Atellophobia (fear of imperfection): causes and symptoms

Does the word "atelophobia" sound familiar to you? It consists of the phobia of imperfections. It is an infrequent and very subjective phobia, since we do not all have the same idea of ​​"perfection".

On the other hand, as we will see, this "obsession with perfection" goes beyond mere perfectionism, since we are talking about a true anxiety disorder.

In this article we will know what atelophobia is, what are its causes, symptoms and psychological treatments that can be carried out with people who suffer from it.

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Atellophobia: a specific phobia

Atelophobia is a specific phobia, where the feared stimulus is imperfection. What does that mean? We are going to specify a little more.

Remember that specific phobias are irrational, disproportionate and intense fear of a specific stimulus or situation. Sometimes, instead of fear, what appears is intense anxiety, hyperactivation of the organism, associated discomfort, etc.

That is, in the case of atelophobia, fear does not always have to exist, but there are many people who fear it. they feel is high anxiety, rejection or discomfort in front of things (or objects, situations, etc.) imperfect.

In reality, this goes beyond simple things or objects, and can be extrapolated to behaviors and actions, and either from the individual with atelophobia or from people around him (friends, acquaintances, strangers, family ...)

Curiously, In this type of phobia, the stimulus that is “feared” or that generates anxiety is something really subjective sometimes (since there are people who may consider something imperfect and others not).

In extreme cases, in atelophobia (as in other specific phobias), even panic attacks associated with the initial anxiety may appear. The symptoms of atelophobia interfere with the individual's daily life, causing deterioration in the different spheres of his life.

Beyond perfectionism

Atelophobia is a phobia that goes far beyond mere perfectionism, characteristic feature of some people; Thus, people with atelophobia are not limited to being perfectionists, but their discomfort in the face of imperfect things or actions goes further, and causes them great suffering.

In perfectionist people, on the other hand, this suffering is not so exaggerated (they are simply a little "obsessive" people, who like "perfect" things, etc.). In fact, if there were no such suffering or interference in life, we would not be talking about a specific phobia (an anxiety disorder).

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Symptoms

What are the main symptoms of atelophobia? These correspond to the characteristic symptoms of a specific phobia. Let's see them in summary.

1. Intense fear or anxiety

The main symptom of atelophobia is a heightened fear or anxiety about blemishes. These imperfections, as we said, can appear in their own behaviors or actions, in objects, life situations, etc.

2. Imperfection avoidance

The person with atelophobia will avoid those situations that can trigger that anguish that he feels before the imperfection; that is, he avoids it at all costs. It may also be that he spends a great deal of time doing the perfect things (a symptom he shares with obsessive compulsive personality disorder).

3. Psychophysiological symptoms

In atelophobia, physical symptoms can also appear, of the organism itself, such as: tremors, hyperventilation, nausea, vomiting, tension, excessive sweating, etc. That is, symptoms of a panic attack (although it does not manifest itself).

In short, the body is over-activated, before the stimulus that generates anxiety and discomfort. All of these symptoms reflect anxiety or concern about not finding perfection.

Causes

What can cause atelophobia? In reality, its causes are not entirely known. Surely the etiology is multicausal, as with most phobias and even mental disorders.

On the one hand, as with many other anxiety disorders, there may be a biological vulnerability in the individual. It may also be that it manifests a perfectionist personality trait but taken to the extreme.

Traumatic or negative experiences related to the "imperfection", or to some mistake or misprint on the part of oneself or others (which has very negative consequences involved), can also influence the origin of the atelophobia.

The role of education can also be key in this rare phobia; For example, the fact of having received a very strict and rigid education may also be at the origin (along with other causes) of atelophobia. On the other hand, the fact of having suffered harassment, or very negative criticism for not reaching perfection (especially by parents), can also be causal factors of the disorder.

That is, in the latter case, we are talking about the fact that the parents have demanded a lot from the child and since very early ages (perhaps at developmental moments too early for the child's development or little girl). It may be that in these cases the person feels that she is never too good or "perfect", that she is never enough.

Treatment

How do we treat atelophobia? From a psychological point of view, it will be essential to treat the underlying dysfunctional (and erroneous) thoughts, associated with the concept of perfection and imperfection.

That is, you should go to the root of the problem, and analyze with the patient what he understands by perfection and what understands by imperfection, since perhaps you have extremely rigid concepts (or simply, extremes).

It will be sought that he has a more realistic vision of things, and that he relativizes the importance of perfection. Thus, the treatment that is usually recommended is a cognitive therapy, based on cognitive restructuring.

1. Dysfunctional thoughts

Once these anomalous thoughts have been detected, work will be done so that the patient finds alternative thoughts to them (these being more realistic, positive and functional). We will also have to analyze the degree of pressure that the person himself sets himself, at a behavioral, affective, social level ...

2. Triggering stimuli

To do this, but, first we must know which stimuli specifically are those that cause anxiety in the patient (that is, it is not the same to always seek perfection in oneself, than to seek it in others, etc.). On the other hand, it is not the same to feel anxiety about imperfect things as it is about imperfect situations.

Based on these data, a therapy should be designed according to the patient's symptoms, not so much with the symptoms of the atelophobia itself. Ultimately, each patient is unique and will manifest the disorder in an idiosyncratic way.

Bibliographic references

• American Psychiatric Association -APA- (2014). DSM-5. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Madrid: Panamericana.

• Bados, A. and Vallejo, M.A. (ed.). (2005). Specific phobias. Behavior therapy manual.

• Castillero, O. (2018). Atellophobia (phobia of imperfection): symptoms, causes and treatment. Psychology and Mind.