Have you heard of impostor syndrome? The psychology world has deviated from that term because the experience is not a disorder or an illness. A more accepting term is “impostorism” or simply “impostor phenomenon.”
What is impostor phenomenon?
Impostor phenomenon was identified in 1978 by Pauline Rose Clark and Suzanne Imes as a condition that occurs when a person feels anxious and does not experience internal feelings of success, regardless of their outward experience. This can occur for someone even though they may be performing at a high level externally. Those experiencing impostorism often feel like a “fraud” or a “fake” and may doubt their abilities.
What causes impostor phenomenon?
Research shows that impostor phenomenon can be caused by a combination of factors, including family environment, social pressures, sense of belonging, personality, culture, language, ethnicity, gender, socio-economic status, religion, physical or learning differences.
Common Characteristics of Impostor Phenomenon
Some of the most common characteristics people can experience are self-doubt, undervaluing your contributions, attributing your success to external factors, self-sabotage, setting very high or unrealistic expectations, being fearful of not living up to expectations and experiencing burnout.
Five Cognitive Distortions and How to Challenge Them
Cognitive distortions are “errors” in our thinking, which we are all likely to have at times. As you read some of the most common cognitive distortions below, begin to pay attention to your own thinking. When you catch yourself having thoughts like these, try to correct them by recognizing the thoughts as errors in thinking. Consider replacing them with less extreme and more positive thoughts.
Five Common Cognitive Distortions
1. All-or-Nothing Thinking
This can be recognized as thinking in extremes, often characterized by the words “always” or “never.”
Example: “I never have anything interesting to say.”
2. Jumping to Conclusions
Also known as mind reading, jumping to a conclusion occurs when we imagine we know what the other person is going to say or think.
Example: “The class is not going to like my presentation.”
3. ‘Should’ Statements
This happens when you believe that things “should” be a certain way. It can also often create internal pressures.
Example: “I should know this by now.”
4. Comparison
This occurs when we compare ourselves to others and frame ourselves in a negative light. Everyone has a different background and life experiences, and it is not fair to compare ourselves to other people. A better approach may be to compare your present self with a younger version of yourself from a month ago, six months ago or even a year ago to recognize your progress and improvement.
Example: “Everyone in my group (class project, etc.) is smarter than I am.”
5. Catastrophizing
Catastrophizing occurs when we immediately think of the worst-case scenario that could happen.
Example: “Since I got a 70 percent on my first test, I will never pass the class.”
When you catch yourself having these types of thoughts, try to correct them by recognizing them as errors in thinking. Consider replacing them with less extreme and more positive thoughts.
How We Can Help
If you find that you need more in-depth assistance, there are several ways to find care, including:
- Calling the Counseling and Mental Health Center (CMHC) at (512) 471-3515.
- Calling the Crisis Line (512) 471-2255 for crisis situations.
- Accessing the Timely Care platform.
- Downloading the Thrive App to your device.
Yours truly,
Dr. Arna Erega, LPC
Counseling and Community Outreach Specialist
Feel free to reach out to Dr. Erega with questions at arna.erega@austin.utexas.edu.
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