What is Atelophobia: Fear of Imperfection – Causes, Symptoms, & Treatment

Atelophobia is the fear of imperfection. People with Atelophobia are very much concerned with their mistakes. Thus, they become prone to avoid challenging situations. Sometimes, this fear of imperfection becomes more intense, and people start getting severe panic attacks like other phobias. 

Scroll through this article to learn more about Atelophobia, its treatment option and how to overcome it!

As Atelophobia is a fear of imperfection, people with this phobia are afraid of making mistakes. Also, they fear they are not being good enough. As a result, they become sensitive to criticism, need constant reassurance, and often experience emotional detachment.

Low self-esteem and confidence have often been seen in people with Atelophobia. These people are generally introverted by nature and also depressed. Further, they lack social and communication skills. However, the potential symptoms that people with Atelophobia often face are of 2 types: physical and psychological. Physical symptoms are similar to the symptoms of specific phobias, such as:

• Excessive sweating
• Nausea
• Shallow breathing
• Restlessness
• Rapid heart rate
• Unconsciousness
• Dizziness
• High blood pressure
• Disturbed sleeping schedule

In addition, the psychological complications one may experience are:

• Panic and anxiety attacks
• Inability to accept any kind of criticism
• Extreme depression
• Being lonely and avoiding social gatherings
• Concentration problems
• Intense pessimistic attitude towards life
• Indecisiveness
• Procrastination

The causes of Atelophobia are as follows:

1. Genetics

Genetics plays a significant role in developing any kind of phobia. It has been proven that people with this specific phobia in the bloodline are more prone to getting Atelophobia.

2. Past Trauma

A previous trauma of imperfection or failure can also trigger Atelophobia. In addition, working or dealing with such things where people often face failure can also cause trauma that is responsible for Atelophobia.

3. Environmental Factors

People often develop Atelophobia because of exposure to environments with no space for mistakes. Thus, they do not learn how to deal with failures and imperfections and grow fear.

The possible risk factors of Atelophobia are as follows:

• Continuous failure
• Getting frequent criticism
• Previous history of phobia
• Inability to solve problems
• Less communication skill
• Introverted nature

Atelophobia is a specific phobia, and recent research has proved that it is a severe problem which causes people to face difficulties in problem-solving situations. In addition, they may grow other complications as well.

The complications of Atelophobia can be:

• Problems in day-to-day life
• Being alone and unsocial
• Substance use disorder
• Extreme depression by anticipating the future

Apart from these, people may develop other mental illnesses, such as,

• Avoidant personality disorder or avoiding social gatherings due to fear of rejection
• OCD or obsessive-compulsive disorder 
• Hypochondriasis or anxiety disorder
• Post-traumatic disorder
• Paranoid personality disorder
• Panic and anxiety disorders

Your mental health care provider will likely follow the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) to diagnose the symptoms of this phobia. As per this manual, a mental health doctor will check the following criteria:

• Whether you have been experiencing this for six months or more
• They will check how effectively this phobia obstructs your daily work
• Psychiatrists will also check your mental health history and find out if you have any underlying mental condition
• Doctors will analyse your behaviour towards others and society
• They will also review how intense your fear is and how often you get the traumatic experience due to Atelophobia

As per the intensity of your symptoms, you will get treatments from your physician. These treatments are essential to cure you completely of this phobia.

The treatments for Atelophobia can be medicinal and psychological. Medicines are helpful to cure the effects of symptoms, while psychological therapies are beneficial to go to the root of the phobia and cure it. Further, psychological processes also help to cure other underlying mental conditions. The treatment methods are as follows:

1. Medications

Different medicines are available to calm anxiety due to Atelophobia. These are as follows:

• Anti-Anxiety Medicines

Doctors may prescribe anti-anxiety medicines to prevent panic and anxiety attacks due to Atelophobia. However, you should not consume these medicines regularly or without a valid prescription.

• Anti-Depressants

It is widespread among people with this phobia to become depressed with the fearful anticipation of failing and imperfection. Thus, they will need some mood-boosting medicines to recover from this depressed condition. However, one should consume these drugs under strict monitoring by physicians.

2. Psychological Therapies

Effective psychological therapies for treating fear of imperfection are:

• Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)

CBT is an effective therapy for generalised anxiety disorder and OCD. This therapy is mainly for treating behavioural and cognitive issues related to Atelophobia. In this therapy, psychotherapists will help you to understand the reasons behind your imperfection. Also, you will learn how to defeat those with a positive attitude.

• Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction

This treatment is specifically for treating anxiety disorders due to Atelophobia. It will teach you to practise mindfulness through meditation and controlling yourself. So you can handle the negative thoughts regarding imperfection in a better way. 

Further, one can practise several other beneficial techniques along with mindfulness, such as relaxation techniques, etc., to calm anxiety and restlessness. 

• Exposure Therapy

Exposure therapy is another necessary remedy for curing this specific phobia. In this treatment, people get exposed to the elements of fear. So, for Atelophobia, psychiatrists will gradually expose people to their fear of failing and imperfection and ask them to be rational about this. 

Further, they will teach them problem-solving techniques and help them apply them in their daily lives. With exposure therapy, people generally become familiar with fear and find ways to overcome it.

• Lifestyle Modification

Modifying your daily lifestyle will be another way to heal Atelophobia. You can make a daily routine to be more organised and productive. Besides, you should also take a healthy diet to get proper nourishment and power to work perfectly.

Specific phobias can last from 6 months to several years or decades in 10% - 30% of cases. Thus, untreated Atelophobia can be a lifelong hazard and worsen the situation daily.

When to see a medical professional depends on how often you get panic attacks or anxiety. In addition, if you notice that you are becoming extremely pessimistic, which significantly hinders your daily life, you should consult a doctor. 

A doctor will check your physical health and ask questions to examine your mental health to provide an individualised treatment solution. 

If you follow the below-mentioned suggestions, you will be able to fight the adversity related to Atelophobia:

• Try to practise yoga and meditation daily to calm your senses and bring a healthy balance to your life.
• You can also practise focused breathing techniques that will help you avoid choking due to extreme anxiety.
• Accept failures and try to rectify those. 
• You can opt for aromatherapy. It can be another great solution to reduce stress and relax your nerves.
• Seek professional help as soon as you face severe nervous breakdowns.

We hope this article has provided enough insight into Atelophobia, its causes, symptoms and treatments. Remember that no matter the phobia, they all have a high success rate of curing with proper therapies and medicines. However, you need to recognise the symptoms early on and seek professional help so that the situation does not adversely affect your overall health.