Impostor Syndrome Part 1: The Facts

Photo Credit: Stefanie Borys

What exactly is impostor syndrome? According to my trusty resource Wikipedia impostor syndrome is:

"Impostor syndrome is a psychological pattern in which people doubt their accomplishments and have a persistent, often internalized fear of being exposed as a "fraud". The term was coined in 1978 by clinical psychologists Pauline R. Clance and Suzanne A. Imes. Despite external evidence of their competence, those exhibiting the syndrome remain convinced that they are frauds and do not deserve the success they have achieved. Proof of success is dismissed as luck, timing, or as a result of deceiving others into thinking they are more intelligent and competent than they believe themselves to be. While early research focused on the prevalence among high-achieving women, impostor syndrome has been found to affect both men and women, in roughly equal numbers."

Impostor syndrome affects both men and women equally. While it is very common among very successful people, anyone can experience impostor syndrome at any point in their life. It is not categorized as a mental disorder by the Diagnostic ans Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). 

Symptoms can include:

• perfectionisim
• overworking
• undermining one's own acheivements
• fear of failure
• discounting praise
• anxiety
• stress
• depression

You may be experiencing impostor syndrome if you:

• go overboard on tasks and goal setting
• experience job dissatisfaction
• avoid asking for a raise
• self-sabotage
• attribute success to outside factors
• worry that you won't live up to expectations
• avoid extra responsibilities
• stuck in an "impostor cycle" where you experience thoughts like "I must not fail." "I feel like a fake." and "I just got lucky."
• become more worried about being "found out" with each success you experience.

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There are five different types of impostor syndrome. I found that I have experienced more than one in the past.

1. The Expert- The expert will not feel satisfied when finishing a task until they feel that they know everything about the subject. Experts continuously hunt for new information which prevents them from finishing tasks and projects. People who won't apply for a job because they do not think that they meet requirements fall into the "expert" category.
2. The Perfectionist- Folks who aim for perfection are susceptible to higher levels of anxiety, doubt, and worry. Those feelings are even more intense when they fail to meet their often unattainable high standards. Perfectionists are usually very unhappy with the work that they produce. It never feels good enough to them. Perfectionists tend to focus on things that they could have done better instead of celebrating the things that they did well.
3. The Natural Genius- Natural geniuses typically have no problem mastering new skills quickly and really well. When they fail to grasp a new skill, they feel ashamed and weak. Natural geniuses have a hard time understanding that not understanding or being able to perform something right away is not unusual. Once a skill is learned, most people need to continue to build on it in order to master it. Like riding a bike.
4. The Soloist- Like the name suggests, the soloist prefers to work alone and tends to believe that asking for help makes them incompetent. They will also commonly turn down help so that they can prove their worth as an individual.
5. The Superhero- The superhero often excels in all areas because they push themselves super hard. The amount of work that they stack on their plate often leads to burnout which effects their physical and mental health, well-being, and relationships with others.

While impostor syndrome can affect anyone at anytime, certain people who encounter certain experiences are more likely to be affected. Some of the risk factors for impostor syndrome are:

• People who have experienced a recent raise or promotion.
• Those who grew up with a gifted sibling. Their feeling of inadequacy often stay with them through their adult years.
• Children who are looked at as "the smart one" are taught that they are superior in intelligence, appearance or talent. They can quickly develop impostor syndrome when they inevitably need to struggle to live up to their perceived standards.

So what can you do? Talking about your feelings with someone you trust like a family member, therapist or friend is always a great place to start. Talking about impostor syndrome helps to separate your reality or how you perceive things from actual reality. Sometimes when I say something out loud that I think in my head I really understand how far from the truth it is.

Keep a journal of your successes and accomplishments. Writing them down as they happen helps you to create a physical representation of your achievements which makes them seem more real.

Challenge you negative thoughts. When something pops into your head, tell yourself that it is not true. Or say the opposite of whatever it is. Ex: "I can do this." instead of "I can't do this."

Shutting down the negative thought cycle is one of the most important things you can do to overcome impostor syndrome since a large part of it is just the thoughts of being an impostor.

Stay tuned for Part 2 of my impostor syndrome series. I will share my personal experience with the disorder.