This week, Sophie tackles the concept of Imposters Syndrome, inviting us into an open conversation about its symptoms and factors, as well as its history in society.
Imposter’s Syndrome is gradually becoming a term which is circulated in conversation, but its ‘official’ definition is still hazy, which motivated me to write this piece – in an attempt to add clarity to the term. Through conversations with friends and family, I realised how few people realised these symptoms are recognised, and so I really want to raise awareness of this.
THE TERM
It was firstly identified in the 1970s, by clinical psychologists Suzanna Imes and Pauline Rose.
The way that I would explain Imposter’s Syndrome to someone who is not familiar with the term would be by keeping in mind the words ‘phony’ ‘fraud’ and ‘inadequate’. The condition is characterised by constant anxiety and worry. You feel like you have fooled people into believing you are someone you are not and wherever you are you continually feel like you do not reallybelong. You might also have the fear that others with realise your fraudulence.
Surprisingly, despite its pervasiveness among individuals, it is yet to be recognised as a disorder in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.
SYMPTOMS
Below are some of the negative symptoms Imposter’s Syndrome generates, as it is evident these are created as a result inadequate or a failure:
- Constant critiquing over yourself, your performance, your work – as if nothing is ever adequate or satisfactory.
- Self-doubt: Imposter Syndrome can be detrimental to a person’s self-esteem, by making a person question their value and intelligence.
- Accounting your successes to “pure luck” or as a “fluke”, dismissing and downplaying your talents: by installing the mindset of denial, you feel that you cannot possibly have achieved something off your own accord.
- Setting challenging/unrealistic goals for yourself: a person with impostorism believes that they are “not good enough”, often in a work setting or general life, a person will create difficult and in most cases unattainable targets.
- Anxiety and depression: in the long term the tiresome cycle of Imposter’s Syndrome can fuel feelings of anxiety and depression which can become serious and debilitating.
THE FIVE DIFFERENT TYPES
Not until researching into this area did I become to be aware that it is an umbrella term, and there are actually five different types of Imposters Syndrome…
- The Superhero (this is the person who overworks themselves, who always believes that they should do more to compensate for their feelings of inadequacy)
- The Natural Genius (you believe that others can deal with anything in an easy way with little struggle, and when you cannot do the same you feel like a fraud. As well you put pressure on yourself for things to come naturally to you, and when then do not you feel embarrassed and ashamed)
- The Expert (for example before an exam, you will spend a large amount of time preparing for the task by trying to learn absolutely everything about that topic as possible. If in the exam you come across a question you are unable to answer you consider yourself a failure)
- The Perfectionist (someone who is never satisfied with themselves or anything they do. This is down to the fact that they focus in on, and are fixated by their flaws and the minor details, instead of the bigger picture)
- The Soloist (feeling of inadequacy arise when you cannot handle something by yourself, asking for someone’s help is an explicit sign of failure and inadequacy to others)
FACTOR WHICH CAUSE IMPOSTER’S SYNDROME
This area of research has interested scientists greatly and it has recently been affirmed that Imposters Syndrome does not discriminate between of race, gender, or class. Individuals from all avenues of life can experience these effects.
However, researchers do believe that there are certain factors which can trigger Imposter’s Syndrome…
- Perhaps impostorism might develop from the way a person was parented in their childhood: they may have experienced pressure to do well in school, mistakes were criticised heavily and/or compared to siblings.
- Certain personality traits such as being a perfectionist or having low self-belief/confidence etc., can make a person increasingly prone to experiencing IS
- Existing mental health symptoms: having depression and anxiety might mean that you already experience feeling of low self-confidence and a sense of displacement, symptoms of IS.
- New roles/jobs/ transitioning to somewhere new: when arriving at a new opportunity (which could be academic or career based), there is anxiety around not living up to expectations and/or the worry that others will be more skilled and competent than yourself, which will not be able to match.
Following on from the previous point of believing that you don’t really belong in your academic or professional environment, Imposter’s Syndrome is prolific among universities students, and after speaking to friends they said that there is a certain amount of pressure around attending university, especially a Russell Group University such as Nottingham.
Like myself, they said that on a regular basis they question how exactly they have managed get to this position. We talked a lot about feeling insufficient and inadequate in comparison to others who seem to be so much more intelligent and knowledgeable than ourselves. I think there was a shared consensus that among us all, we had all or were still questioned our right and belonging to such an institution.
COPING AND TAKING CONTROL
Imposter’s Syndrome is something that is crucial to point out and make familiar with people across all groups. As mentioned before, it is part of a much more serious mental health picture which needs to be talked about.
For many individuals it comes as a surprise that the feelings of not belonging, doubting yourself and the fear of being found out in every situation are not just signs of insecurity, but actually is a recognised phenomenon.
Imposter’s Syndrome is something that can easily be eliminated through one conversation.
Communicating with people you trust is the primary key to dealing with Imposter’s Syndrome. Recently I have had first-hand experience of this through conversations I have had with friends, as it turns out it is something many of them experience like myself, particularly at university. I found this equally negative and positive sign, as it is sad that feelings unworthiness, particularly at university were so prolific among them. However, positive in the fact that we had opened up and were sharing similar feelings and anxieties. I came to realise that more often than not people close to you are going through the same emotions as yourself.
You cannot fear the fear that is holding you back.
I think that acceptance is important in taking control, particularly the acceptance that perfectionism is impossible, and the realisation that no one is ever completely perfect.
Finally, although it is difficult to cease comparing yourself to others, you have to at some point move away from those thoughts and realises that you are you, and no one is the say. You have skills and talents that other people have not and vice versus, but that does not mean you are any less deserving to be in a position than anyone else.