Generality
Atelophobia is a psychological disorder characterized by fear of imperfections, in any area of daily life (physical appearance, interpersonal relationships, school or work activity, ideas and beliefs).
This translates into a constant sense of inadequacy that leads to a continuous and exhausting search for perfection . Sufferers of atelophobia think that everything that is done in everyday life is wrong or not sufficiently up to the expectations of others. This tendency to general dissatisfaction is accompanied by anxiety and, as happens with other phobic disorders, often involves somatic symptoms such as: marked sweating, chills or hot flushes, rapid heart beat, nausea and a lack of oxygen. Atelophobia can have negative effects on a person's daily life, in terms of limitations in social and working life. Fortunately, this disorder can be addressed through a course of psychotherapy.
What's this
Atelophobia is a condition in which there is an extreme fear of not being able to reach perfection in any of your actions, ideas or beliefs.
Atelophobia: definition
Atelophobia is a disorder sustained by the fear of not being up to par or not being capable enough to carry out any activity. Sufferers become very critical of everything they say or do and manifest a tendency towards general dissatisfaction that results in insecurity in multiple areas. Therefore, atelophobia is not only aimed at the imperfections of one's physical appearance, but also affects the normal activities of everyday life.
The severity of atelophobia can vary widely from person to person. In severe cases, full-blown physical symptoms or panic attacks may occur, with cold sweats, increased heart rate (tachycardia), nausea, shortness of breath and a sense of suffocation.
The word " atelophobia " comes from the Greek " atelès ", which means " imperfect, incomplete ", and " phóbos ", meaning " fear " or " phobia ".
Causes and Risk Factors
Atelophobia is classified as an anxiety disorder supported by the idea of having to reach perfection . This leads the atelophobic to constantly set himself goals, often impossible to reach, to feel gratified and accepted . The atelophobia is thus maintained by a vicious circle : the tendency to have exaggerated expectations, to reach the much desired perfection, leads to disappointment for not being able to really reach the intended destination. As a result, people who suffer from this condition will constantly try to perfect, rework or improve something that is already highly appreciated by those around them.
It should be emphasized that the fear of imperfection goes far beyond wanting to do things in the most competent way possible: atelophobia becomes an obsession that effectively destroys relationships and makes functioning in society almost impossible.
Atelophobia: who is most at risk?
Atelophobia is a disorder that mainly affects women, as it is more vulnerable to comparisons and comparisons than men. This leads women to experience a continuous feeling of being judged by others, based on their physical appearance or the results achieved in life. Clearly, these pressures affect the most susceptible people, women or men, to the point of triggering atelophobia.
Why do you suffer from Atelophobia?
The causes of atelophobia are not always easily identifiable. Several factors can contribute to the disorder, including environmental, character and biological-genetic factors.
Often, atelophobia is triggered by traumas, dramatic episodes related to certain periods of life, painful memories of a loss or failure, too high expectations of friends or parents or other such negative events that they are impossible to accept. Usually, these experiences increase insecurity and lead to blaming themselves for failure, making the subject feel inadequate .
In other cases, it may be an external source (for example, a parent, friend or colleague) to convince the atelophobic individual to be imperfect and wrong. Poor relationships and character tendencies towards perfectionism can contribute to atelophobia.
Symptoms and Complications
Those who suffer from atelophobia aspire to the correction of their defects and to the attainment of the approval of others . The patient is constantly on the limit and feels the pressure to continue working until perfection is reached. A high degree of excitability is common, as is insomnia and the inability to relax even for a couple of moments. However, in pursuing this goal, the atelophobic is often so frightened that he cannot understand that he is incapable of completing the projects he has set himself, because he is unattainable or does not consider himself good enough, so he abandons the activity.
If you are not able to do something perfectly, the subject suffering from atelophobia shows a strong disappointment and a tendency to pessimism .
The symptoms and severity of atelophobia can vary from case to case: some people experience a general feeling of dissatisfaction or a slight discomfort that negatively interferes with everyday life; others, on the other hand, show a serious sense of anxiety, which, in extreme cases, leads to anxiety and / or panic attacks in full force.
Atelophobia: what are the symptoms?
The symptoms of atelophobia typically include:
- Irritability;
- Difficulty in not thinking about one's own imperfections;
- Pessimistic vision;
- Low self-esteem;
- Desire to be perfect in every field (from the physical aspect to the professional, family and social one);
- Extreme disappointment if something fails;
- Constant concern about the performance of its activities;
- Negative emotions like anger, sadness, inadequacy and guilt.
Usually, in those suffering from this disorder, any stressful or distressing situation triggers a fear that leads to a definite "fight or flight" behavior.
This reaction also occurs in other phobias: the body is responding to the phobic stimulus with an extreme expression of the survival instinct, which results in an abnormal response to an emotional level, evident due to the appearance of somatic symptoms. In other words, the mind interprets the thought of being imperfect as a threat, therefore automatically prepares the body to move away from this potential danger represented by the atelophobic situation. This excessive emotional response is one of the clearest signs that a person is prey to a phobic disorder.
Atelophobia can manifest itself with physical symptoms such as:
- Cry;
- Tremors;
- Accelerated beats;
- Chills and goose bumps;
- Cold sweat or, on the contrary, hot flushes;
- Tingling and itching;
- Nausea and / or vomiting;
- Headache;
- Wheezing and feeling of suffocation;
- Numbness;
- Sense of fainting or dizziness;
- Confusion and feeling of "empty head";
- Sense of oppression or chest pain;
- Increased muscle tension;
- Dry mouth;
- Constant anxiety;
- Increased need to go to the bathroom (diarrhea, urinary urgency, etc.)
Atelophobia: possible consequences
Atelophobia can severely limit the life of sufferers, as it can affect multiple activities and contexts, such as work or daily relationships, as well as causing significant distress. Over time, the symptoms are also activated just thinking about the situations that typically trigger the disorder and, in extreme cases, can lead to suicide, depression, eating disorders and schizophrenia.
Diagnosis
If the symptoms of atelophobia significantly limit normal daily life and persist for over six months, it is advisable to consult a doctor, psychiatrist or psychologist to identify and define the problem.
The initial evaluation of the atelophobic subject is fundamental to understand the reasons behind the inconvenience, identifying the meaning and quantifying its scope.
Therefore, the doctor:
- He asks the patient for a description of the symptoms and what triggers them;
- Try to establish how severe the symptoms are;
- Excludes other types of anxiety disorders or general pathology.
To make the diagnosis of atelophobia, it is important for the doctor to observe the patient's reaction to the idea of failure.
Treatment and Remedies
How can Atophobia be overcome?
Atelophobia can be managed with a therapeutic path aimed at tackling the anxiety-provoking stimuli and the resulting manifestations.
The choice between the different interventions or the combination of these depends on the person and the severity of the clinical picture. The most effective strategies include relaxation techniques, meditation and cognitive-behavioral psychotherapy . These interventions aim to induce the patient to rationalize the fear of not being able to reach perfection and find ways to reverse the trend. The therapist can help the patient focus on the possibility of reacting to anxious thoughts and modifying the vicious circle by addressing the negative beliefs associated with the disorder and resizing them.
In combination with psychological treatment, the psychiatrist can prescribe drug therapy for short periods to control the symptoms associated with atelophobia, such as anxiety. The medicines that are usually indicated are benzodiazepines, beta-blockers, tricyclic antidepressants, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs). It should be emphasized that the use of drugs can temporarily calm the problem, but it does not resolve it definitively.
Atelophobia therapy must restore a balance in life, which does not eliminate the positive aspects of competition or stifle the creativity of the individual. During the psycho-therapeutic journey, the frustration of not being perfect must instead be replaced by a sense of accomplishment for a job well done.
