IMPOSTER SYNDROME

Meryl Streep an American actress thinks she isn’t good enough an actress and that why would anyone want to see her on screen?

Emma Watson an American actress feels uncomfortable getting the recognition for her childhood movies and now she feels like an imposter.

Such persistent thinking and thoughts that you are not worthy enough or doubting your talents and skills can be an indication of Imposter Syndrome. Imposter Syndrome is not rare as you think it is. Graduate Students getting an A in their degree but still thinking they do not deserve their dream job and start doubting their skills and talent can also be an indication of Imposter Syndrome.

What is Imposter Syndrome?

Imposter Syndrome also known as Imposter Phenomenon, Imposter Experience, Impostorism, Fraud Syndrome is a psychological term where a person doubts his or her capabilities and achievements and talents and is in constant fear of getting called- out or labelled as fraud despite having physical evidence. This is a psychological term first coined by Pauline Clance and Suzanne Imes in 1970s. Imposter Syndrome is not mentioned in DSM and ICD and the American Psychological Association.

Who and why does one suffer from Imposter Syndrome?

Imposter Syndrome is common syndrome, and anyone can suffer from this Syndrome. A skilled individual being one might see everyone as skilled as they are so they might feel they are not skilled or worthy enough. But this is not restricted only to skilled individuals but also other can feel the doubts about their talents rise as they see many skilled individuals showcase their talents.

Nowadays, internet being a platform to large number of artists to showcase their talent can become a helping hand of Imposter syndrome to induce the questioning of their worth and talent. It is important to note that Impostor Syndrome is not a recognised disorder but that does not indicate that is not real and it can or cannot be a sign of depression.

What are the signs/symptoms of Imposter Syndrome?

• Self-Doubt.
• Fear of getting labelled as fraud.
• Difficulty in processing your achievements.
• Being in fear of getting discovered or called out.
• Need to be a perfectionist.
• Praise can be associated with charm rather than talent.
• Being an over worker.
• Fear of success.
• Questioning your achievements and success.
• Comparing your achievements with others.

How common is Impostor Syndrome?

Impostor syndrome is quite common and according to the research around 70% of the population suffers from this Syndrome sometimes or other in their life.

What are the types of Impostor Syndrome?

According to Dr. Valerie Young who is an author of The Secret Thoughts of Successful Women: Why Capable People Suffer from the Impostor Syndrome and How to Thrive in Spite of It, the types of Impostor Syndrome are-

• Expert- The expert will not be at ease until he masters himself on the subject and will always be struggling and working to collect the knowledge. They will not weight their knowledge with quality but rather they will focus more on quantities.
• Perfectionist- Humans are not perfect and flawless and mistakes are what makes human, but a perfectionist will have hard time to grasp this. A Perfectionist will always try and make things flawless and in a way, it is good thing, but it starts to weight down on the negative and harmful when it exceeds the person just cannot accept that sometime mistakes happen.
• Soloist- being independent is everything for a soloist. As the name suggest the soloist would tend to work alone because he feels that if he deserves big position or promotion and that he is at a higher level, why would he need someone’s help as he should be capable of doing work on his own. This may not be the result of egoism but fear of being exposed as to if he needs help, his abilities are not enough for the position.
• Natural Genius– Try, try but do not cry simply does not work for a natural genius. They have an urge to complete the work and gain success in first try itself. Also, they judge their work not only with quality but also the time they take to finish it.
• The Superwoman/man- workaholism or being a workaholic is in their blood. they will compare themselves with others and keep on pushing themselves to meet others on the ladder of success.

What are the effects of Imposter Syndrome?

The impostor syndrome can have an adverse effect on human mind and brain. The person will drown himself in work and try to be a perfectionist which will tire him and can take a toll on his mental health. This can also give rise to extreme stress and anxiety can lead to depression. Impostor Syndrome can result into degradation of one’s mental health and sanity.

How can we prevent or cure Impostor Syndrome?

• Acknowledge your work- start acknowledging your work even if you feel you have not succeeded. It is important to give yourself a pat for all the hard work you have done.
• Help Others- When you feel you are not enough, try helping others out. When they will thank you for the help that you have given or provided them, that feeling help you retain your positive thoughts about your worth.
• Acknowledge the syndrome- Just acknowledging that you have impostor syndrome will work wonders than you can imagine.
• Journaling- Journaling might seem a long process but writing your emotions and thoughts will help you sort them out. Write all the kind things you do, and the kind words people have said to you with date. This will help you regain your worth and will control you from looking down upon yourself.
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• P.S. You are not alone. 🙂