Feeling Like A Phony

As the school year winds down and students are getting ready for the next semester or graduation, many are celebrating a job well done. However, for others, recognizing their accomplishments can be a struggle.

Imposter Syndrome is the internal feeling of being a phony—it's a feeling of not being as competent as others may perceive them to be. People who struggle with this syndrome have thoughts that their work or achievements have been accomplished through dumb luck rather than their actual skills and talents.

Imposter Syndrome is not a formal medical diagnosis; however, it is “a colloquial concept that is all too common, especially among college students and new emerging professionals and leaders,” according to counselor Steven Hryniewicz from Bismarck State College’s Mystic Advising and Counseling Center (MACC).

“More or less, almost every longer term client I’ve seen has struggled with [imposter syndrome] to a certain degree,” said Hryniewicz. The term is not officially in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, but Hryniewicz will sometimes label it if it's helpful for clients. This allows them to research more into the condition.

Just like every psychological condition, symptoms look different case by case, but there is a list of common symptoms that occur for people who are experiencing Imposter Syndrome. The condition often brings with it self-doubt that makes those that experience it believe that their work won’t live up to expectations. People experiencing Imposter Syndrome also tend to set goals that they can’t feasibly reach, causing them to either be disappointed when they fall short, or start a positive feedback loop of trying to overachieve. The constant berating of self worth and feelings of being a fraud can cause damage to self-esteem and confidence in school and at work.

For many who deal with Imposter Syndrome, counseling services are the best ways to fight the condition. At BSC, counseling for Imposter Syndrome is a common occurrence in the MACC. A few practices are commonplace when dealing with Imposter Syndrome. The two most common are the psychotherapy approaches of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). Both these techniques use different strategies to attack cognitive distortions.

“Cognitive Behavior Therapy—you are seeking to identify someone’s thoughts and where their thoughts are going wrong,” says Hryniewicz. “[CBT] targets those thoughts and tries to change them.” CBT is widely recognized to be a very effective method of therapy in general, and according to Hryniewicz, can be just as effective as taking medication.

In contrast to CBT, another strategy is ACT, which takes a different approach to addressing negative thoughts.

“Acceptance and Commitment Therapy looks not to change the thoughts themselves, but looks to change our relationship with the thoughts,” said Hryniewicz. The main goal of this strategy is to change how the person interacts with their bad thoughts and allow them to accept the thoughts as normal. By doing this, the person can feel more comfortable moving forward with their lives.

For students who may be struggling, Hryniewicz advises self-reflection to recognize any cognitive distortions. Recognizing the thoughts can help with normalizing and adjusting the thoughts. Most people will experience Imposter Syndrome throughout their life, but if the thoughts start having a negative impact on life, it may be time to reach out for help.

(Find on Page 3 of Mystician 83.8)