What is the prompt syndrome
With the term “Responsible syndrome“Reference is made to a phenomenon described in the late 1970s by the psychologists Pauline Clance and Suzanne Imes.
This expression refers to the perception of an internal experience of non -deserving personal success.
For this condition, personal skills and skills are constantly underestimated and, thus, the feeling of Do not deserve the positive results achieved.
This phenomenon, originally, has been studied as a characteristic of women who held successful positions. Currently, gender differences do not appear particularly relevant. However, it is common to detect this condition in people who cover important social and work positions.
The paradox of the syndrome
The typical paradox of the “Responsible syndrome“It concerns the fact that, whatever the success achieved, this will never be enough to question the experience of” immense “basic” immense “experience.
In fact, the people who suffer from it appear as unable to internalize certain skills or skills and successes obtained. These beliefs are waterproof to the contrary evidence for the presence of cognitive distortions that cause constant minimization in the perception of the sense of personal competence and value.
Common is the trend of attribute successes achieved, albeit repeated and remarkable, a external factors. Typically, fortune is identified between these factors, or the fact that other people overestimate the subject’s abilities.
Responsible and self -esteem syndrome
The “prompt syndrome” is typically associated with low levels of self -esteem and sensations of little personal value and inadequacy. Its name derives from a central element: the more or less generalized sensation to deceive others.
Due to this phenomenon the people who suffer from it they constantly fear being “unmasked” in their true nature And so that you can lose at any moment everything they have gained or built in terms of personal success.
Any test becomes a source of anguish because it could be the decisive to decree the wait and irremediable catastrophe.
The person is as if he lived constantly with the aim of achieving and maintaining high standards, but not for authentic interest to achieve important objectives. The aim of which it is moved is in fact relating to theAvoid being unmasked in its true inadequacy. This often involves attitudes guided by strong perfectionism.
For this, the successes reached rarely are associated with a perception of personal satisfaction or gratification. Filling the gap existing between self -perception and awards achieved is impossible.
The consequences of the fear of being unmasked
Finally, due to the fear of the exhibition, the person could act to act numerous avoidance (for example, of specific tasks or work challenges). Over time, these could lead it to build an existence below their own possibilities, with the sole purpose of preserving the risk of unmasking.
For everything described, it is evident that the presence of this condition is typically associated with consequences relevant for the subject and have a significant impact on the quality of his life.
Can be highlighted intense fear of judgment, constant comparison with others, fear of failure.
Just as generally perfectionism are highlighted, high levels of brood (for example, on possible hypothetical errors that could be committed in the future) and rumination (for example, on real or alleged mistakes in the past).
Generally, personal standards are excessive and theself -criticismwhen these are not adequately pursued, it is fierce.
Errors, even small entities, generate severe and unappealable guilty and the consequences have the connotation of the catastrophe.
Common is the presence of high levels of anxiety, fear and anguish (both associated with specific and generalized performances) and frustration, up to developing real depressive symptoms.
The care of the impostor syndrome
Although the syndrome does not correspond to any real diagnostic classification in psychiatry, the aforementioned characteristics can generate large suffering. A good psychotherapeutic intervention, of cognitive behavioral orientation is therefore recommended, which can lead towards a change in relatively short times.
Since the problem concerns personological aspects, there is no indication for drug therapies, at least that there are no high levels of consequent depression.
Bibliographic references
- Clans, PR, & Imes, S. A (1978). The impost Phenomenon in High Achieving Women: Dynamics and Therapeutic Intervention. Psychotherapy: Theory, Research & Practice15 (3), 241-247.
- McElwee, Ro, & Yurak, TJ (2010). Phenomenology of the impostor Phenomenon. Individual Differences Research8 (3), 184-197.
