XPost: alt.psychology, alt.psychology.psychoanalysis, alt.psychology.jung XPost: sci.psychology.psychotherapy

As soon as a psychological problem is detected in the population, it is
often denoted a "syndrome", and it soon gets a DSM code, as if it were a neurological or hormonal problem. One example is the "Impostor
Syndrome". This is common among careerist women, who, despite great accomplishments, are plagued with a feeling that they are fakes.

Back in the psychoanalytic days, one analyzed the root cause of ailments
as a *psychological complex*, that is, as a problem deriving from the unconscious. So, for instance, this "syndrome" might have something to
do with "persona identification", which means that the ego identifies
too strongly with its role in society and therefore loses contact with
inner factors rooted in instinct. This might be especially damaging to
women who tend to be more "earthly", which means that they have an inner
demand of attachment to the concrete and personal sides of existence
rather than existing in the abstract and ethereal realm of theory.

So I theorize that careerism among women would result in a lack of
earthly attachment which in turn would stir a feeling of inner
emptiness, i.e., they would experience themselves as fakes and not as
real women. To make this kind of theoretical realization is in itself
helpful for individuals who suffer from an unconscious complex. Indeed,
yoga and mindfulness meditation could be seen as a re-attachment to
Mother Earth.

The conclusion is that we mustn't abandon the psychological way of understanding personal difficulties, because it can be resolved with
therapy and self-analysis, rather than eating more medicines. This has
another benefit, namely that we needn't blame the "patriarchy" for
creating "structures" that are damaging to women.

Mats Winther
http://two-paths.com

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