Despite accomplishing quite a bit in her life (at least “on paper”), Jennifer never felt good enough. She was often told she did a great job, but she always felt like she was falling short in some way. No matter how many votes of confidence she received, she just couldn’t take in the positive feedback. Whenever someone gave her a compliment, it was as if it bounced right off and she only saw her tiny imperfections, which felt like complete failures. One night, her social media feed shared an article on ADHD and imposter syndrome, “Wait…that’s an ADHD thing?!?!” She thought.
It finally clicked. As an adult with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder), she had to work twice as hard to get where she was in life. The truth was, even with the best intentions, she had a history of making small mistakes and was prone to procrastination. While her mistakes might not have impacted the end results at work, they caused her excessive shame and fear that others would find out and view her differently. As she learned more about imposter syndrome, she began to understand how it can lead to chronic low self-esteem and self-doubt.
What is Imposter Syndrome?
Imposter syndrome is when your internal experience doesn’t match your outward behavior. The term was coined in the 1970s by Dr. Pauline Clance and Dr. Suzanne Imes to describe how people (especially high-achieving women) don’t feel like they deserve their success.
While they experience success, people with imposter syndrome constantly feel like frauds. They spend many sleepless nights worrying if they will get “found out.” Even if they have been promoted or received advanced degrees, they struggle to see those as achievements that are tied to their strengths (intelligence, strong work ethic, etc.), but rather something that happened “by chance.”
The Link Between ADHD and Imposter Syndrome
Studies show that Jennifer is not alone. Many adults with ADHD struggle with imposter syndrome. But why is this such a common pairing? Well, ADHD causes genuine struggles with time management, forgetfulness, organization, and motivation. As a result, many ADHDers have to work harder than others to achieve their goals.
The endless cycles of procrastination and then working in hyperdrive can be exhausting. Regardless of their achievements, many people with ADHD feel like their efforts aren’t effortless. Pulling all-nighters. Double, triple, ok quadruple quadruple-checking emails for grammar errors…it all takes its toll. ADHDers are prone to high work-related stress and burnout. As a result, they can’t fully experience accomplishments.
Imposter Syndrome and Rejection Sensitivity
Another link between imposter syndrome and ADHD is rejection-sensitive dysphoria (RSD), the chronic fear of being rejected that many ADHD individuals experience. Part of feeling like an imposter is the fear of loss in some way: losing support, being fired, or even losing your career somehow. Despite the facts, this excessive worry about being “found out” and consequently rejected causes many ADHDers to feel small and hide rather than to be assertive and confident.
Imposter Syndrome and Rejecting Praise
ADHD and imposter syndrome are clearly linked. Because ADHD and imposter syndrome are so strongly related, people with ADHD rarely feel proud of their accomplishments. So when a co-worker says “amazing job on that project!” it simply doesn’t sink into an ADHDer’s mind or heart. “Oh, yeah…but it was a team effort…” or “It would have been great if I didn’t misspell the client’s name in the Powerpoint.” Sound familiar?
Another reason that praise is so hard to accept is that many ADHDers spend a lot of time dwelling on their failures. In fact, sometimes their failures are all they see about themselves. This results in spending so many hours considering the things that aren’t going well that when things do go well, they don’t consider giving themselves some credit.
Coping with Imposter Syndrome
Once Jennifer started ADHD therapy in Columbus, Ohio with an ADHD specialist, she learned the unique ways her own life as an ADHDer caused her imposter syndrome. With the right tools, her self-doubt went away, and she was able to embrace her strengths. Here are a few examples of what she learned:
Name it.
In order to fix a problem, you need to know and accept that it exists. If reality tells you that you are achieving something worthwhile, but your mind is telling you you’re not, it’s time to overcome unstable emotional roadblocks and check into reality.
Find your people.
If imposter syndrome is an issue in your life, it may be helpful to examine who’s in your circle. Do those around you build you up or bring you down? ADHD people thrive in social and workplace settings that are supportive rather than overly critical. Even adding more people who give you validation more often than criticism helps.
Externalize accomplishments.
It can help to write down your accomplishments. Working memory issues due to ADHD make it difficult to even remember the good times. Find a way to remind yourself of your achievements. Write them on paper. Talk about them with others. You can even verbally remind yourself how far you’ve come and what you’re capable of achieving (because not everyone can do what you do as well as you do it).
Overcome ADHD Imposter Syndrome with Adult ADHD Treatment in Columbus, Ohio
Looking for more individualized support? You don’t have to feel like an imposter forever. ADHD-focused therapy can help improve confidence. Our counseling practice in Columbus, Ohio has caring therapists who specialize in ADHD testing and ADHD treatment. To start your counseling journey, follow these simple steps:
- Fill out the contact form to schedule a free 15-minute phone
- Meet with one of our caring therapists.
- Stop feeling like an imposter. Start embracing your accomplishments.
Other ADHD Services Offered at Focused Mind ADHD Counseling
Adult ADHD treatment is not the only service we offer at our Columbus, OH counseling practice. At Focused Mind ADHD Counseling, we offer a variety of mental health services, including ADHD testing. As an adult with ADHD, we know you may also benefit from anxiety treatment for ADHD, counseling for men with ADHD, or depression counseling for ADHD. You can also view our blog for more resources and helpful info.
