Let’s Talk About Imposter Syndrome
Imposter syndrome has many names: imposter phenomenon, imposter experience, impostorism, or fraud syndrome. It doesn’t matter what you call it, it does not discriminate. Originally it was theorized that imposter syndrome only affects women and their levels of confidence1, but then it was discovered that anyone can experience imposter syndrome. In this blog post I will talk about imposter syndrome, my experience with it, and conclude with some tips to help cope with it. Keep in mind that I am not an expert in the field of psychology so my advice might not be tailored for your specific situation.
First, I want to explain that imposter syndrome is not a disorder or a type of disease. In a paper, “The imposter phenomenon: recent research findings regarding dynamics, personality and family patterns and their implications for treatment”, published in 1993, it was defined as an experience of feeling incompetent and of having deceived others about one's abilities. It is a psychological pattern and there is nothing wrong with you if you have experienced (or are currently experiencing) this. Many of my peers and mentors, myself included, know about imposter syndrome because they experience it to some degree.
Those who experience imposter syndrome usually suffer in silence because they are afraid to talk about it, especially when surrounded by high achievers whom they admire. Personally, I love to talk and I always have, so I try to communicate with my close friends when imposter syndrome begins to creep up on me. However, I’m not perfect at always expressing these feelings because sometimes it takes a while to recognize it.
So, let’s say you’re in a funk. Maybe your research experiments keep failing and imposter syndrome is making you feel incompetent at everything you’re doing. Being able to pinpoint the source of feeling down is the first step! However, it doesn’t make it any easier to talk about. One fear of speaking out could be that you don’t want to have your support system feel like your therapists. Another could be that the mere action of talking about it outs you to the public. These are understandable thoughts, but they aren’t good enough reasons to suffer alone. Initially, I was hesitant about writing this post in fear of outing myself as a fraud to my future PhD cohort, professors, or anyone else who would read this. Doesn’t that sound silly, though? Talking about your experience with imposter syndrome doesn’t change the reality that you are capable and deserve to be where you are today!
I remember first experiencing imposter syndrome in high school, and my parents helped me understand what imposter syndrome is and reassured me that even they felt like a fraud from time to time. This was truly surprising because I knew of my parents achievements and thought that successful people in their professions were somehow “immune” to it. I later learned that people such as Albert Einstein and Maya Angelou3 experienced imposter syndrome as well (so you are in good company).
Throughout my undergraduate degree, I experienced waves of imposter syndrome, and it felt like for the majority of college there were two main things that would occur. The first was that everyone, including myself, would discredit their own successes by saying it was just luck or “not a big deal” because we felt undeserving. However, I noticed that my friends would hype me up and get excited about my achievements, which would sometimes help me acknowledge my success. I think having friends who support you and want you to succeed is important in helping you value yourself and your achievements. But, there have been times where despite my support system congratulating me, I could not fully enjoy an accomplishment. The unfortunate truth is that there is no “cure” for imposter syndrome. All we can do is surround ourselves with good people and learn to cope with it so that in the future we don’t suffer alone for a long time.
Here are a few pieces of advice I have compiled to help cope with imposter syndrome:
Acknowledge it - Remember that whatever you are feeling is valid, but try to find the cause for that feeling. If you are feeling incompetent, like a fraud, or unworthy of your success, you might be experiencing imposter syndrome.
Talk/write about it - Rely on your support system and express your feelings to them. Hearing that they have also felt the same way at some point can help make you feel less alone. In addition to speaking to a trusted friend or family member, write about your feelings. Sometimes purging all of your self-doubt can help you move past it and tackle the next day.
Reassure yourself - Your support system has probably also told you how great you truly are, and while it can be hard to believe the kind things said about you, you should try. The reality is that your hard work has gotten you to where you are today. You are worthy of your success and accomplishments. You are capable of doing whatever you set your mind to and remember that almost everyone feels the same way at times.
Have realistic expectations for yourself - This doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t aim big. You should definitely say yes to big opportunities (even if they are scary). Just don’t beat yourself up if you don’t reach a certain expectation you had of yourself that wasn’t feasible (i.e. completing all three biological replicates of an experiment one after another, getting straight As, scoring the highest on a test, etc). No one is perfect so do your best and embrace human imperfections.
Consider seeking help from a professional - Perhaps you have been battling with imposter syndrome and/or other things for too long alone and need a bit more help. That is OKAY! Seek out help from a professional. Lots of health insurances include mental health services. Unfortunately, too many Americans don’t have access to health insurance, so if you are a student (with or without insurance), check out your university’s counseling services. COVID-19 most likely changed the format of therapy sessions but these professionals WANT to help! Make sure you advocate for yourself and get the level of care that you deserve.
If you would like to learn more, I have also included a short Ted Ed video that talks about imposter syndrome.
References:
Clance, Pauline Rose, and Suzanne Ament Imes. "The imposter phenomenon in high achieving women: Dynamics and therapeutic intervention." Psychotherapy: Theory, Research & Practice 15.3 (1978): 241.
Langford, Joe, and Pauline Rose Clance. "The imposter phenomenon: recent research findings regarding dynamics, personality and family patterns and their implications for treatment." Psychotherapy: theory, research, practice, training 30.3 (1993): 495.
Richards, Carl. “Learning to Deal With the Impostor Syndrome.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 26 Oct. 2015, www.nytimes.com/2015/10/26/your-money/learning-to-deal-with-the-impostor-syndrome.html.
