addiction to approval Archives — Healthy Sense of Self

Is Perfectionism Feeding Your Addiction to Approval?

By Antoinetta Vogels | May 14, 2022 |

Striving to be perfect is a learned behavior based on an addiction to approval. Perfectionism is all about analyzing what you contribute or achieve and believing it isn’t good enough. Perfectionism is a strategy to feed the addiction to approval. Why is that? Not because it really is not good enough, but because of your…

What Happens When Nobody Talks About Mental Illness?

By Healthy Sense of Self | May 14, 2020 |

How many more self-inflicted deaths will it take to finally destigmatize mental illness in this country? As illustrated in a popular Ted-Ed Talk, 10 percent of American adults struggle with depression. Focusing our attention exclusively on outward manifestations of depression and mental illness, one of the most extreme examples being suicide, means we’re missing the…

Are You Ready to Release Your Addiction to Approval?

By Healthy Sense of Self | September 19, 2019 |

How do you know if you are struggling with approval-seeking behavior? If you feel stuck in your personal and/or professional life, it may partially be due to approval-seeking behavior or an “addiction to approval.” Are you reliable? Flexible? What about caring, confident, and assertive? Do you play well with others? Whether the approval of others…