Anemia isn’t just feeling tired — it’s your body starved for something essential. But what if your mind could be anemic too?
Part 1: The Callout
To explain this, let’s start by breaking down imposter syndrome.
If you have imposter syndrome, you can’t internalize your success despite its clear evidence.
You constantly fear that you are—or your work is—inadequate.
You can’t accept compliments or achievements.
You constantly compare yourself to others.
And you always tell yourself something along the lines of “I don’t deserve this” when you get an A or an award.
Sounds familiar? If so, you’ll want to keep reading.
Anemia, on the other hand, develops when you have a low number of red blood cells. Hemoglobin is the main protein in your red blood cells and is responsible for taking oxygen to your tissues and organs.
When your hemoglobin level is low enough, your tissues and organs will not get enough oxygen, causing symptoms of anemia such as fatigue or shortness of breath.
The most common type of anemia—which I will focus on in this article—is iron-deficiency anemia. Your bone marrow needs iron to make hemoglobin.
Although anemia comes with irritating internal symptoms—dizziness, lightheadedness, shortness of breath, headaches, weakness, and more—there are usually little to no external symptoms.
So anemic people do not look sick even though they feel horrible.
This point brings me to the analogy between these two issues.
How could these completely different things be related?
Well, just as anemia leaves you feeling drained even when you look healthy, imposter syndrome leaves you feeling unworthy even when you’re achieving.
But here’s the scary part: like untreated anemia, imposter syndrome doesn’t stay mild — it slowly eats away at you in ways you don’t even see coming…
To be continued :)
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