Imposter Syndrome

New Episode Alert: Dr. Doctor Podcast

In this deeply personal episode, our host opens up about their real-life experience with Imposter Syndrome — the self-doubt, the pressure to “have it all together,” and the silent battle many professionals face behind the scenes.

If you’ve ever questioned your worth, felt like you didn’t belong, or struggled to own your achievements, this conversation is for you. 

Reference links

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7174434/

Amygdala Hijack: When Emotion Takes Over

https://www.healthline.com/health/stress/amygdala-hijack

Imposter syndrome reference

https://www.apa.org/monitor/2021/06/cover-impostor-phenomenon

Tune in for an honest, relatable, and empowering discussion that reminds us we’re not alone in the journey.

#DrDoctorPodcast #ImposterSyndrome #MentalHealthMatters #SelfGrowth #PodcastEpisode #AuthenticConversations #HealingJourney #MindsetShift #ProfessionalGrowth #YouAreEnough

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:09

Hello everyone, my name is Giovanna Sloschenberg, and I'm the host of Doctor Doctor the Podcast. Welcome back. Super excited to speak to everyone about something I suffer with personally as well, which is imposter syndrome. With it being the month of May, which is mental health awareness month, I thought today we could tackle this massive personal issue together. I know that uh many of you deal with it, and I thought we could talk about it. If you've ever sat at your desk and looked at your achievements and felt like a total fraud who is about to get exposed, I wanted you to know that you are not alone. Studies show that up to 82% of people face this exact feeling. But did you know that this isn't just a mind game? It actually changes your physical brain health. Psychologists call what happens backstage in our minds as amygdala hijacking. Now, don't let the neurobabble scare you. The amygdala, pronounced amygdala, is just that tiny almond-shaped part of your brain that handles fear. When imposter syndrome strikes, that little area completely hijacks your logic. It tricks your brain into thinking that making a mistake at work or stepping into a new role is just as dangerous as being chased by a predator. These triggers a constant fight or flight response, floods your body with cortisol, completely fatigues your decision-making center. It leaves you exhausted, overthinking, and headed straight towards severe burnout. So if you're stuck in that loop today, I want you to take a deep breath. It's just a glitch in the biology, and today we're going to talk about how to rewrite it. We're going to take a very quick break, but when we get back, we are moving straight from the problem to the solution. I'm going to give you the exact four-step checklist to shut down that inner critic and regain control. Stick around and we'll be right back. This episode of Dr. Doctor is brought to you by Clint MatchGo, your clinical trial connector, connecting participants, physicians, and pharmaceutical partners to local clinical research trials. Please head over to www.clinMatchGo to find out more information. Welcome back. If you're ready to stop that amygdala hijacking and reclaim your peace of mind, here are four science-backed strategies you can start using today. First, keep an objective fact log. When your brain panics, logic goes out the window. I want you to document all your wins, positive metrics, and written compliments in a single digital folder or journal. Looking at concrete physical evidence helps your brain regain control over irrational thoughts. Second, I want you to shift from a performance mindset to a growth mindset. Stop viewing mistakes as proof that you are fake. Reframe a lack of knowledge from, I should already know this too, I am still learning this, and this is normal. This simple shift rewires your brain to treat mistakes as data rather than an extension threat. Third, break the secrecy by talking outside your work circle. Safely voice your self-doubt to mentors or trusted friends who are completely outside of your professional ecosystem. Talking to industry peers can accidentally trigger toxic comparisons, but venting to external loved ones immediately reduces the isolating shame. And fourth, applaud your effort, not just the end result. When tracking your progress, intentionally praise the hard work and resilience you showed along the way rather than waiting for a massive final milestone. This actually reactivates your brain's reward pathway, helping you gradually rebuild long-term self-trust. Remember, feeling like an imposter isn't a personal flaw. It's just your brain playing tricks on your logic. To help you fight back, I put together a free one-page brain health cheat sheet with all four strategies we talked about today. You can grab it right now by clicking the link in our show notes or visiting our website. If this episode helped you, please subscribe. Thank you for tuning in for Mental Health Awareness Month. Keep growing, keep learning, and I'll see you next week.