All people worry to some extent. When someone doesn’t seem to be worried about real risks, that can be a problem. We come equipped with an inclination to be afraid of things that might actually hurt us, so that we can protect ourselves.
Feeling that you need to try to do many things, or everything, perfectly can impair your ability to enjoy your life. Yet people who are perfectionistic often don’t recognize the degree to which striving for perfection is a problem, because they use the rationale that it’s a good thing to do your best as much as possible.
Personality disorders are different from psychological problems that may come and go, depending on circumstances, such as depression. According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV), “a Personality Disorder is an enduring pattern of inner experience and behavior that deviates markedly from the expectations of the individual’s culture, is pervasive and inflexible, has an onset in adolescence or early adulthood, is stable over time, and leads to distress or impairment.”
There are two times in the life of a couples relationship when seeking the help of a therapist can be optimal. One is when the first sign that an area of conflict is repeating between the two people and the other is prior to marriage. In the first case, the “couple” does not have to be romantically linked, but could also be two people in a family or business partners.
