How did you become such a perfectionist - and why it's not healthy.

Another way perfectionism can turn on people is if they apply it to an inappropriate area of their life, such as when a serious student decides to devote that same focus to dieting. Such devotion can lead to anorexia. [For more on the causes of anorexia, see “Addicted to Starvation,” by Trisha Gura; Scientific American Mind, June/July 2008.] The trait may also alienate others. Helen Russo, 60, of West New York, N.J., still regrets times when she remade beds or refolded laundry in front of friends who had been trying to help her. Some types of perfectionism may be particularly problematic in relationships.

SHOOT: Interesting piece I clipped below from a long article. Read it all at the link below.

clipped from www.scientificamerican.com Perfectionism may spring from parents who explicitly demand that kids live up to high standards. Alternatively, children of neglectful parents may imagine that doing everything right will help them get noticed. In some cases, children living in a chaotic household may aim for perfection as a way of establishing some control over an unpredictable environment. In addition, perfectionist parents may instill the behavior by example. Initially children may find that perfectionism works for them, says Roz Shafran, a psychologist at the University of Reading in England. “Maybe they’re not getting too much attention, so they work hard in school and get rewarded for it. The harder they work, the more careful they are, the better they do,” she says. “But then the situation changes.