What is imposter syndrome and how to deal with it?

Imposter syndrome is a very common psychological disorder that in the 70s was considered to affect women more. Its root lies mainly in the basis of upbringing and evaluative critiques of society, particularly family ones, and also in the professional and personal achievements achieved.

In the following article, we give you all the information you need about imposter syndrome disorder, as well as how to overcome it.

What is imposter syndrome?

The imposter syndrome or also called fraudsyndrome, is considered by many specialists as apsychological disorder in which, the person feels that it is a fraud against theachievements he has achieved.

In this state, people feel that their professional success is not the product of their own effort, but has arisen due to the intervention of external factors such as luck(1). For this reason, they live in constant fear, for fear of being discovered in some way andbeing considered a fraud. (2)

According to a web publication, it is thought that seven out of ten workers suffer from this syndrome at some point. The symptoms of imposter syndrome range from the belief of deserving of their own professional achievement, to disbelief in their own abilities.

To highlight: At present, imposter syndromeis not considered a pathologyof psychological origin and therefore has no defined treatment beyond the practice of some self-improvement therapies.

What are the causes of imposter syndrome?

The factors that give rise to imposter syndrome come from thoughts and experiencesthat people have gone through in their work, family or social relationships. Here are the most relevant ones:

1. Childhood and childhood experiences

Undoubtedly, The previous experiences that men and women have gone through during their upbringing have defined and perhaps shaped their personalitytag. One of the most common mistakes is to overestimate their abilities and achievements, turning them into people with a relative, false reality.

It can also happen when caregivers make very complicated demands on the child and he never manages to achieve them, feeling that he is unable to meet the expectations set.

Note: This parenting situation can give way to psychological disorders such as chronic depression and anxiety .

2. Excessive self-demand

Impostor syndrome can manifest itself in the perfectionism of a personwho sets very high standards for their achievements. Generally, this type of person tends to suffer during their lives, since there isa very strict attachment to the things they do and it is reflected very frequently in the workplace.

This situation of perfectionism creates almost unrealizable expectations in the individual, establishing in him the fear of not reaching the proposed goals, even if he does, he never believes that he has done enough.

This is how perfectionists are never satisfied with their achievements and prefer to focus on their mistakes and failures, and commonly fear being discovered, characteristic of impostor syndrome.

Note: This situation can give way to a psychological pathology called atelophobia .

3. Gender stereotypes

Since the publication of this behavioral disorder before scientific society, the gender stereotype in which women are more affected by this syndrome has been cultivated. (3)

Women, despite being an expert, with great abilities and significant experience, feel less intelligent than men , attributing their success to other external factors, and these are commonly due to family and social constructions that describe how behavior should be. Women’s. should be.

However, after interesting conclusions, it was determined that men also suffer from this syndrome , only that due to social conditions, they cannot manifest it before society because they are considered weak for many activities.

To highlight: At present it has been proven that it affects people of both sexes equally.

How do you know if you have impostor syndrome?

Like all conditions and disorders of human behavior, The Impostor Syndrome Shows Symptomsthat can tell us if we suffer from it. We mention the most common:

1. Lack of confidence and insecurity

One of the main symptoms of the impostor syndrome is that the individual feels a sense of doubt and is not up to the task in terms of the things he does or does, commonly manifested in the field of work or academics.

This situation causes in the individual a feeling of incapacity and incompetence, believing that the success achieved is not related to their abilities, but because of luck.

Important: Any feeling of insecurity and lack of trust in people may reflect symptoms of an underlying psychological pathology.

2. Feeling of mediocrity and fear of being found out

Mediocrity occurs when someone does not do a job with the minimally acceptable quality and value. People who suffer from impostor syndrome often feel that they present their work poorly, despite being rewarded with merit for their success.

This feeling creates an environment where individuals feel a constant fear of being discovered as an impostor and being treated by people as a fraud, undermining their confidence to do any job.

3. Pressure to prove that you are successful

When you feel the obligation to show that you are a reliable individual and of concrete achievements, even having an academic and work career with consolidated successes, surely and without your own knowledge, you are suffering from this syndrome.

That pressure to prove what you already are, can arise from the lack of moral compensation of the environment, leading you to think that you are an impostor, can even be caused by unhealthy criticism from people.

Note: These situations can lead to a deterioration in mental health, including physical health.

4. Unfounded negative emotions

Another symptom that the presence of impostor syndrome may have is that you periodically show frustration, fear, disappointment or discomfort without apparent motivation.

To highlight: This can demonstrate the level of insecurity and fear of facing a possible scenariowhere you are classified as an alleged impostor. Also the feeling of feeling incompetent at work despite the successes achieved, can cause negative thoughts.

Undoubtedly, the demonstration of negative emotions may be a reflection of the symptoms of impostor syndrome.

How to overcome impostor syndrome?

There are some strategiesaimed at overcoming the impostor syndrome. We mention them below:

1. Acknowledge the problem

One strategy with which we must begin is to recognize that we have a problem and that we must face it to correct this behavior.

Assuming that we suffer from this syndrome, it will help to know what our strengths and weaknesses are and with greater precision we can successfully face this situation.

Note: At some point, people are afraid to directly face their problems and find it difficult to correct them or seek professional help to treat this syndrome.

2. Appropriately accept successes and failures

Receiving, evaluating and assimilating in a wise way the consequences of success and mainly learning from them, will make us grow as individuals and as professionals.

All our actions translate into achievements and failures and making them our own effort is of vital importance to strengthen our self-esteem, and thus know that what we do is well done, and never underestimate our potential.

Important: Both success and failure must be sources of experience and learning and, in this way, shape our behavior and overcome this syndrome.

3. Avoid comparisons

At times, we have had to make comparisons of our professional success with that of others, falling into self-criticism, where we underestimate our scope, questioning our competence to carry out the same tasks.

This situation creates doubts in us, that everything we have achieved is the product of luckand we feel sufficiently incapable in front of others. This situation should be avoided and should never serve to damage our self-esteem.

Note: Thus, this syndrome tends to demolish both our aptitude and attitude, turning us into passive people before society.

4. Set realistic goals and objectives

In order to keep track of the activities you do, itis important to have realistic objectives and goals that you can measure. With this you will have the opportunity tomeasure your achievements daily and what you have done to fulfill them.

This action, apart from giving you complete control, will make you feel safe and that the things you do are not the product of luckbut of your competition. Be the protagonist of your own success; never give prominence to the comments of others, beyond those that are constructive and never faint.

5. Ask for help if necessary

This situation really creates a number of doubts , that individuals think that their result after working so hard, is not up to the demandsof others. People with this disorder suffer day by day and believe in their own failure.

Important: It is propitious then, the Search for help from specialists sufficiently trained in the application of strategies that help you get out of this situation, even the family core and friends can provide you with the help you need.

Key Findings

• Is
• Individuals with this disorder believe that they are a failure and a fraud to others.
• This syndrome can be suffered by individuals of both sexes and occurs very frequently in the professional field.
• His approach to overcome it consists of strategies such as acceptance and recognition of successes and failures, as well as setting realistic goals.