The Infiltration of Imposter Syndrome

“Every time you doubt yourself, a door closes within, locking away pieces of you until your soul feels like an abandoned house.”

― Sean DeLaney

  For those that are not familiar, imposter syndrome is basically a sense of doubt or feeling as though you're a fraud on the verge of being discovered when it comes to your capabilities and skills. It manifests in various ways:

• you can feel undeserving of your achievements/successes. This can stem from a toxic history of perfectionism.

• it can be a sense you're not competent or intelligent enough as others may perceive you

• Some tend to procrastinate certain things that may lead to personal growth or career; starting off s advancement. Success = Responsibilities = Spotlight for mistakes...this is where fear seeps in.

It is not something you wake up with like a rash. Its more like a leak behind the wall. It's been there for a while, maybe years. Starting off small but then growing causing problems until it becomes bad enough you can't ignore it.

Is imposter syndrome a DSM V diagnosis....no!

Can it be connected to other mental health factors...yes! Anxiety, adverse childhood experiences, attachment wounds can play a role in imposter syndrome.

Essentially, whatever evidence there is to support your intelligence and capabilities, it doesn't match what you see in the mirror.

When there are mental barriers to you seeing your full potential, you miss opportunities in life that can foster growth.

I had a mentor tell me once, that when dealing with difficult people I should try to see what God sees.

What's in front of our faces can be deceiving. I feel you can apply this same tool on yourself for imposter syndrome. Try to see what God see's in you. Your potential, your achievements, your capabilities despite life experiences. Here are some tools that can help:

• Create a list of your achievements small and big (graduating, being a keynote speaker, single parent who put all your kids through college, starting a business, maybe you created a policy at work they still use to this day, maybe you got a place of your own without help, whatever! We often forget our bad ass moments...so when you need a pep talk from yourself that says "you are capable" revert to the list.

• Incorporate affirmations into your day. Put one on your mirror, meditate on one, journal about one, have one as your desktop photo. whatever helps you remember Some of

  

  these should encompass giving yourself grace or making peace with making mistakes.

• Seek therapy for those hard to reach places like addressing anxiety, attachment wounds, unhealthy habits of validating self worth, dismantling perfectionism.

Interested in Therapy?