Judith R. Smith, Ph.D., LCSW, is a professor emerita at Fordham University, the author of Difficult: Mothering Challenging Adult Children through Conflict and Change, and a New York-based psychotherapist. She researches women’s issues as they age.
Mothers of adult children with serious mental illness or addiction may be frustrated that they can not do more to get their "kids" help. Joining a support group may be helpful.
When we fall prey to perfectionism, we think we’re honorably aspiring to be our very best, but often we’re really just setting ourselves up for failure, as perfection is impossible and its pursuit inevitably backfires.