Imposter Syndrome

People who struggle with imposter Syndrome believe that they don’t deserve their achievements, and they don’t feel that others should hold them in high esteem. They feel that they are not as clever, competent, intellectual or even as kind as others might think. They also think and fear, that others will soon know the truth about them and that they will be “found out”. Usually, people with Imposter syndrome are often well accomplished, they probably have many academic degrees and perhaps hold high office.

So, what causes Imposter Syndrome?

Imposter syndrome usually starts with personality traits, for example, those who tend to be perfectionists or those who are very competitive.

When congratulated they will say “Oh it was just luck” or “I was just in the right place at the right time” These people very rarely acknowledge their accomplishments.

Those who are adult children of alcoholic or addicted parents can quite often struggle with Imposter syndrome. Just imagine, as a child, having to take a parental role, look after siblings, cook and clean, make sure the siblings are looked after etc…these people have grown up always thinking they haven’t done well enough. They grow up, not knowing HOW to get their needs met. They tend to suffer from depression and they are their own worst critics. As you can imagine, a person who has taken on a complete parental role from a young or teenage will probably strive to become the best he or she can be in adulthood – to be successful – not just in the workplace, but in their family and social life as well.

Imposter syndrome tends to affect women more than men. These women feel they are not good enough in anything they do. They feel their boss will soon find out they are a fraud, and that they are not up to the job. They feel their children will realise they are not a good mum when they grow up. This feeling of being a fraud comes from having to give out an air of competence and confidence as a child.

At times we can ALL feel a little impostorism- especially if we climb the career success ladder at a young age. However, around 30% of high achievers may suffer from Imposter syndrome, which is quite a high number!

Can one be diagnosed with Imposter Syndrome?

Imposter syndrome is not an official diagnosis in the DSM (Diagnostics and Statistics Manual) However, people may struggle with other mental health disorders such as anxiety, depression, or acute stress. Perfectionism tends to go hand in glove with Imposter syndrome, as people feel that they HAVE to perform at their very best ALL the time, and when they don’t or can’t, they get serious feelings of anxiety and incompetence. Many people also FEAR their success, because if they make a mistake, they will feel like a failure!

The five types

The perfectionist

You focus primarily on how you do things, often to the point where you demand perfection of yourself in every aspect of life.

Yet, since perfection isn’t always a realistic goal, you can’t meet these standards. Instead of acknowledging the hard work you’ve put in after completing a task, you might criticize yourself for small mistakes and feel ashamed of your “failure.”

You might even avoid trying new things if you believe you can’t do them perfectly the first time.

The natural genius

You’ve spent your life picking up new skills with little effort and believe you should understand new material and processes right away.

Your belief that competent people can handle anything with little difficulty leads you to feel like a fraud when you have a hard time.

If something doesn’t come easily to you, or you fail to succeed on your first try, you might feel ashamed and embarrassed.

The rugged individualist (or soloist)

You believe you should be able to handle everything solo. If you can’t achieve success independently, you consider yourself unworthy.

Asking someone for help, or accepting support when it’s offered, doesn’t just mean failing your own high standards. It also means admitting your inadequacies and showing yourself as a failure.

The expert

Before you can consider your work a success, you want to learn everything there is to know on the topic. You might spend so much time pursuing your quest for more information that you end up having to devote more time to your main task.

Since you believe you should have all the answers, you might consider yourself a fraud or failure when you can’t answer a question or encounter some knowledge you previously missed.

The superhero

You link competence to your ability to succeed in every role you hold: student, friend, employee, or parent. Failing to successfully navigate the demands of these roles simply proves, in your opinion, your inadequacy.

To succeed, then, you push yourself to the limit, expending as much energy as possible in every role.

Still, even this maximum effort may not resolve your imposter feelings. You might think, “I should be able to do more,” or “This should be easier.”

How to deal with it

If you feel like a fraud, working harder to do better may not do much to change your self-image.

These strategies can help you resolve imposter feelings productively.

Therapy

Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) can help you identify and replace negative or damaging behaviors learned in your past. It can be helpful to people with various mental health conditions.

CBT is largely based on the idea that your thoughts, emotions, and actions are connected. In other words, the way you think and feel about something can affect what you do. If you’re under a lot of stress at work, for example, you might see situations differently and make choices you wouldn’t ordinarily make. But another key concept of CBT is that these thought and behaviour patterns can be changed.

psychological issues are partly based on unhelpful ways of thinking
psychological issues are partly based on learned patterns of behaviour
those living with these issues can improve with better-coping mechanisms and management to help relieve their symptoms