Atelophobia is an obsessive fear of imperfection. Someone with this condition is terrified of making mistakes. They tend to avoid any situation where they feel they won't succeed. People with atelophobia judge themselves very harshly, often setting unrealistic goals. They may get upset about mistakes they've made in the past or mistakes they're afraid of making in the future. Atelophobia often leads to extreme anxiety, depression, low self-esteem or panic attacks. There are few studies about the prevalence of atelophobia, but phobic disorders are fairly common. Research suggests that about 12% of adults and 19% of adolescents in the U.S. experience a specific phobia at some point in their lives. They're about twice as common in afab as they are in amab.
People with a fear of imperfection may exhibit:
•Anger or irritability.
•Burnout or fatigue.
•Depression or sadness.
•Emotional detachment from others.
•Inability to accept criticism.
•Inability to concentrate on anything apart from their fear.
•Pessimism (negative outlook on life).
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Most phobic disorders don't have a specific cause but you are most likely to develop it if you had a traumatic experience, have a family history of phobias or have other phobias or anxiety disorders. People with atelophobia may also have other mental conditions, such as,
avoidant personality disorder, anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic disorder, paranoid personality disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and substance abuse disorders such as drug addiction or alcohol use disorder.
