Advice for partners on how to live with a perfectionist:

Perfectionists tend to be very self-critical and unhappy and suffer from low self-esteem. They can also be lonely or isolated as their critical nature and rigidity can push others away as well.

6 Strategies for Soothing a Perfectionist

1. Let her know it’s okay to make mistakes. That’s why pencils have erasers.
2. Set an example. Make sure you are not sending a mixed message.
3. Praise effort, not grades.
4. Round out his world.
5. Empathize with her feelings.
6. Hold the criticism.

1. Get curious and really understand what makes your partner tick.
2. Communicate.
3. Don’t take it personally.
4. Stand up for yourself and set clear boundaries.
5. Share your feelings.
6. Give her/him lots of notice regarding change.
7. Give feedback gently.

Obsessions often seen with “perfectionism” as a form of OCD include: An overwhelming fear of making mistakes; an intense need for things to be “perfect” or “done right” – may or may not be accompanied by a fear that harm will come to oneself or others if things are not done perfectly.

a) Realistic thinking

1. Because adults with perfectionism are often very critical of themselves, one of the most effective ways to overcome perfectionism is to replace self-critical or perfectionistic thoughts with more realistic and helpful statements.
2. It is a good idea to practise these helpful statements regularly.

Those with high perfectionism scores, meaning they placed high expectations on themselves to be perfect, had a 51-percent increased risk of death compared to those with low scores.

Steps in overcoming our perfectionistic patterns

1. Identify the root and come clean with God. Our perfectionistic traits usually began somewhere in our childhood.
2. Beware of our triggers and thought patterns.
3. See the persons before the plan.
4. Learn to rest in God.
5. Allow God’s glory to shine through our imperfections.

Perfectionism is often seen as a positive trait that increases your chances of success, but it can lead to self-defeating thoughts or behaviors that make it harder to achieve goals. It may also cause stress, anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues.

Procrastination is often a symptom of perfectionism. Because perfectionists fear being unable to complete a task perfectly, they put it off as long as possible. The higher the fear of failure and ridicule, the more perfectionists procrastinate. To clarify, procrastination is not laziness.

The type of perfectionist who sets impossibly high standards for others has a bit of a dark side. They tend to be narcissistic, antisocial and to have an aggressive sense of humor. They care little about social norms and do not readily fit into the bigger social picture.

Perfectionism may occur in individuals with autism spectrum disorder with some frequency. Perfectionistic tendencies may occur due to cognitive inflexibility that is associated with executive dysfunction of the frontal lobe.

Both boys and girls with ADHD can be perfectionists. They may be too anxious about small details and “get stuck.” Perfectionism can cause a lot of frustration, but there are ways to help your child cope.

High-functioning autism is not an official medical diagnosis. It’s often used to refer to people with autism spectrum disorder who read, write, speak, and manage life skills without much assistance. Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder that’s characterized by difficulties with social interaction and communication.

These are some of the characteristics of ASD:

• problems with social interaction with others.
• unusual interest in objects.
• need for sameness.
• great variation in abilities.
• under or over reaction to one or more of the five senses: sight, touch, taste, smell, or hearing.
• repeated actions or body movements.

High functioning autism describes “mild” autism, or “level 1” on the spectrum. Asperger’s syndrome is often described as high functioning autism. Symptoms are present, but the need for support is minimal.

Clues to the first two questions come from studies that have shown that at least 30% of individuals with autism have spontaneous de novo mutations that occurred in the father’s sperm or mother’s egg and disrupt genes important for brain development, these spontaneous mutations likely cause autism in families where …

Risperidone (Risperdal) is the only drug approved by the FDA for children with autism spectrum disorder. It can be prescribed for children between 5 and 16 years old to help with irritability.

What to do during a very loud, very public meltdown

1. Be empathetic. Empathy means listening and acknowledging their struggle without judgment.
2. Make them feel safe and loved.
3. Eliminate punishments.
4. Focus on your child, not staring bystanders.
5. Break out your sensory toolkit.
6. Teach them coping strategies once they’re calm.

We know that there’s no one cause of autism. Research suggests that autism develops from a combination of genetic and nongenetic, or environmental, influences. These influences appear to increase the risk that a child will develop autism.

ADHD is not on the autism spectrum, but they have some of the same symptoms. And having one of these conditions increases the chances of having the other. Experts have changed the way they think about how autism and ADHD are related.