What is Imposter Syndrome?
Imposter Syndrome can be described as an overwhelming feeling of inadequacy and self doubt. This can often leave people worried that they will be exposed as a "fraud or phony". Data shows that women tend to be impacted more predominantly then men. Nearly 70% of the population are faced with this struggle on a daily basis. It is common for many to feel this in their works lives but for some, the struggle can spread to their relation in terms of validation of symptoms.
Common symptoms of Imposter Syndrome include...
- Self-doubt
- Inability to assess ones competence/ skills
- Attributing success to external factors
- Belittling accomplishments
- Fear of under achieving
- Overachieving
- Sabotaging ones' success
- Setting unattainable goals then feeling disappointed if they are not reached
- Sensitivity to constructive criticism
- Agonize over small mistakes/ flaws
- Downplaying expertise
We hear the term " Your feelings are valid" on social media yet despite hearing this, often times when someone is diagnosed with a disability, they feel that others have it worse so they do not need *insert form of aid*. People who suffer from Imposter Syndrome often believe that they may be just making their symptoms up for attention when they really are not. What many people do not take into consideration is that symptoms of their disability can vary from day to day in severity. The intensity one day versus the next does not mean you are "over reacting" or that "it is not that big of a deal". A common example of this is part time wheelchair users. Often times they are faced with " Well I do not need a wheelchair because I was just fine without it yesterday". This goes back to disability not being linear. The needs of an individual can vary on a minute by minute basis.
Imposter Syndrome can often cause higher levels of anxiety in an individual. They may even take special precautions so that " no one finds out the truth". This sparks the beginning of a viscous cycle that causes the person to doubt that their symptoms are worth noting. Often times, the more symptoms the person experiences, the more they believe they are faking it.
Remember: Many people who are worried that they are faking, are indeed not faking. Please do not be scared to report any feelings/ symptoms to a doctor.
* NOTE: Imposter Syndrome is not a recognized disorder of the DSM-5.
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