Writing used to be my happy place. I used to be disciplined, reliable, and productive. Not anymore.

“How’s the book coming?” asks my friend Kristin, best-selling author and major procrastinator. She’s referring to the book W.W. Norton, major publisher of books essential to the practice of psychiatry and neurology, has advanced me actual money to write: 50,000 words, completed manuscript due October 2023.

“Terrible,” I say. “I oversleep, dawdle away the delegated time, then feel relieved when the time runs out. I don’t recognize myself!!!” 

The National Society of Newspaper Columnists: Organization for writers of serial essay, including columnists and bloggers, in any medium awarded me a third place in the General Interest: Online category of their 2022 contest. I am so delighted!

When I submitted two 2021 posts from this blog, I wasn’t fully aware of the level of competition.

According to Google, Imposter Syndrome is “loosely defined as doubting your abilities and feeling like a fraud. It disproportionately affects high achieving people who find it difficult to accept their accomplishments.” Is this you? Me too. The wordsmith who coined the term probably did so ironically. Though, as a shrink, I would include the syndrome as a legitimate diagnosis in the DSM, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. It’s real, with real consequences.