Perfectionism can drive achievement but may maintain anxiety, depression, shame, procrastination, avoidance, and burnout.
CognitionBehaviourAffect+1
Avoidance reduces distress in the short term but commonly maintains anxiety, trauma responses, functional impairment, and interpersonal narrowing.
BehaviourCognitionTrauma+1
Costly rigidity around mistakes, evaluation and self-worth, rather than high standards alone. Perfectionistic concerns show stronger associations with depression, anxiety and OCD symptoms than strivings, but this does not make strivings universally benign or establish causation.
Moving away from, postponing or restricting contact with an internal experience, activity, person or situation. Avoidance is not automatically maladaptive. Its safety, function and longer-term cost matter.
Candidate maintaining process, to be tested in the individual case: demanding standard → threat of falling short → checking, overwork or delay → temporary relief → the standard remains untested or becomes more rigid.
Candidate maintaining process, to be tested in the individual case: anticipated threat → escape or postponement → immediate relief → fewer opportunities for new learning or valued activity → persisting restriction. Evidence about safety behaviours supports attention to function rather than a blanket instruction to remove them.
All-or-nothing standards · Difficulty finishing
Missed appointments · Safety behaviours
“If it is not perfect, it is a failure”
“I just avoid it”
High standard -> threat of mistake -> overcontrol or avoidance -> temporary relief -> standard remains rigid
Threat cue -> anxiety -> avoidance -> relief -> threat belief remains untested
Reduce the link between worth and flawless performance.
Target the relief-maintenance loop and build tolerable approach behaviours.
High standards are flexible, values-based, and not associated with significant distress or impairment.
Withdrawal is mainly due to low energy, cognitive impairment, environmental barriers, or lack of opportunity.