When we believe that mistakes and setbacks are linked to who we are as a person and our self-worth, then even the smallest of failures will trigger shame and the urge to give up, withdraw, hide away and block out the excruciating feelings. This happens a lot for perfectionists. There is a focus on being enough in the eyes of others and assuming that those others demand nothing less than perfection. If I fail then I am a failure. If I lose then I am a loser. However small and temporary that setback may have been.
