What is Impostor Syndrome and How to Treat It

The impostor syndrome is a psychological disorder in which the person can not accept and admit his achievements because he believes that all his success and success are due to luck or because someone helped. Thus, the person believes that it is a fraud, and that at any moment someone will unmask it.

This syndrome is very common in young people in their early career or in people who have competitive professions, such as athletes, artists and entrepreneurs, or in professions in which people are evaluated and tested at all times, such as health and education, and tends to reach the most insecure people and internalize criticism and failure.

However, anyone can develop this syndrome, and at any age, being more common when you are in a position to be judged performance, such as when receiving a promotion at work or start a new project.

Test to identify imposter syndrome

People who suffer from the impostor syndrome usually have 3 or more of the following behaviors:

1. Need to push yourself too hard

The person with the impostor syndrome believes that they need to work harder than other people to justify their achievements and to feel that they know less than others. Perfectionism and overwork are used to help justify performance, but it causes a lot of anxiety and exhaustion.

2. Self-sabotage

People with this syndrome believe that failure is inevitable, and anytime someone experienced will unmask it in front of others. So, even without realizing it, you may prefer to try less, avoiding to spend energy for something you believe will not work and decreasing the chances of being judged by other people.

3. Postpone tasks

These people may be always putting off a task or leaving important appointments for the last moment, a situation called procrastination. It is also common to take maximum time to fulfill these obligations, and all this is done with the aim of avoiding the time to be evaluated or criticized for these tasks.

4. Fear of exposure

It is common that people with the impostor syndrome are always running away from times when they can be evaluated or criticized. The choice of tasks and professions are often based on those in which they will be less noticeable, avoiding being evaluated.

5. Comparison with others

Being a perfectionist, demanding with oneself and always thinking that he is inferior or knows less than others, are some of the main characteristics of this syndrome. It can happen that one feels that one is never good enough in relation to others, which causes a lot of anguish and dissatisfaction.

6. Want to please everyone

To try to make a good impression, to strive for charisma and the need to please everyone, at all times, are ways to try to achieve approval. One can even subject himself to humiliating situations.

In addition, the person with the impostor syndrome goes through periods of high stress and anxiety, as they feel that at any time, more able people will replace or unmask it. Thus, it is very common for these people to develop symptoms of anxiety and depression.

How is the treatment done?

The treatment of this syndrome is done with psychotherapy, which helps the person internalize their abilities and skills, reducing the feeling of being a fraud.

In addition, some attitudes can help control the symptoms of this syndrome, such as:

• Have a mentor, or someone more experienced and reliable to whom you can ask sincere opinions and advice;
• Share the worries or anxieties with a friend;
• Accept your own faults and qualities, and avoid comparing yourself to others;
• Respect your own limitations, not setting unreachable goals or commitments that can not be fulfilled;
• Accept that failures happen to anyone, and seek to learn from them;
• Have a job that you enjoy, providing motivation and satisfaction.

Performing stress-relieving and anxiety-enhancing activities that enhance self-esteem and promote self-awareness, such as yoga, meditation, and physical exercise, as well as investing in leisure time, are very helpful in treating this type of psychological change. Learn more tips on fighting stress and anxiety.