journey in overthrowing the Buddha. In traditional Buddhism, Devadatta is seen as a selfish, greedy, jealous, cousin to the Buddha, who attempts three different times to kill him, before growing ill. Whereas in the Lotus Sutra, Devadatta is commended for being a good friend to the Buddha in helping him become fully endowed with the six paramitas. These six paramitas consists of pity, compassion, joy, and indifference, which also included thirty-two features, eighty characteristics, the ten powers, four kinds of fearlessness, four methods of winning people, eighteen unshared properties, transcendental powers and the power of the way. Famous psychologist, Sigmund Freud, designed what he called “the structural model of psyche,” which consisted of an Id, ego, and super ego. The Id and ego pertain to this particular story the most, while ones Id is a set of uncoordinated instinctual trends and ones ego is the organized and realistic section of your conscious the mediates between the id and super ego. This story of Devadatta can be looked at from a metaphorical and psychological standpoint when relating Devadatta to ones Id and the Buddha to ones ego. It is inevitably the story of Good vs. Evil. Furthermore as you read this essay, you will see how the perception of Devadatta changes from the beginning with traditional Indian Buddhism to Chinese Buddhism and the Lotus Sutra.
Depression is a state characterized by a sad mood and loss of interest in one’s usual activities with feelings of hopelessness, suicidal thoughts, psychomotor agitation or retardation and trouble concentrating. (Nolen-Hoeksema, & Rector, 2011, p.297) Depression is a common major health problem that significantly affects the patient as well as generating extensive costs for the society. (Johansson, Nyblom, Carlbring, Cuijpers & Andersson, 2013) Thus, it is really important that this illness can get treated with the right therapies to minimize the negative impacts on the individual’s quality of life. Psychodynamic treatments are developed from Sigmund Freud’s theory of psychoanalysis which formulates t...
Hamilton, James C., and Holly N. Deemer. “Excessive Reassurance-Seeking as Self-Regulatory Perseveration: Implications for Explaining the Relation between Depression and Illness Behavior” Psychological Inquiry Vol. 10, No. 4 (1999): 293-297 JSTOR Web. 12 Nov. 2013.
Cognitive behavioural therapy has been proven to be effective in the treatment of child and adolescent depression (Lewinsohn & Clarke, 1999; Harrington et al, 1998, March et al, 2004). There is general agreement in the clinical literature that the techniques of cognitive behavioural approaches to therapy are likely to be effective in treating depression (Brewin, 1996; Beech, 2000).
After taking the test on November 1, 2017, I learned a lot about how certain things factor into deciding how you act or how you are. Many people believe that profiling was the best way to identify possibly qualities of a person and many others worry about the social aspect of the matter. While some people began to target people based solely on their ethnic background instead of getting to know them. Neither of these techniques seems accurate to judge a person.
Depression is sometimes mistaken as the typical sad feeling all humans get once in a while. However, the distinct difference between depression and those typical sad feelings are that depression is long-term whereas feeling sad is short-term. Depression is a mental illness that should be taken seriously as this illness can affect the individual emotionally and physically, and impair the daily life. So what is it that causes depression? This is the big question psychologists try to answer through research but their explanations do not explain how those who face one of those factors, only a few are able to avoid developing depression. Everyone thinks and behaves differently, but there are specific personal factors such as one’s negative personalities, chronic illnesses, and substance abuse that causes each individual to respond in a similar and certain way, thus causing them to be prone to developing a depressive disorder. Low self-esteem and negative personality styles can cause depression due to its negative influences on the individual’s mind. Chronic illnesses triggers depression due to its biological and psychological effects. Lastly, substance abuse affects an individual’s mood, personal life, and health causing vulnerability to developing depression.
Moreover, mood disorder is correlated to the concept of suicide. Suicide is a wide-known concept and option that some individuals opt for, whether he or she is in a conscious or an unconscious state of mind. Normally, such a “permanent” treatment is sought when a person is in stress or depression, that they ultimately cannot handle the overload and/or have no hope in themselves. Typically, those who have a psychological disorder have a higher suicidal rate. Those who have suicida...
During the school day, I always work my hardest to complete all of my homework, and if I end up bringing some home, I prefer to get it done as soon as possible. While working with my grandparents either in the garden or around the farm, I strive to impress them with my hard work and determination to get the job done. Even in my current job, I work hard to complete the given tasks correctly and also efficiently. Perfectionism is obviously incorporated in all of those working environments, and I believe that it pushes me harder and harder each day. As a result of my perfectionism the outcome of my work is usually the best it can be. Although it might limit me, I always give one hundred percent when it comes to completing various tasks, and find pride in being a hard
Depression: what is it? Is it really something you can control? How much does it really affect someone? Why do people suffer from depression? Several of these questions are brought to the attention of various professionals such as psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, and physicians, but not enough people seek the truth. Depression is commonly viewed as a bad day; people either believe they have control, or they can just snap out of it. However, depression is more than a bad day. It could be caused by a chemical imbalance, genetics, family history, or trauma. All of these may cause symptoms; yet, there are successful treatments available such as medications and/or psychotherapy.
“Suicide and Depression”. All About Depression: Overview. All About Self Help, LLC. 5 June 2010. Web. 30 July 2010.