Ep 104: Breaking Free from Imposter Syndrome with ADHD

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That nagging voice telling you "you're not good enough" or "they'll find out you're a fraud"? It's not just you. ADHD and imposter syndrome feed off each other, creating a perfect storm of self-doubt. But here's the thing - recognizing this pattern is the first step to breaking free.

Research shows that up to 70% of people experience imposter syndrome, and for ADHD adults, those rates may be even higher. The way our brains process feedback and memory makes us especially vulnerable to these thoughts.

In this episode, you'll discover:

• Why ADHD brains are wired to notice what's missing instead of what's working
• How memory challenges make us forget our wins and keep reproving ourselves
• The 5 types of imposter syndrome (perfectionist, expert, soloist, natural genius, superhuman)
• Why imposter syndrome often gets worse the more successful you become
• Real client stories of breakthrough moments and confidence building
• The difference between masking and authentic confidence
• 7 practical tools you can use immediately when imposter thoughts strike
• How to reframe "I don't know enough" into "I'm learning and growing"

Key takeaway: Imposter syndrome doesn't mean you're a fraud - it means you're stepping outside your comfort zone and growing. You don't have to know it all, you just have to keep showing up.

Free Resource: Download your "Spot Your Imposter Voice and Reframe It" worksheet at www.learntothrivewithadhd.com/imposter

Send your questions: I'd love to hear from you! Share your ADHD challenges at https://www.speakpipe.com/learntothrivewithadhd and I may feature your question in a future episode.

Remember: You belong in the room. Your perspective matters. You're already enough. 

Click here for full show notes

CLICK HERE for more resources. We're on this journey together!

Transcript

Welcome back to Learn to Thrive with ADHD. Today we are diving into ADHD and imposter syndrome. That nagging feeling that you're not good enough. Not qualified enough, or that any success that you've had is just luck. This is one of the top struggles I see with my ADHD clients, and honestly, it's something I've dealt with too.

So let's talk about why ADHD makes impostor syndrome more intense and what you can actually do to break free from it. Here's the thing. ADHD brains are wired to notice what's missing. We tend to focus on flaws instead of strengths. On top of that, memory challenges mean that we don't always recall our past wins, so we keep reproving ourselves instead of standing on our past successes like neurotypical people do.

Then add rejection, sensitivity, dysphoria, perfectionism, and comparison. And suddenly it feels like everyone else has it figured out while we're barely holding it together. No wonder imposter syndrome thrives in that environment.

In fact, studies show that up to 70% of people will experience imposter syndrome at some point in their life. For ADHD adults, those rates may be even higher

Because of how our brains process feedback and memory. And here's something important. Imposter syndrome often gets worse. The more successful you are, the more visible you become, the more your brain whispers. Soon they'll find out I don't belong here.

That's why many of my clients are high achievers that still feel like they're faking it. This is from Doctor Valerie Young, and it's her five common types of imposter thoughts.

The perfectionist feels like anything less than flawless is failure.

The expert believes they must know everything before they're qualified. The soloist thinks asking for help means a weakness. The natural genius expects to succeed immediately, if not, feels like a fraud. The superhuman ties worth to being the hardest worker and doing it all. ADHD adults can experience all of these.

But perfectionists, expert and superhuman are especially common. When I first started as a coach, I absolutely felt like an imposter. I worried I didn't know enough to really help people the way I wanted. But here's what shifted.

as I gained experience, I realized knowledge isn't the only thing that makes someone effective. It's the combination of study, life experience, empathy, and showing up consistently that matters.

My confidence didn't magically appear one day.

It grew because I kept stepping into the role even when I felt shaky. And honestly, another place imposter syndrome showed up for me was with the tech side of my business. I didn't see myself as a tech person. In fact, before my business, I would hand these kind of tasks off to my husband

because I thought that's not something I can do. But when I started my coaching business, there wasn't anyone else to do it for me. I had to persist and figure it out. And over time, I did. Now, I sometimes tell my husband about tech problems that I solved in my business, and he kind of nods

Because now he really doesn't understand the tech in my business. So for me, that was a huge confidence builder. It reminded me that imposter syndrome is often just a signal that you're learning something new. And if you keep at it, you can surprise yourself with how capable you really are. One of my clients worked in a male dominated industry.

She was often the only woman in the room,

and she carried this constant pressure to have every single answer at her fingertips, or else she feared that she wouldn't be taken seriously. She worked on this one small but powerful shift.

Instead of scrambling to appear to be all knowing, she practiced saying,

I don't know right now but I'll find out and get back to you. That simple statement changed everything. It showed humility and confidence and people actually respected her more for it. Another client of mine was an entrepreneur.

He had built a successful business from scratch. But every time he hit a new milestone, he brushed it off. He'd say things like, anyone could have done this or it was just luck.

Meanwhile, his team saw him as a strong leader. What we worked on was actually capturing his wins, writing them down and reading them back. That way, when his brain tried to dismiss his success, he had written evidence. Over time, he stopped a minimizing and started celebrating. That shifted not just his confidence, but the way he showed up as a leader.

One more quick example. I had a client who was brilliant in her field, but imposter syndrome led her to overprepare for everything. She'd spend hours polishing presentations, rechecking every detail and making sure every word was perfect. The result? She was exhausted before she even stepped into the meeting, and really amped up and fearing that she would make a mistake anyway.

We built her a framework instead of chasing perfectionism. She followed a checklist.

Prep the essentials. Add one example. Rehearse once and stop this. Cut her prep time in half.

She still delivered high quality work, but without the burnout spiral.

A lot of ADHD adults struggle with masking. That's when you work overtime to cover up your challenges. And paranormal

Masking can feel imposter syndrome because it makes you feel the only way to belong is pretending.

And in the workplace, imposter syndrome can show up as

Overworking to prove your worth. People pleasing instead of setting boundaries. Not going after promotions or opportunities. You're qualified for.

It becomes a cycle of hiding instead of growing. And with social media in the mix, it gets even louder. Because now you're not just comparing yourself to coworkers, but the highlight reels of everyone else's life and success.

So let's break down some tools that you can use right away.

Name it. When the inner voice says I'm not enough. Call it what it is. Imposter syndrome. Naming it separates it from your identity. Track your wins. Use a notebook, a notes app, or even a brag folder in your email. Keep proof of your achievements so that your brain can't gaslight you later.

In fact, I've even created a yay me group with some of my clients where we would share daily wins.

It's powerful to celebrate out loud with people who get it. Use frameworks.

Don't rely on memory or perfection.

Build simple, repeatable checklists that guarantee competence without overworking.

Borrow confidence. If you don't feel it yet, lean on routines, structures, or encouragement from trusted people until it grows. Redefine competence. Being an expert doesn't mean knowing everything. It means being resourceful, willing to learn, and showing up consistently. Rehearse self-talk. Have a phrase ready like I belong in this room.

My perspective matters. I can always learn more. I'm already enough.

Body based resets.

Use breathing, grounding or posture shifts to regulate the nervous system before walking into high pressure situations to help you really apply these tools. I've created a free worksheet called Spot Your Imposter Voice and reframe it

Inside you'll find the five imposter types as well as journaling prompts to help you squash imposter syndrome.

It's a way to train your brain to catch the lies in real time.

You can grab it at.

Learn to thrive with adhd.com/imposter.

I want you to think about this.

Where in your life right now is imposter syndrome keeping you small?

Is it work in your relationships, in the way that you talk about your goals? And what's one small step that you can take this week to push back?

Maybe it's in writing down your wins. Maybe it's practicing, saying I'll find out and get back to you. Maybe it's catching the thought and naming it for what it is. Pick just one and try it. Here's the truth. Imposter syndrome doesn't mean you're a fraud. It means you're growing and usually shows up strongest

when you're stepping into something new and stretching outside of your comfort zone, and that's exactly where success and self-trust are built. So the next time imposter syndrome speaks up. Remind yourself.

I don't have to know at all.

I just have to keep showing up.

And one last thing before we close. I would love to hear from you.

Not only can you comment on YouTube, but now I have a speaker page. Send me your questions or your biggest challenges with ADHD and I'll talk about them in future shows. That's

that's big pipe.com/learn to thrive with ADHD.

Or you can get the link in the description or the show notes. I can't wait to hear from you. I'll pick a few to feature in future episodes so we can keep this conversation going together. Thank you for being here. I will see you guys next week.