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No amount of success or accolades can stop some people from feeling like an imposter — especially women.

More than half of women experience imposter syndrome at some point, according to a new poll of 4,000 adults.

Imposter syndrome, or the feeling that you don’t deserve certain achievements, has hindered romantic and platonic relationships as well as parenting, the respondents admitted.

The poll, conducted by OnePoll, was commissioned by Galaxy Chocolates as part of the brand’s video series “How to Thrive” in partnership with the organization Young Women’s Trust.

British TV personality AJ Odudu joined Galaxy to raise awareness about imposter syndrome, even admitting she’s experienced it before.

“Imposter syndrome can be a crippling entity which impacts so many areas of everyday life,” she said. “It can consume you whilst on social media; it can take over when away from home for the first time at university; it can also have an impact when forging friendships.”

Even highly influential and successful individuals can experience the sometimes debilitating phenomenon. Paige Spiranac, a young golf influencer, and Suni Lee, a gold medal gymnast, have spoken publicly about their own struggles.


  Imposter syndrome can negatively impact relationships and even parenting. Getty Images/iStockphoto Imposter syndrome can negatively impact relationships and even parenting. Getty Images/iStockphoto

A stark 62% of women polled said they have rarely felt confident in their lives, while just over half claimed to struggle with self-doubt and feeling underqualified. Most often these negative feelings happened in the workplace, according to 72% of women, while 29% said it occurred in educational settings or while spending time with friends.

Imposter syndrome begins to sneak in around the age of 23, the women reported, with one-fifth of respondents admitting that the pressure to “have it all” aggravated the feelings.

Men, on the other hand, did not report the same experience. In fact, 54% of those polled said they had never felt imposter syndrome.

Of the men who had experienced imposter syndrome, a majority only felt it in the workplace — and 37% had talked openly about these feelings, something only a quarter of women had done.


  British TV personality AJ Odudu has shared her experience with imposter syndrome. SWNS British TV personality AJ Odudu has shared her experience with imposter syndrome. SWNS

Shockingly, only 30% of women attempted to remedy the issue. Those who hadn’t claimed they “don’t know where to start” when tackling their self-doubt, and half just learned to endure it.

Social media, respondents agreed, plays a role in self-doubt. Of those polled, 44% said constantly comparing themselves to others and viewing themselves as perfectionists led to a lack of confidence.

“Young women face many challenges reaching their potential, progressing in life and earning what they should,” said Claire Reindorp, the CEO of Young Women’s Trust. “They’re more likely to be in lower paid jobs and sectors of the economy, and more likely to get stuck there.”

“At a time in life when women should be growing and learning, they’re instead too often trapped in a struggle just to get by,” she added, applauding Galaxy’s efforts to combat the issue.

Victoria Gell, brand director at Galaxy, said the company aims to “empower young women” who can “enable the next generation to thrive.”

“From the work we do supporting women in our cocoa-growing regions with education, finance support and entrepreneurship, to campaigns such as this, we want to help make a difference.”

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