CULTIVATING MINDFUL SELF-COMPASSION TO COPE WITH IMPOSTER SYNDROME
Imposter phenomenon was first identified by Drs. Pauline Clance and Suzanne Imes in 1978 and later came to be known in pop culture as “impostersyndrome.” Dr. Clance and Imes describe imposter syndrome, which impacts up to 70% of people, as “an internal experience of intellectual phoniness” that persists despite objective evidence to the contrary. People who have impostersyndrome are often intelligent, successful people, but doubt themselves and their legitimacy despite their accomplishments resulting in a fear of being “found out.” This phenomenon can be explained by the Dunning-Kruger effect, which is a failure in self-awareness in which people with limited competence wrongly overestimate their knowledge, skills, or abilities, whereas people who are self-aware doubt themselves even when they are competent. This makes impostersyndrome common among high-achievers. In fact, imposter syndrome may even correlate with success. This is because accomplishments don’t disconfirm imposter syndrome. In fact, the more a person achieves, the more susceptible they may be to imposter syndrome. As a psychologist who specializes in acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), I see the goal in coping with imposter syndrome as psychological flexibility, which is our ability to show up to each moment fully aware of and open to our thoughts, emotions, sensations, and to engage in value-aligned action, rather than being inhibited by self-limiting beliefs and avoiding difficult feelings like failure and rejection by restricting our behavior. We don’t need to get rid of fear or self-doubt, we need to change the way we relate to it, with mindfulness and compassion, and do the things that matter most even if you feel like a fraud and experience failure and rejection in the service of your values. Learn how in this free, downloadable workbook!
PERINATAL MOOD & ANXIETY DISORDERS
Like puberty, pregnancy and postpartum involve significant biological changes, particularly the postpartum period, which is the most significant hormonal shift a person can experience. However, this is also a period of time that involves a host of psychological and social stressors.
Matresence, just like adolescence, is a time of transition, not just hormonally, but on a multitude of levels including shifts to a women’s role, responsibilities, and identity. This makes it a psychologically vulnerable time in which PMADs can emerge.
These disorders, which can emerge anytime during pregnancy as well as up to a year postpartum, include not only postpartum depression, but postpartum anxiety, postpartum OCD, postpartum PTSD, postpartum bipolar disorder, and postpartum psychosis.
As many as 1 in 5 women will develop a PMAD. In fact, PMADs are the number one complication of pregnancy and postpartum. Sadly, 75% of women with a PMAD do not receive help. Even more concern, of all developed nations, the U.S., has the highest maternal mortality rate with 25% of those death being mental health-related.
PMADs are not an exclusively hormonal phenomena but the result of a combination of physiological (e.g., genetic predisposition, sleep deprivation), psychological (e.g., relationship with one’s own mother, perfectionism), and social/environmental stressors (e.g., poor social support, financial stress, relationship strain).
While PMADs can impact anyone, risk factors include a prior personal or family history of a mood or anxiety disorder, past trauma/abuse, and certain medical conditions (e.g., diabetes, thyroid imbalance, and other endocrine disorders) as well as stress, lack of social support, marital conflict, being a single parent, financial stress, prior losses (i.e., miscarriages, stillbirths), a complicated pregnancy, even the child’s temperament (i.e., colic). Having PMS/PMDD can indicate you might be more suspectable to the hormonal changes associated with the postpartum period.
While PMAD’s effect 1 in 5 women, they can also impact men with 1 in 10 men developing a PMAD. This number increases to 50% if their partner had PPD. In men, PMAD’s can manifest differently (e.g., anger, substance abuse).
PMADs include postpartum depression but also postpartum anxiety, panic attacks, OCD, PTSD, bipolar disorder, and psychosis.
HOW ACCEPTANCE AND COMMITMENT THERAPY CAN HELP
ACT, which is pronounced as one word rather than A-C-T, to emphasize the importance of ACTion was developed in the 80s by Steven C. Hayes, Kelly Wilson, and Kirk Strosahl. It focuses on using acceptance and mindfulness strategies to change the way you relate to your thoughts and feelings while engaging in behaviors that align with your values. With its unique balance of mindfulness and acceptance-based interventions along with behavioral change or ACTion, ACT has a tremendous amount to offer mothers. ACT can help mothers:
• Learn how to use mindfulness to defuse from distressing thoughts.
• Accept difficult emotions with compassion.
• Identify their new values and engage in value-aligned ACTions.
Take "mom guilt', for example. This kind of guilt, if avoided, often results in mothers neglecting themselves and their own needs, leading to "mom rage." ACT can help mothers "unhook from thoughts such as "I am being selfish" and/or avoiding feelings of guilt such that they inhibit themselves from practicing self-care, but allow these difficult feelings with mindfulness and compassion, and engage in self-care ACTIons instead, which will help support them in being the mother's they want to be.
Without ACT: The Mom Guilt Mom Rage Cycle
With ACT: Breaking the Mom Guilt Mom Rage Cycle
To put it simply, ACT can help mothers be aware of unhelpful thoughts and open to difficult emotions without being controlled by them so that they can engage in valued-ACTion.
If you are interested in working with me please click the button below to schedule your free 15-minute phone call.
Please note that this information is intended for informational purposes only. It should not be used as a substitute for psychological or medical care. If you are looking for professional help, visit my resources page for guidance on how to find a therapist. If you are experiencing a mental health emergency, call 911 or go to the nearest ER.