Imposter Syndrome: “I Feel Like I'm Fooling Everyone”

Imposter Syndrome is a syndrome that has just gained meaning in the psychology literature and is explained with results based on clinical observation. Individuals suffering from this syndrome constantly feel intense pressure that they do not deserve the success they have achieved. They think that they got to where they are not by intelligence, talent, hard work, or perseverance, but by luck or coincidence, and therefore one day this will be revealed. This feeling of imposter exists independently of the person's academic achievements, social life, and where others see him/her.

If we ask how individuals understand that they are experiencing Imposter Syndrome, the following list may help.

In fact, if the facts and the individual's feelings are compared, there will probably be a big gap between them. Because these people may tend to see themselves as lower than their current position. Individuals suffering from this syndrome may feel tired and bored, as they are people who constantly see their own failures and cannot feel proud of themselves because they attribute their successes to luck. Therefore, their quality of life may also decrease.

When we look at the common characteristics of individuals with Imposter Syndrome, it is possible to see that they have achieved success in life. When looking at the reason for this situation, the strength of these people's beliefs that they will be inadequate plays a major role. In other words, individuals with Imposter Syndrome believe so much that they cannot succeed that they At the extreme, they find themselves as individuals who work very meticulously, for long periods of time, and seek perfection. Another intermediate feature will be that individuals withdraw from society and become lonely due to feeling like frauds. Their belief that their success depends on luck alienates people suffering from Imposter Syndrome from others, because they think that if they get together with others, they will reveal how unsuccessful, uncultured and empty they actually are.

Beliefs that they are not equipped enough make people doubt themselves and what they can achieve in life. As a result, they either over-prepare for the task they need to do, or they procrastinate and never finish the task. Over-preparation wears people out, while procrastination hinders the feeling of success and appreciation. People who cannot achieve a feeling of relaxation continue to doubt themselves because they cannot give themselves positive feedback. This doubt reinforces the need to continue working to accomplish the task, and we may return to overpreparation or procrastination. Imposter Syndrome can also bring mood disorders such as depression and anxiety.

In order to treat Imposter Syndrome, it is necessary to first find out where individuals acquire this self-doubt. It will probably be good for people to see that this feeling of inadequacy, the foundations of which are laid in childhood, is found and valid. These people, who believe that luck helps them, should embrace their successes, no matter how big or small, in order to discover their own efforts and talents.

 

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