The scale of perfectionism: Therapist explains

From minimal to debilitating, there are five stages of Perfectionism that we should be aware of.

Perfectionism is a personality trait where a person strives for flawlessness and sets unrealistic expectations for themselves. Setting too high standards can make them feel that they are not good enough – however, they are also extremely fearful of evaluations done by themselves as well as others. One of the most common causes of perfectionism is when unrealistic expectations are set by parents at an early age. That can make them feel afraid of failure and disapproval. That further makes them try for perfection in everything. A perfectionism scale can help in understanding the severity of the symptoms of perfection in us. "A perfectionist scale can be a helpful way to measure, track, and communicate the severity of your symptoms," wrote Therapist Carolyn Rubenstein.

The scale of perfectionism: Therapist explains(Unsplash)

Here are the five levels of the perfectionism scale:

Minimal: In this stage, a person uses perfection as a source of motivation to get things done in a way that is applaudable for all. They pay attention to detail, and they set ambitious but attainable goals for themselves.

Mild: In this stage, a person undergoes self-evaluation but is also lenient with themselves. They have aversion to making mistakes, and often procrastinate due to overthinking about failing at the task in hand.

Moderate: In this stage, the person starts setting unrealistically high standards of themselves. The inner critic in themselves becomes very harsh with negative self-talk and the fear of imperfection looms over them which makes them delay their tasks.

Severe: They have the all or nothing mindset and they strive for perfection to the point that they never feel satisfied with their performance. They also have difficulty in collaborating with other people due to their high standards.

Debilitating: They have analysis paralysis, further leading to chronic stress, persistent anxiety and physical symptoms of Insomnia and digestive issues.