Impostor Syndrome: When self-doubt makes you ill

“I am not good enough.” – “Soon I’ll fly up.” – Or: “Doesn’t anyone notice that I don’t deserve this promotion?” Anyone who has these thoughts regularly could have impostor syndrome, also known as impostor syndrome. A phenomenon that differs significantly from normal self-doubt, explains psychotherapist Dr. Michaela Muthig in the 465th episode of the podcast “important today”: “Impostor syndrome becomes pathological if it significantly affects the quality of life. If it prevents career opportunities or makes you ill.” Impostors are often caught in their own self-doubt, combined with high demands on themselves and a disturbed self-perception. This leads to badmouthing one’s own successes, explains Dr. Muthig: “When we get a reward, praise from the boss or a promotion, we usually learn from it: Man, we can do it, we’re good enough. And people with impostor syndrome don’t learn that.” This can lead to complications such as depression, anxiety disorders or burnout.

Michelle Obama, Christiane Arp and Tom Hanks are impostors

Absurdly, people are particularly often affected from whom the external environment would least expect it. Dr. Muthig: “Jodie Foster got an Oscar and then said she was waiting for someone to come and take the Oscar away from her because of a mistake.”

“important today”

Sure, opinionated, on the 12: “today important” is not just a news podcast. We set topics and initiate debates – with attitude and sometimes uncomfortable. Host Michel Abdollahi and his team speak out for this star– and RTL reporters with the most exciting people from politics, society and entertainment. They let all voices have their say, both the quiet and the loud. Anyone who hears “important today” starts the day well informed and can have a well-founded say.

Not only women can perceive themselves as imposters. With Tom Hanks or Albert Einstein, well-known and successful men are also affected by impostor syndrome. Because great success puts those affected under even more pressure to perform, explains psychotherapist Michaela Muthig: “The higher we get, the thinner the air up there, the more pressure we come under and are afraid that someone might find out about us. ”

“Impostor is not fishing for compliments”

dr Michaela Muthig is a specialist in general medicine and psychosomatics, was a senior physician at the University Hospital in Tübingen and has written a book about impostor syndrome: “And tomorrow I’ll be caught”. Around half of the adults have at least some of these thoughts, including Muthig herself. Talking to people she trusts helped her to open up her own image a little: “It gives you a different perspective.” In this way you can concentrate more on your own, measurable successes and change the focus. Because you usually have higher demands on yourself than on others, says the psychotherapist: “It’s not about being perfect, it’s about being good enough.”

Your subscription to “important today”