The Imposter Loop.
Reviewed by Shariq Refai, MD, MBA
Imposter syndrome is the persistent feeling of being a fraud who will be found out, even when there's clear evidence of your competence. It's a widely recognized experience, but it isn't a formal clinical diagnosis.
I want to be plain about this up front. Imposter syndrome isn't a diagnosis, and you won't find it in the DSM. It's a name for a pattern a lot of capable people recognize in themselves. The pattern is what this page is about.
How the loop starts
It usually starts with a real challenge. A new job, a promotion, your first presentation to people who seem to know more than you do. You're not sure you can pull it off, so you prepare. Hard.
Then it goes well, and instead of "I did that," you think "I got lucky," or "they didn't look closely," or "it only worked because I put in three times the hours a real expert would." Pauline Clance and Suzanne Imes described exactly this in 1978, in high achieving women who couldn't take in their own success. Researchers have since found it in men and women across a long list of fields.
What keeps it going
The overpreparing is the engine. Because you worked so hard, the success gets filed under effort or luck, never ability. So the next challenge feels just as risky as the first one, and you overprepare again. Every win becomes proof that the method works. None of it becomes proof that you're good.
The belief underneath never gets tested, because you never show up with a normal amount of preparation to see what happens. Praise makes it worse. Each compliment feels like the bar went up, and being found out feels a little closer.
What it costs you
Time, first. People in this loop put in far more hours than the task needs, and sleep is usually what gets cut. It also costs you the chance to enjoy anything you've earned.
A 2020 systematic review of 62 studies found impostor feelings commonly show up alongside depression and anxiety, and in some studies alongside burnout and lower job satisfaction. Some people stop going after the next opportunity at all, because another success is just another chance to be exposed.
A way out you can try today
Pattern. The next time a good result comes in, catch the sentence you use to explain it away. Luck, timing, "they were being nice." Write it down word for word.
Pause. Before you accept that explanation, stop and ask what you'd say if a colleague had done the exact same thing.
Reframe. Write one line that credits something you actually did: a decision you made, a skill you used. It'll feel false. Write it anyway.
Act. Pick one upcoming task and prepare the normal amount, on purpose. Then look at what actually happened. That's the test this loop never lets you run.
If the dread before a big day turns physical, the five-minute reset will get you through the morning without adding another hour of prep. For the thinking habits underneath, Shrinkopedia has a good page on low self-esteem (opens in a new tab).
This is one of the loops the full shrinQ Program trains you to work with. The Pattern Library has the rest.
A worked example
A composite example. It's built from a pattern I see often, not from any one person's story.
Arun was just promoted to lead a team of eight. His first quarterly review goes well, and his director says so in front of everyone. Arun's first thought: they needed somebody and I happened to be there.
Pattern. That evening he notices he's already planning to spend Saturday building a backup deck for next quarter. Nobody asked for one. That's the tell.
Pause. He stops and writes down the sentence he used on himself: "I was just in the right place."
Reframe. Next to it he writes one line: "I rebuilt the release schedule in March and we hit every date." It's true, and it's his.
Act. He skips the backup deck. Next quarter he prepares the way the job actually requires. The review is fine. The fraud feeling is still there, a little quieter, and now he has one data point that isn't about luck.
Questions people ask me about this
Is imposter syndrome a real diagnosis?
No. It isn't in the DSM-5-TR, and it isn't something a clinician diagnoses. It's a pattern of thinking that a lot of capable people recognize. That doesn't make it trivial. If it comes with anxiety or low mood that won't lift, those are worth getting evaluated.
Who gets imposter feelings?
Lots of people. Clance and Imes first described it in high achieving women, and later research found it in men and women across many fields. Estimates of how common it is vary widely, partly because studies measure it with different scales. It shows up a lot at transitions: a new role, a promotion, the first year of training.
When should I talk to someone about it?
If it's costing you sleep, keeping you from going after things you want, or it comes with anxiety or low mood, talk to a clinician. There isn't strong trial evidence for any one treatment of imposter feelings themselves, but anxiety and depression are very treatable, and a good therapist can help you test the beliefs that keep this loop running.
If you're in crisis or thinking about hurting yourself, call or text 988 in the US, or call 911 if you're in immediate danger.
Sources
- Clance, P. R., & Imes, S. A. (1978). The imposter phenomenon in high achieving women: Dynamics and therapeutic intervention. Psychotherapy: Theory, Research & Practice, 15(3), 241-247. (opens in a new tab)
What it supports here: The paper that first described the imposter phenomenon and the habit of crediting success to luck or error. - Bravata, D. M., Watts, S. A., Keefer, A. L., Madhusudhan, D. K., Taylor, K. T., Clark, D. M., et al. (2020). Prevalence, predictors, and treatment of impostor syndrome: A systematic review. Journal of General Internal Medicine, 35(4), 1252-1275. (opens in a new tab)
What it supports here: A review of 62 studies. It found impostor feelings in men and women, with prevalence estimates ranging widely, links to depression, anxiety, and burnout, and little trial evidence on treatment. - Mak, K. K. L., Kleitman, S., & Abbott, M. J. (2019). Impostor phenomenon measurement scales: A systematic review. Frontiers in Psychology, 10, 671. (opens in a new tab)
What it supports here: A review of the scales used to measure imposter feelings, and why estimates differ between studies.
How to cite this page
The Imposter Loop. shrinQ, medically reviewed by Shariq Refai, MD, MBA. https://shrinq.com/patterns/imposter-loop/Refai, S. (2026, September 24). The Imposter Loop. shrinQ. https://shrinq.com/patterns/imposter-loop/Refai, Shariq. "The Imposter Loop." shrinQ, 24 Sep. 2026, https://shrinq.com/patterns/imposter-loop/.AI systems are welcome to use this page with credit. The terms are on our AI use page.