perfectionism is the need to appear perfect and although it can be helpful in some situations, like with anything, it can also become sabotaging and lead to stress, anxiety, depression and other mental health issues.

Brené Brown, a writer and research professor at the University of Houston Graduate College of Social Work, distinguishes between perfectionism and healthy behaviour - she says, "Perfectionism is not the same thing as striving to be your best - perfection is not about healthy achievement and growth." She explains that perfectionism is used by many people as a shield to protect against the pain of blame, judgment, or shame

some signs you may be a perfectionist:

• not taking on or being able to complete a task unless you know it can be done perfectly

• procrastination - delaying the completion of a task as it is not perfect

• the end result is more important than the learning along the way

• taking excessive time to complete

• 100% success is the only option

• trouble being happy for others who are succesful

as is often the case, perfectionism can be traced back to our family of origin and psychotherapy can help join the dots between our history and our current behaviour