What Perfectionist Traits Infiltrate Your ADHD Brain?

additudemag.com:

Perfectionism becomes, for them, an unhealthy coping mechanism.“Perfectionists are often driven by the fear of disappointing themselves or others,” said clinical psychologist and author Sharon Saline, Psy.D.

in a recent ADDitude webinar on perfectionism. “They are all-or-nothing thinkers; if it’s not completely right, then it must be a failure.”We asked ADDitude readers which perfectionist traits cause them the most trouble.

Nancy from North Carolina struggles with imposter syndrome. “When I try to kick my business into high gear, I feel like a failure if I can’t get it to work right away,” she said. “I’ll then abandon whatever plan I had and start something new… flit, flit.”[Get This Free Download: 9 Truths About ADHD and Intense Emotions]Charlotte described her life as small because of her need to be perfect on the first try of something. “I do not try new things, nor do I understand the concept of starting off green and getting better with practice,” she said. “When I learn something new, I believe that I’m the last person on earth to learn it, and I do not give validity to my knowledge and skills.”Linda from Minnesota finds herself stuck in the “shoulds” so often and so deeply that she can’t stop working. “When I go to bed at night, I look around my apartment and need to make sure it’s ‘ready’ to be seen if I don’t wake up in the morning and my neighbor finds me and the body baggers come for me,” she said. “I don’t want to be seen as a messy or dirty person, even if I’ve passed away.