Is impostor syndrome a mental illness?

Even though this condition is called a syndrome, this is not a medical diagnosis. There is no such illness – an impostor syndrome. Rather, it is a quite common collection of feelings and experiences.

Back in 1979, psychologists Pauline Clance and Suzanne Imes described this phenomenon as “an internal experience of intellectual fraud”. It often happens to those who for whatever reason cannot accept and internalize their success. 

Here are some signs indicating that you may have an impostor syndrome:

– you cannot calmly and joyfully view your achievements – they seem to you undeserved;

– it seems to you that in some strange way you are misleading and deceiving everyone;

– in your opinion, people overestimate you, and in reality, you are nothing special;

– if there is a success, you attribute it to luck or chance, but not to your efforts, intelligence, and competence;

– you feel embarrassed when you are evaluated as smart, competent, professional, talented, etc. – you want to dispel this delusion;

– you worry that you will be “exposed” and everyone will realize that they were mistaken about you;

– you are afraid and avoid any situation where you will be evaluated.

Does this sound familiar? If yes, we feel for you. Living with such fears and anxieties is not easy. And if you chronically devalue yourself, you will feel small and insignificant. In addition, if you feel like an impostor, then you can give up many opportunities, believing that you are unworthy of them, that you will not be able to manage. And missed opportunities can ultimately lead to a wasted life. We don’t need that, do we?

Where does this condition come from? As almost everything in our lives – from childhood.

Dipti’s parents always considered her less intelligent than their second daughter, Rashika. They believed and often said out loud that Rashika was smart, and Dipti — well, she’d better get married as soon as possible and have her husband support her, since higher education is not for her. In reality, Dipti studied quite well at school, although her parents believed that the teachers gave her good grades out of kindness.  Then Dipti studied to be a doctor. She got a job in a prestigious clinic – but her parents did not change their opinion. Now Dipti is well-known as a good specialist. People are lining up to see her – they must wait for a few weeks to schedule a visit. But deep down, Dipti considers herself a very mediocre doctor and wonders why no one notices this.

And here is an aopposite example. Jared’s mother proclaimed him to be an expert in any field. And he was used to believing her. However, when in high school he was faced with the fact that he was not the smartest and coolest, it was rather painful for him. It was difficult for him to realize it, but he hid it from his parents. He didn’t want to destroy the idealized image in his mother’s mind. But he considered himself nothing special… just mediocre. 

Here are some interesting facts about being an “impostor”.

• Impostor Syndrome may appear in one area and be absent in another.

• Impostor Syndrome is the curse of many really smart and talented people. A huge number of famous people considered themselves to be impostors. Among them are Albert Einstein, American astronaut Neil Armstrong, actress Jodie Foster, and writer Neil Gaiman.

• People prone to impostor syndrome are often perfectionists and neurotics.

So how to overcome this misfortune?

1. Do not hide from your feelings and emotions – the more you run from them, the faster they will overtake and drown you. Sharing feelings is helpful. In addition, this way you can understand that you are not alone in your experiences.

2. The experience of imposture arises from our emotional part, so we need to fight this by engaging the rational part. When feelings of self-deprecation overwhelm you, remember your real achievements: getting a medal, graduating with honors, successful completion of a project, feedback from grateful clients, etc. Get a folder and collect evidence of your successes.

3. Work on your beliefs. Write down everything that comes to mind: “I’m just lucky, therefore things work out for me”, “What I can do – anyone can do”, “I don’t deserve kind words/awards/gifts”. Replace them all with the opposite. Do it in writing – this is how our brain perceives and assimilates information better.

4. Remind yourself that you have the right to make mistakes. People with impostor syndrome do not allow themselves this luxury.

If it is difficult to deal with all this on your own, you should seek the help of a specialist.