Thoughtful Thursday: Impostor syndrome

Understanding Impostor syndrome

• Imposter syndrome involves feelings of self-doubt and inadequacy that occurs when people are unable to internalize and accept their success. Despite external indicators that validate their success, there is a lingering doubt that they’re not enough.

• Most who experience this tend to suffer in silence. It is commonly experienced by professionals, especially in the medical field.

• When untreated, it can lead to burnout, depression, and anxiety. It tends to affect our work as well. Ex: if I doubt that I am good at my profession when I actually am, I will find it difficult to act in my role and might underperform instead.

Relationship to PDs

Even after being diagnosed with a disorder, people might experience imposter syndrome. In this context: a fear of being called out for pretending to have something you don’t. This is especially made difficult because disorders tend to be somewhat ambiguous in their criteria. And not everyone with a specific personality disorder will exhibit the same characteristics. It can be invalidating and anxiety-provoking being in that position.

Few things to keep in mind when you’re dealing with Imposter Syndrome

• Recognizing various signs of success as evidence.

• Recognizing perfection is unrealistic. Everything is a process. To grow, you need expectations but they also need to be reasonable.

• Seeking help is a strength, not a weakness.

Questions

Q1. Have you experienced Imposter Syndrome? How does it affect what you do?

Q2. Any other thoughts about the topic?

References

Arleo, E. K., Wagner-Schulman, M., McGinty, G., Salazar, G., & Mayr, N. A. (2021). Tackling impostor syndrome: A multidisciplinary approach. Clinical Imaging, 74. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clinimag.2020.12.035

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