Test for impostor syndrome and how to treat

The imposter syndrome is a psychological disorder in which the person is unable to accept and admit his achievements, because he believes that all his success and success are due to luck or because someone helped. Thus, the person believes that it is a fraud, and that at any moment someone will unmask it.

This syndrome is very common in young people at the beginning of their careers or in people who have competitive professions, such as athletes, artists and entrepreneurs or in professions in which people are evaluated and tested at all times, such as in the areas of health and education, and it usually reaches the most insecure people who internalize criticism and failures.

However, anyone can develop this syndrome, and at any age, being more common when one is in a position to be the target of performance judgments, such as when receiving a promotion at work or starting a new project.

Test to identify imposter syndrome

People who suffer from impostor syndrome usually exhibit 3 or more of the following behaviors:

1. Need to try too hard

The person with impostor syndrome believes that he needs to work hard, much more than other people, to justify his achievements and because he thinks he knows less than others. Perfectionism and overwork are used to help justify performance, but it causes a lot of anxiety and burnout.

2. Self-sabotage

People with this syndrome believe that failure is inevitable, and anytime someone experienced will unmask it in front of others. So, even without realizing it, you may prefer to try less, avoiding spending energy for something that you believe will not work and reducing the chances of being judged by other people.

3. Defer tasks

These people can always be postponing a task or leaving important commitments to the last moment, a situation called procrastination. It is also common to take maximum time to fulfill these obligations, and all of this is done with the aim of avoiding the time to be evaluated or criticized for these tasks.

4. Fear of exposure

It is common for people with imposter syndrome to always run away from moments when they can be assessed or criticized. The choice of tasks and professions are often based on those in which they will be less noticeable, avoiding being subject to evaluations.

5. Comparison with others

Being a perfectionist, demanding with yourself and always thinking that you are inferior or know less than others, are some of the main characteristics of this syndrome. It can happen that the person thinks he is never good enough in relation to others, which generates a lot of anguish and dissatisfaction.

6. Wanting to please everyone

Trying to make a good impression, striving for charisma and the need to please everyone, at all times, are ways of trying to achieve approval. The person can even subject himself to humiliating situations.

In addition, the person with impostor syndrome goes through periods of great stress and anxiety, because he believes that, at any time, more capable people will replace or unmask him. Thus, it is very common for these people to develop symptoms of anxiety and depression.

How the treatment is done

The treatment of this syndrome is done with psychotherapy, which helps the person to internalize their abilities and skills, reducing the feeling of being a fraud.

In addition, some attitudes can help control the symptoms of this syndrome, such as:

• Have a mentor, or someone more experienced and trustworthy to whom you can ask for sincere opinions and advice; Share concerns or anxieties with a friend; Accept your own defects and qualities, and avoid comparing yourself to others; Respect your own limitations, not setting goals unreachable or commitments that cannot be fulfilled; accept that failures happen to anyone, and seek to learn from them; have a job that you like, providing motivation and satisfaction.

Carrying out activities capable of relieving stress and anxiety, improving self-esteem and promoting self-awareness, such as yoga, meditation and physical exercises, in addition to investing in leisure moments are very useful for the treatment of this type of psychological alteration. Learn more tips on how to fight stress and anxiety.