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In brief, a time urgent perfectionist might also be called a "control freak." (See the list of characteristics in this articles first section.) Dr. Rodrigues reports that TUP is highly prevalent among what he calls "knowledge workers," referring to people who work in the processing of information.
According to Rodrigues, "Our particular infertility practice has 95% of women presenting with a TUP personality. 100% percent of these patients have endometriosis and a large percentage have related conditions such as hypothyroidism, raised prolactin levels, hyperinsulism and polycystic ovaries and anticardiolipin syndrome. These profiles fit the physiology of TUP."
The negative impact of a TUP personality occurs primarily when the individual experiences related stress (referred to as Time Urgency Perfectionism Stress, or TUPS). All individuals experience stress differently, both mentally and physically. Individuals with a TUP personality tend to experience stress in a manor that leads to unhealthy functioning of the immune responses. These unhealthy responses silently work at degrading the entire neuroimmune system until, eventually, disease is the result.
The TUPS researchers believe that individuals who find themselves relating to the TUP profile can learn new ways of responding to stress and, as a result, achieve better health.
As part of their research, Rodrigues and the Wolff's created a program which combines an audiotape,workbook, and textbook that has already been used very successfully in their own clinic.
"The reality of the program still sends shivers down my spine," says Dr. Rodrigues. "I'm primarily a conventional doctor. However, the reality of seeing a person enter a program as an input of complex symptoms and problems and exit as an output of resolved symptoms and problems is still hard to comprehend."
"Management of this particular stress leads to enormous benefits to people including health, fertility and personal benefits. We have extended this stress management to include other holistic factors including diet, vitamin supplementation and excercise. Treating the whole person is leading to less symptoms, controlled disease and increased fertility rates."
The doctors also believe that simply recognizing the TUP personality in a patient will expedite the diagnosis of endometriosis (the specific illness most closely correlated with the personality). At present, studies suggest that an average length of nine years passes between a woman's first complaints to actual diagnosis of endometriosis.
To allow others to benefit from this new information, the researchers have established an online survey that can help individuals identify themselves as TUP or not. Participants who complete the survey can access a free download of their book, Faster, Better, Sicker: Time Urgency Perfectionism Stress & Women's Health. The audiotape and workbook can also be ordered separately at the same site.
By completing the survey, you'll also contribute to the ongoing research which thus far represents about 6,000 women, including 1,500 who have gone through the related stress management program.
© Tracy Morris
