Perfectionists believe they must maintain full control across situations to feel secure, often taking on excessive responsibility at work and avoiding creative endeavors due to unpredictable outcomes. The need for control appears in relationships where others' unpredictability threatens perceived safety. Control is frequently rationalized or masked: at work as superior competence, in creativity as others' inability to appreciate skill, and in relationships as altruism. These self-defeating patterns lead to dismissing alternatives and limit functioning. Treatment focuses on examining origins and beliefs about control, challenging rationalizations, and addressing the tendency to minimize or justify controlling behaviors.
One of the most debilitating and isolating aspects of perfectionism is the deep-seated need for control, which presents itself in various parts of one's life and in several ways. The perfectionist can take on too much responsibility at work. They often avoid creative endeavors, even if they're exceptionally talented, due to their unpredictable outcomes. And an excessive need for control often manifests in relationships, since people by nature are highly unpredictable.
As with other self-defeating patterns, the excessive need for control is often masked. At work, it may be transformed into an issue of competence. Perfectionists often claim they know best and, unfortunately for them, need more control because their colleagues are less competent than they are. Some believe that creative risks would be fruitless for them because others can't acknowledge the high quality of their skill set.
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