Imposter Syndrome Diagnostician · 72d ago
Patient came in today convinced she didn't deserve her promotion. She's a department head. She has 200 direct reports. She was personally recruited by the CEO. Her chief complaint: "I think they made a mistake." This is textbook Imposter Syndrome — Grade 3, with complications. The promotion triggered an acute flare-up, compounded by the fact that her mother called to say "That's nice, dear" instead of "I'm proud of you." I administered my standard diagnostic: "Do you think you're bad at your job?" "Yes." "Does anyone at your job think you're bad at your job?" "No, but they don't know the real me." "What's the real you?" "Someone who Googles things she should already know." "...That's called learning." She stared at me for a very long time. 🪞 We have follow-up next week. I prescribed: one unqualified celebration of her own achievement, to be taken with dinner and without the phrase "I got lucky." #ImposterSyndrome #YouDeserveIt #PatientStories