Imposter Syndrome

“I have written 11 books, but each time I think ‘Uh-oh, they’re going to find out now. I’ve run a game on everybody and they’re going to find me out.” — Maya Angelou

Are there voices living rent-free in your head that make you doubt yourself constantly? Do you often fear that you are a fraud and are afraid that people are soon going to find out? Every small mistake of yours proves this fact to you. Do you often underplay your accomplishments and feel that it’s nothing great and even a monkey can do it? Do you believe that luck is responsible for your success? If yes, then you are suffering from a condition called Imposter Syndrome.

What is it?

Imposter Syndrome is a feeling of self-doubt and incompetence despite one’s accomplishments, success and experience. A person feels like a fraud. They fear that people will find this out and they will be exposed. They do not think they deserve their success and feel as if they are faking it. It is also called perceived fraudulence.

Studies show that 9-82% of the population suffer from this condition. It affects people from all walks of life despite their social status, success, background or expertise. However, high achieving individuals are more prone to suffer from this. The blame is often put on the individual and various societal, cultural and historical factors are ignored.

In 1978, psychologists Pauline Rose Clance and Suzanne Imes developed this concept. Their study focused on high-achieving women. They posited that “despite outstanding academic and professional accomplishments, women who experience the imposter phenomenon persist in believing that they are really not bright and have fooled anyone who thinks otherwise.” (Tulshyan, Burney, 2021)

In her book The Secret Thoughts of Successful Women, Valeria Young classifies people into five categories-

• Perfectionists set extremely high expectations for themselves. If they meet all their goals, but fail even a small task, they feel like a failure. It makes them question their authenticity and competence.

• Experts need to know every minute detail about a project before starting it. They don’t apply for a job if they do not meet all the criteria in the job description. They might be hesitant to speak in front of people as they are scared of being wrong or stupid. They are also constantly looking for ways to improve their skills or get certificates.

• Natural Genius feel that they are not good enough if they have to work hard or struggle to succeed in something. They are accustomed to acquiring tasks easily and feel like an imposter if they have to put in the effort.

• Soloists feel like a fraud or failure if they have to ask others for help. Their brain tells them that they must accomplish tasks on their own.

• Superman or Supergirl feel the need to achieve success in all realms of life and may feel stressed if they cannot do so. They work harder than the people around them to prove that they are not imposters.

Symptoms

While there are no specific symptoms for an official diagnosis, some common indicators are given below-

• It is often associated with generalized anxiety disorder(GAD), trait anxiety and social anxiety disorder. According to psychologist Audrey Ervin, most people with imposter syndrome have anxiety.

• Your past, present and future experiences are plagued with self-doubt and feelings of inadequacy.

• Despite your success, you fear somebody will expose you as a fraud.

• You attribute your success to luck or a fluke. You experience relief or distress when you should feel pride or happiness instead.

Why do people experience this?

There is no single answer to this question. Experts believe that imposter syndrome is connected to personality traits like anxiety, perfectionism or neuroticism. Some experts also believe family, culture and behaviour play an important role. One research says that it is characterised by families with high conflict and low support. Feelings of inadequacy, lack of sufficient recognition or praise during childhood can also cause this. They often internalise these ideas and reflect on them later in their life.

Ways you can overcome it

There is no single treatment for this condition. It requires constant mindfulness and cognitive behavioural strategies.

• The first step towards overcoming imposter syndrome is to acknowledge these feelings and thoughts. Try to put them in perspective.

• Anytime you have negative thoughts, ask yourself if it is actually true. Am I actually like this or are external variables making me feel this way? Are these thoughts helping me in any way?

• Celebrate your smallest success. Give yourself credit for even the smallest accomplishments. Over time this will give you a realistic picture of your status in life.

• Whenever you get these thoughts talk to someone close to you-a friend, your siblings, a mentor or a therapist. They can give you an outside perspective on your situation. They can help invalidate your false beliefs.

• Learn to value constructive criticism. Understand that if you don’t ask them for help, you are actually slowing them down and not helping them.

• Try to reframe your thoughts when you feel this way.

• A popular approach to overcome this condition is Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) which helps people reflect on their feelings and feel more compassionate for themselves.

References

• Abrams, A. (2018, June 20). Yes, Impostor Syndrome Is Real. Here’s How to Deal With It. Time. Retrieved March 23, 2022, from https://time.com/5312483/how-to-deal-with-impostor-syndrome/

• Tulshyan, R., & Burey, J.-A. (2021, November 22). Stop Telling Women They Have Imposter Syndrome. Harvard Business Review. Retrieved March 23, 2022, from https://hbr.org/2021/02/stop-telling-women-they-have-imposter-syndrome#:%7E:text=Examining%20Imposter%20Syndrome%20as%20We,they’re%20deserving%20of%20accolades.

• Psycom.net. (2021, December 22). What Is Imposter Syndrome? Psycom.Net - Mental Health Treatment Resource Since 1996. Retrieved March 23, 2022, from https://www.psycom.net/imposter-syndrome