Do you suffer from imposter syndrome?

Have you ever felt undeserving of your success or like a fraud who is just waiting to be found out? You aren’t alone, and in fact, many successful celebrities have admitted to the same feeling.

That “feeling” is called imposter syndrome, and is thought to affect high achievers and successful people who doubt their abilities despite evidence of their competence.

Last month, Oscar winning actress Viola Davis revealed that she struggles with the syndrome. Davis told ABC, “It feels like my hard work has paid off, but at the same time, I still have the imposter syndrome. I still feel like I’m going to wake up and everybody’s going to see me for the hack I am.”

“It’s associated with a lack of self-confidence. People with the syndrome have difficulty recognizing their self-worth,” says Dr. Leah Ustas, a psychiatrist with Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, Ill. “They might attribute their success to luck or fooling others into believing they are better at something than they really are.”

The psychologists who coined the term in 1978 thought high-achieving women in particular were affected by the syndrome; however, there is research supporting men are affected by this too, explains Dr. Ustas.
“If someone has difficulty changing their thinking, they have an increased risk of anxiety, depression and shame,” cautions Dr. Ustas. “It can negatively impact one’s job performance, as someone with imposter syndrome may not take on new responsibilities or challenges due to fear of failure or belief he or she isn’t good enough.”

She recommends the following tips to overcome imposter syndrome thoughts:

• Talk with a mentor and other people on the same career path as you, especially early on in your career. Your mentor may share similar successes or skills that you were just attributing to luck when they are really the result of knowledge and hard work.
• Self-reflect. Write down your accomplishments and things you’re good at. Also write down areas you can improve on and solicit feedback from others.
• Psychotherapy can be helpful if self-doubting thoughts continue.

Dr. Ustas says it’s important to know that imposter syndrome isn’t a mental disorder or diagnosis.