Perfectionism Test- 44 questions, 20-25 min- how do you know if you're a perfectionist? Are you putting unreasonable demands on yourself by setting the bar too high? Do you expect too much from your children or lover? Or feel that the world is exerting pressure on you? You might be a perfectionist. Take the Perfectionism Test and find out what types of perfectionist tendencies you might have (www.queendom.com).
In the American culture, people are pressured into thinking that everything in life needs to be perfect. Perfectionism can be in the materialistic realm, in example, a perfectly clean home; or in the physical realm like measurements of one's body. Perfectionism can be readily found in the lives of people affected by eating disorders. Perfectionism can affect more than just the perfectionist themselves; it affects the lives of those around them. Perfectionism defined is a propensity for being displeased with anything that is not perfect or does not meet extremely high standards (The American Heritage College Dictionary, p 1015). It.
has been associated as a risk factor for anorexia nervosa, particularly the restricting type (Halmi, 205). The ones affected with an eating disorder set standards to attempt to control eating, shape and weight. There is also a large fear of failure (Fairburn, Cooper, & Shafran, 9). Not only is perfectionism found in people with eating disorders, there is a correlation between perfectionism and obsessive compulsive disorders. The obsessive compulsive disorder is also found in eating disorders. Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder is characterized by complaints of persistent or repetitive thoughts or behavior. The person feels compelled to continue despite an awareness that the thoughts or behaviors may be excessive or inappropriate, and feels distress if they stop them (DSM- IV found at http://www.behavenet.com/). The three aspects, perfectionism, eating disorders, and obsessive compulsive disorders all can intertwine causing a huge preoccupation in life.