Perfectionism Hurts

23 May 2012 , 6:00 PM by Kelly Higgins-Devine

Think of one person in your life who you'd call a perfectionist.

It could be a family member, a friend, a workmate.

What makes you think of them as a perfectionist?

Do you envy them? Do you wish you could be more organised? Have a cleaner house? Get through more work? Got better grades at school? Be perfectly groomed all the time - or whatever it is that they have "perfected".

But have you ever considered that being a perfectionist could be the path to misery? Depression? Eating disorders? Suicide?

And that this pressure to be constantly perfect is harming our children.

Afternoons presenter Kelly Higgins-Devine spoke with Professor Tracey Wade from the School of Psychology at Flinders University in South Australia, who has been working with Adolescents with perfectionist traits.

Download the audio file

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