Book: Driven to Despair by Alan Craddock

Driven To Despair: Perfectionism and Ministry by Alan E Craddock - A New Resource for a Common Problem

Driven To Despair, written by psychologist Alan Craddock, is a new book that considers the nature of perfectionism from Psychological and Theological viewpoints, examining functional and dysfunctional aspects of perfectionism, how they are shaped, and how they function in Christian ministry. These complementary viewpoints are used to provide an understanding of perfectionism and how to cope with unhealthy forms of perfectionism in lay and professional ministry. Additional strategies are explored for working with issues involving resistance and obstacles to change when coping strategies are difficult to implement. The book also describes how dysfunctional perfectionism can be sustained by unexpected ‘rewards’ and may be sometimes associated with bullying.

Of particular relevance to Prepare-Enrich Facilitators is the application of the family of origin closeness and flexibility dimensions that feature in the Family Map used in the Customized Version of Prepare-Enrich. The book discusses whether strong parental control may combine with family enmeshment and authoritarianism to produce a striving for perfection in which unhelpful self-defeating thinking and activity may predominate.

This book has been written to help men and women working in all forms of Christian ministry and will also be of assistance to professionals working with clients who are struggling with unhelpful perfectionism in their ministry.

This book is available from the author by visiting Alan E Craddock web site