Perfectionism is one of those traits that can look impressive from the outside: driven, detail-oriented, high-achieving. But for many people, perfectionism becomes exhausting. It can turn simple tasks into endless loops of checking, revising, or delaying until things feel just right.
So, what is perfectionism really, and how does it tie into OCD?
Perfectionism means setting unrealistically high standards for yourself and then judging yourself harshly when you don’t meet them. Psychologists describe two main sides of perfectionism:
Perfectionistic strivings: the drive to meet very high personal standards.
Perfectionistic concerns: the fear of making mistakes, disappointing others, or being seen as imperfect.
While striving can sometimes help people achieve, worry, guilt, self-criticism and perfectionistic concerns, can often lead to stress, burnout, and increased anxiety.
Clinical psychologist Roz Shafran describes clinical perfectionism as tying your self-worth to achievement: “My value depends on how well I do.”
Perfectionism often develops from a mix of personality, environment, and beliefs. Common drivers include:
· Fear of uncertainty: The idea that if something is perfect, it’s safe and predictable.
· Need for control: A way to manage anxiety by controlling outcomes or appearances.
· High expectations: From parents, workplaces, or cultural standards that equate worth with achievement.
· Self-criticism: Believing you’re only as good as your latest success.
Over time, these beliefs create a cycle of striving and self-doubt that can be hard to break.
Perfectionism and OCD share a common theme: the need for certainty. People with OCD often describe a “not-just-right” feeling. A sense that something is incomplete, uneven, or not done correctly.
This drives repetitive behaviours like checking, arranging, counting, or rewriting until things feel right. These are called Not-Just-Right Experiences (NJREs), and research shows they’re strongly linked to perfectionistic concerns.
In other words, perfectionism doesn’t just coexist with OCD, it can maintain OCD. For example:
· Checking rituals to ensure something is “perfectly” done.
· Avoiding exposure tasks in therapy for fear of “doing it wrong.”
· Giving up on treatment when progress isn’t “perfect enough.”
Perfectionism can interfere with OCD recovery when clients feel they must do therapy flawlessly.
Perfectionism can make OCD therapy harder. People may:
1. Try to “do therapy perfectly,” over-monitoring every step.
2. Avoid or delay exposure tasks for fear of not doing them correctly.
3. Restrict exposures to very specific scenarios instead of generalizing to real life.
4. Feel hopeless when progress isn’t linear or complete.
These patterns can reduce motivation and increase self-criticism, even when therapy may be helping.
The good news is that perfectionism can change, and when it does, OCD symptoms often become easier to manage.
Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy (CBT) for Perfectionism
CBT helps people identify and challenge unhelpful perfectionistic beliefs. You might test assumptions through behavioural experiments — for example, sending an email without rereading it ten times, or leaving a small mistake uncorrected to see what actually happens.
Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP)
ERP, the gold standard for OCD, naturally reduces perfectionism by helping you tolerate imperfection. Instead of trying to complete a ritual perfectly, you practice stopping at “good enough” and sitting with the discomfort.
Acceptance-Based Approaches (ACT or Mindfulness)
ACT helps you focus on values rather than flawless performance. It encourages you to notice perfectionistic urges without obeying them — to choose progress over perfection.
Perfectionism isn’t about having high standards. It’s about tying your worth to meeting them.
Recovery involves learning that good enough really is good enough. It means letting go of the chase for certainty and choosing flexibility, progress, and self-kindness instead.
As you practice this, in therapy and daily life, you may notice that your life feels much more grounded, present, and meaningful.
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