Are You a Destructive Perfectionist?

Hi and glad you made it to the self-care zone! I begin this episode with a blog I wrote about vacations—guess I was inspired after taking my own last week. The facts are clear. Avoiding vacations can shorten your life, making you vulnerable to heart attacks. I share some data that’s legitimately scary! My guest, Dr. Margaret Rutherford is an expert on something that plagued me for years… perfectionism. (Is every I dotted? It every T crossed?) Did you know there is something called destructive perfectionism? It’s what separates the mere perfectionists from those who actively take themselves down, to their own detriment. If this rings a bell, listen and learn. Here are some of the things we chatted about: How she got into studying destructive perfectionism What is perfectly hidden depression The backgrounds that create this condition Constructive perfectionism v destructive perfectionism When is being extremely busy destructive The ten traits of hidden depression The treatment strategy for perfectionism and hidden depression May this serve as you reminder that self-care is ALWAYS a great idea… and you can go easy on yourself, friend. With love, RESOURCES Some Shocking News About Why You Really Need That Vacation Dr. Rutherford’s book, Perfectly Hidden Depression The SelfWork Podcast MORE ABOUT DR. RUTHERFORD Dr. Margaret Rutherford is host of The SelfWork Podcast and has been a clinical psychologist for over 25 years, practicing in Fayetteville, Arkansas. She began blogging in 2012 in order to make therapy and mental health treatment understandable and approachable. Her podcast, And her first book, Perfectly Hidden Depression: How to Break Free from the Perfectionism That Masks Your Depression was published in 2019 is currently being translated into seven different languages.