Helping Kids and Teens with Perfectionism

Perfectionism. It’s a word that, as a society, we tend to hold in high regard. We associate it with people who are overachievers and have high standards. These individuals appear to have it all together and never seem to make mistakes. All great attributes, right?

The challenge is when the standards become unrealistic. Perfectionism is a personality trait in which someone has unreasonably high standards, tends to be overly critical of themselves and fears failure.

This episode opens with candid insight from Andy who works as a project manager for our finance team. From a young age, he was driven to excel in the classroom and on the soccer field. From the outside looking in, Andy had it all. He had great relationships with family and friends, he was excelling in his studies at the University of Georgia, and he played on his college soccer team. Meanwhile, he was silently struggling with depression and thoughts of suicide. Thankfully, Andy decided to speak up and ask for help.

For Andy, having parents who actively listened and provided a safe, open space to share his feelings made all the difference.

The discussion also features tips and insights from Jody Baumstein, a licensed therapist with our Strong4Life team who has a gift for helping families navigate conversations about mental and behavioral health.

If you suspect your child—no matter their age—is showing perfectionist tendencies, this is an episode not to miss. Any thoughts of suicide should be taken seriously. Call or text 988 if you or a loved one are experiencing thoughts of suicide, self-harm or any mental health crisis. You can also chat or text for support by downloading the MyGCAL app in the App Store or on Google Play. 

For more about this episode and our podcast, visit www.choa.org/podcasts.

To learn more about Andy and his story check out this video: Stories of Resilience: How Listening Made All the Difference

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Created by Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta
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This podcast is for general informational and educational purposes only. It is not to be considered medical advice for any particular patient. Clinicians must rely on their own informed clinical judgments when making recommendations for their patients. Patients in need of medical or behavioral advice should consult their family healthcare providers. In the event of an emergency, call 9-1-1 or go to the nearest emergency department. Product mentions are not endorsements.