How Perfectionism Leads To Substance Abuse

A woman struggles with perfectionism.

Some people may abuse drugs to cope with feelings of stress or loneliness, while others may abuse drugs to cope with mental health issues. In this article, you’ll learn more about how perfectionism leads to substance abuse. While not everyone who deems themselves to be a “perfectionist” struggles with addiction, some people who struggle with perfectionism can unfortunately struggle with substance abuse. 

At Hammocks on the Edisto, we are a top-rated women’s drug rehab that offers personalized support to best meet your unique recovery needs. Our compassionate team of addiction specialists and mental health professionals are here to help you every step of the way along your recovery journey. We offer a wide variety of holistic and evidence-based addiction therapies to support your recovery journey. Ready to start your road to recovery? Contact us today!

7 Ways Perfectionism Can Lead to Substance Abuse

Research suggests that perfectionism is increasing, especially among young people. Perfectionism essentially is a constant striving to be perfect. Because being perfect is impossible and an unrealistic expectation, perfectionism can inevitably lead to feelings of stress, low self-esteem, and the need for approval from others. Keep reading to learn more about how perfectionism leads to substance abuse below. 

Constant Stress

Inevitably, constantly striving to be perfect when being perfect is impossible to achieve can easily lead to feelings of stress and anxiety. Some people who struggle with perfectionism may not know how to handle these unrealistic expectations and feelings of stress. Therefore, they may turn to drugs or alcohol to cope with these feelings.

Afraid to Ask for Help

Many people who struggle with perfectionism and addiction may also be afraid to ask for help. This is because many may perceive asking for help as not living up to being perfect/ being too vulnerable. Therefore, unfortunately, many people who struggle with perfectionism and addiction struggle in silence. 

Need for Approval

Oftentimes, people who struggle with perfectionism may also be striving to do so to gain the approval of others. Because it is impossible to control how others perceive you, this constant need for approval is out of your control which can be stressful to a perfectionist and lead some to abuse drugs to cope.

Hypercritical of Yourself & Others

Many perfectionists can also be hypercritical of themselves and others. Therefore, they may mask or try and hide that they are struggling, and thus abuse drugs alone/ secretly for fear of being judged by others in their life.

Fear of Failure

Perfectionists have a fear of failure or not measuring up to the perfect expectations/standards that they set for themselves. Therefore, if they do “fail’ this can lead to a slippery slope of managing their feelings of being a failure by abusing drugs which can inevitably lead to drug dependency and addiction. 

Burnout and Exhaustion

Because perfectionism is impossible to achieve, this can quickly lead to burnout and exhaustion because you are constantly striving to achieve an unrealistic standard/expectation for your life. This striving to be perfect can be tiring on your mind and body, and lead you to abuse drugs to try and cope with the exhaustion.

The Constant Need to Perform Can Be Overwhelming  

Last but not least, constantly feeling like you need to perform and be perfect is overwhelming for anyone. Eventually, these feelings will consume your life, and many people may then turn to drugs or alcohol to try and cope with these feelings of overwhelm and anxiety in their life. 

Help Is Available at Hammocks on the Edisto

Now you know more about how perfectionism leads to substance abuse. Although not everyone who struggles with perfectionism and unrealistic standards/expectations has a substance use problem, unfortunately, some people who do may abuse drugs or alcohol to cope. If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, it’s critical you seek professional help to safely and effectively break free of addiction.
At Hammocks on the Edisto, we are here to help you receive the one-of-a-kind treatment to lead a healthier, happier life. We offer a wide range of treatment options to support your addiction recovery and mental health needs. Whether you struggle with alcoholism, depression, anxiety, or a co-occurring disorder, we’re here to help you safely overcome addiction and manage your mental illness symptoms. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you lead a healthier, happier life.

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