Imposter Syndrome: Why some of us feel like frauds and how to overcome it

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One of psychiatrist Dr. Shefali Batra's patients felt inadequate and fake, despite her accomplishments as a teacher and as a parent to two thriving school-going children. "She mentioned that she was occasionally upset and angry that she's overworked and that she really didn't want to spend so much time caring for the kids on the house," Batra recalls. "These thoughts aroused guilt, which subsequently made her believe that she wasn't good enough."

The feeling that you don't deserve something or that you aren't good enough to be successful - even when you have worked hard for it - has been experienced by many. According to some studies, a staggering 70 per cent of people worldwide internalise a fear of being exposed as a fraud despite ample external evidence of their competence. Experts call it the ‘imposter syndrome'. Even well-known and successful personalities like attorney and former US first lady Michelle Obama and Academy Award-winning actor Tom Hanks expressed that they have experienced self-doubt.

Dr. Shefali Batra

During her book tour, as reported by BBC, Obama in one of the events was asked how she felt about being seen as a "symbol of hope". She had replied, "I still have a little [bit of] impostor syndrome, it never goes away, that you're actually listening to me. It doesn't go away, that feeling that you shouldn't take me that seriously. What do I know? I share that with you because we all have doubts in our abilities, about our power and what that power is."

What is imposter syndrome?

The term was devised in the late 1970s by clinical psychologists Pauline Clance and Suzanne Imes. They noticed that high achievers doubted themselves and were convinced that they didn't deserve their well-earned accolades and would soon be exposed as frauds. According to Dishaa Desai, psychologist and outreach associate, Mpower, "The imposter syndrome phenomenon can be defined as ‘persistent feelings of self-doubt and inadequacy, despite evidence of success'." She further explains that it is not a clinical diagnosis but a pattern of thinking that can result in self-doubt, feelings of anxiousness and can chip away at self-worth.

One of the characteristics of this is the attribution of success to luck or any external factor rather than one's own skill or effort. "There are many factors that can contribute to this - familial and societal injunctions, systemic factors like gender norms, and patriarchy, to name a few," says Desai.

Low confidence or imposter syndrome?

Lack of confidence and imposter syndrome may have some overlap but they are not exactly the same. Psychologist and psychotherapist Hvovi Bhagwagar says, "Unlike low self-confidence where the person might actually be accurately assessing their capability, people with imposter syndrome grossly underestimate themselves, and peg their abilities much lower than what they are capable of."

As per Batra, everybody with a lack of confidence does not have imposter syndrome. But everybody with imposter syndrome definitely lacks confidence and the extent of this low confidence is so intense, that they actually label themselves as being a fraud and belittle every accomplishment of theirs.

Hvovi Bhagwagar

"What can be helpful is to reflect on the source of this feeling of under-confidence. Where is it stemming from?" Desai weighs in. "Are you feeling under-confident in a particular situation because you don't feel like you can contribute or have the skills? Or is it stemming from actually not having the requisite skills or knowledge in that situation?"

The mental health impact

Not experiencing a genuine feeling of satisfaction or fulfilment despite external praise or success, attributing success/positive experiences to luck or external factors and fear of failure are a few indicators of this phenomenon, according to the experts.

But this constant doubt of one's achievements and abilities, and the sense of unworthiness that arises as a result has a cumulative effect on mental health, says Desai. It can result in a deep-rooted sense of consistently not feeling good enough, anxiety, questioning if certain opportunities are ‘deserved', which can impact one's self-esteem and self-worth. "This can interfere in functioning over time and affect mood and may lead to anxiety and depression, in some cases," says Desai.

Bhagwagar states, "Imposter syndrome largely affects a person's professional growth. Employees might quit plum opportunities for fear of failing, or continue in unfulfilling jobs, or endure exploitation such as low salaries." She also adds that people going through this phenomenon may feel constantly on guard in relationships for fear of being "exposed", and this makes it difficult for them to have genuine close connections with others.

Dealing with imposter syndrome

Self-care and self-acceptance are essential tools for survival but acquiring them can be difficult. However, there are ways to improve one's self-worth. Desai says, "What might help is to actually create/write a timeline of all the significant milestones in life -- not just typical achievements but moments where there has been growth and learning. Engaging in this might help to actively challenge the notion that you are undeserving and not good enough."

Dishaa Desai

Desai further states that reaching out to friends and family to talk about it might also reduce the loneliness one might have felt initially. Knowing that others might also experience this can open up avenues to feel less alone.

According to Bhagwagar, because the roots of imposter syndrome lie in erroneous thinking, change needs to begin at the core. "So beliefs such as ‘I am not good enough' or ‘I need to be perfect' need to be replaced with more realistic estimates of self-worth such as ‘I am human, and allowed to make mistakes' or ‘I am fine as I am'."

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