Department of Clinical Psychology, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway.
Department of Clinical Psychology, Solli District Psychiatric Centre, Bergen, Norway.
Int J Qual Stud Health Well-being. 2023 Dec;18(1):2219513. doi: 10.1080/17482631.2023.2219513.
Under what life conditions do individuals turn to perfectionistic striving and ideals as a solution? The present paper examines how people with perfectionism narrate their relationship to our shared existential vulnerability; that we are vulnerable as human beings, and that the ways we relate to this vulnerability have consequences for psychological health. In the present qualitative study, we explored the life narratives told by nine students with perfectionism, drawing on semi-structured life-story interviews. We conducted an explorative-reflexive thematic analysis and identified five themes: 1) Outside-Feeling Alienated, 2) Relating to Chaos, 3) Trying to Control the Painful and Uncontrollable, 4) Islands of Just Being and Positive Contact, and 5) Heading Toward a Balance Between Doing and Being. Their perfectionism can be seen as a way of handling existential vulnerability at a point in their lives where relational resources needed to stay firm in a vulnerable state are lacking. Perfectionistic themes influence their personal identity in the domain of narrative constructions, values, belongingness, and embodiment. Accomplishments were dominant themes in the plots of their narrative self-constructions and values. They felt their "self-made" identities kept others at a distance. However, we also found strivings for a more fulfilling life with broader self-definitions.
个体在什么生活条件下会将完美主义追求和理想作为一种解决办法？本文探讨了完美主义者如何叙述他们与我们共同存在的脆弱性的关系；我们作为人类是脆弱的，我们与这种脆弱性的关系对心理健康有影响。在本定性研究中，我们探索了九名有完美主义的学生讲述的生活故事，采用半结构化的生活故事访谈。我们进行了探索性反思主题分析，确定了五个主题：1）外在的感觉异化，2）与混乱的关系，3）试图控制痛苦和不可控的，4）只是存在的岛屿和积极的联系，5）朝着做事和做人之间的平衡发展。他们的完美主义可以被看作是在生命中的某个时刻处理存在脆弱性的一种方式，在这个时刻，缺乏维持脆弱状态所需的关系资源。完美主义主题影响他们在叙事结构、价值观、归属感和体现领域的个人认同。成就一直是他们叙述自我构建和价值观的主要主题。他们觉得自己“自己创造”的身份让别人敬而远之。然而，我们也发现了他们对更充实生活的追求，有更广泛的自我定义。
