Social media isn't a realistic means of measuring success.
When you believe that you fall short of your peers, you may experience feelings of inadequacy, although these beliefs may not be accurate.
These unrealistic expectations, self-criticism, ineffective coping mechanisms, and unhelpful comparisons can frequently have a significant impact on how you feel.
Elevia Aderinoye, a clinical psychologist at Sea Psychologists, describes imposter syndrome as simply the feeling that you are a fraud in some aspects of your life, regardless of whatever success you may have had, such as in school, at work, or occasionally in relationships.
A psychologist at Changes Addiction Rehab in Northcliff Johannesburg, Tebogo Malatjie, told “IOL Lifestyle” that little research has been conducted on imposter syndrome because it has not yet been officially recognised as a disorder.
It has been suggested that some of the causes of the condition are related to the fact that people who suffer from the condition grew up in families where achievement was seen as a measure of worth.
She adds that it would be difficult for them to live up to those unrealistic expectations if their parents overpraise them when they achieve something and ignore or berate them when they fail.
Consequently, people develop the mindset that their worth is based on what they can accomplish. As a result, they always feel inadequate or unworthy, believing that others are much better than them, or that they are not worth this position, those marks, or any worthy achievement.
“Imposter syndrome is influenced heavily by the environment and societal pressures, in particular social media, which promotes constant comparisons to others. There is always something that someone my age is doing better than I am. We went to the same school, now they are living it up.
“Social media isn't a realistic means of measuring success.”
Dr Malatjie asserts that because this condition is not a mentally diagnosable disorder there is no cure, but rather managing techniques to help manage the condition.
She emphasises that it's important to understand it and be able to identify it in yourself.
Because if left untreated, imposter syndrome can result in conditions like crippling anxiety or depression. At that point, you'll need to see a psychologist so they can give you the tools you need to manage the disorder or any other disorder that may have arisen as a result of the stress and severity of imposter syndrome, she cautions.
“There’s a healthy level of stress that pushes you forward, but it becomes unhealthy when you're constantly depressed or anxious, both of which are harmful to your emotional and mental health,” said Dr Malatjie.
According to a collection of research, 59% of people have felt like an imposter at some point in their lives. It is particularly common in working professionals with demanding occupations.
Women who work in industries with a male predominant industry experience it relatively frequently, and the rate is significantly higher in marginalised groups.
She suggests that as soon as you start to feel like a fraud “be in your element, it’s important to determine what is the driving force behind your anxiousness. Ultimately, is it negative or positive?”
Learn to separate your feelings from reality, she advises, especially if you know that you are prone to these kinds of feelings.
You must mentally prepare yourself to be ready to identify and respond to them. Most importantly, you need to conduct a reality check-in with yourself to determine which feelings are real and which aren’t in line with your reality and counter these negative emotions by employing positive affirmations.
It's important to acquaint yourself with acceptance, do this by journalling, surrounding yourself with encouraging things and being aware of your resources and abilities.
“One big thing we need to know is that actual frauds do not have imposter syndrome. Ironically, the fact that you have imposter syndrome is an indication that you are not an imposter because imposters do not think they’re imposters.”
Knowing that hard work leads to positive results even if they’re not perfect, striving for perfection is a major contributor to imposter syndrome.
In reality, when we look at ourselves, we look down, but when others look at us, they take a more comprehensive view of us and see more than we do ourselves, and that’s what we need, said Malatjie.
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