The lived experience of partners of perfectionistic people

Abstract

The main aim of this study was to address the lived experience of partners of perfectionistic people. An in-depth understanding of perfectionism was made possible through the literature available. Four partners of perfectionistic people were interviewed. The essence of the participants' experience was captured through an interpretative phenomenological approach. Several mutual themes regarding the partners' experiences were identified, which were then analysed and interpreted in an attempt to provide a better understanding of those involved in perfectionistic encounters. The findings illustrated that being in a romantic relationship with a perfectionistic person may have both positive and negative aspects. Limitations in order to evaluate the quality of the research, and recommendations for further work related to my findings were suggested.