The Perfectionism Trap: Why Being a High Achiever Feels Like Being a Fraud

Do you ever feel like a "fraud" despite your list of accomplishments? Like any moment now, the people around you—your boss, your partner, your peers - will realize you aren’t as capable as they think you are?

If this sounds familiar, you are likely experiencing Imposter Syndrome. While we often think of Imposter Syndrome as a lack of confidence, a recent study (Xu, Kim, Candido, Salerni, & Ruseva, 2026) highlighted reveals a deeper root cause: Perfectionism. Specifically, researchers found that two distinct types of perfectionism act as the primary fuel for that "faking it" feeling.

1. Self-Oriented Perfectionism: The Internal Critic

This is the pressure you put on yourself. It’s the internal voice that says, "If I’m not the best, I’m a failure." Even when you succeed, this type of perfectionist tends to move the goalposts. Because the standard is impossible to reach, you never feel like you've actually "earned" your success.

2. Socially Prescribed Perfectionism: The Weight of Expectations

This is the belief that others have unrealistic expectations of you. It’s the feeling that your acceptance in your social or professional circle is conditional on you being flawless. This type of perfectionism is most strongly linked to the fear of being "found out"—the core of Imposter Syndrome.

Why This Matters for Your Mental Health

The study confirmed what many therapists see in the room: this cycle leads to significant psychological distress, including anxiety and burnout. When your self-worth is tied to an unattainable standard of perfection, you are constantly living in a "threat state."

How to Break the Cycle

The goal of therapy isn't to make you less ambitious; it’s to decouple your identity from your achievements. By addressing these two types of perfectionism through the lens of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) or Attachment Theory, we can help you move from "performing" to "being."

This blog post was written by Dr. Barek Sharif, a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist who specializes in working with high-achieving individuals and couples. To schedule an appointment please visit our Contact Us page.

Xu, C., Kim, C., Candido, K., Salerni, I, & Ruseva, A. (2026). Imposterism and perfectionism: Imposterism predicts rigid and self-critical perfectionism, but not narcissistic perfectionism, Personality and Individual Differences. Volume 253, 2026. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2025.113628