Superwoman Syndrome and Superman Complex Make Anxiety Soar

Do you expect yourself to be Superman or Superwoman, a person with powers so great that you can do it all with no side effects like anxiety? If you are, you’re not alone. This pressure to do it all, be everyone to everything, is common enough to have terms attached to them: Superman complex or the Superwoman syndrome. Feeling pressured to live your life in a superhuman way can and does contribute to anxiety. You can use your very human powers to fight the Superwoman syndrome or Superman complex and decrease anxiety.

Do You Suffer from Superman Complex or Superwoman Syndrome?

The first step in reducing the anxiety that can come with the Superwoman syndrome or a Superman complex is to recognize what these superheroes are like and when you’re emulating their traits.

Both of these anxiety-causing phenomena involve feeling a desire or a pressure to be perfect; indeed, they’re both an extreme form of perfectionism in which someone believes he/she must do it all and do all of it perfectly without fail. The Superman or Superwoman believes failure to be anything that isn’t 500 percent beyond what is required of a “normal” human being.

You might be suffering from a Superman complex or the Superwoman syndrome if you:

• Are high-achieving
• Adhere to unrealistically high standards for yourself
• Can’t or won’t acknowledge a need for rest and breaks
• Are a workaholic
• Believe you must be “on” all the time
• Do whatever it takes to provide for and take care of everyone you feel responsible for
• Measure your self-worth in terms of productivity
• Believe you can be superhuman; others might not be able to handle it, but you can/must
• Have an unhealthy sense of responsibility
• Experience these things in all realms of your life: work, relationships, parenting, volunteering, running your household, etc.

These traits underlie the superhuman belief that you can’t fail in anything that you do. Failure, says this syndrome, would be devastating and simply isn’t an option. What is superhuman is the amount of pressure and stress that people impose on themselves when they live with a Superman complex or Superwoman syndrome.

The Superwoman Syndrome or Superman Complex Will Make You Anxious

Anxiety is a very human response to the pressure someone places on him/herself to be Superman or Superwoman. It’s stressful to take on all aspects of your life equally, at full speed, all the time. Needing to be superhuman is a cause of anxiety, and anxiety will continue to increase as long as you’re playing the role of Superman or Superwoman.

If you’re not convinced that trying to be superhuman is causing problems (this irrational belief is part of the phenomenon), engage in some self-reflection. Do you find yourself feeling:

• Empowered or powerless
• In control or overwhelmed
• Confident or inadequate
• Realistic in your interpretations or guilty
• Energized or exhausted
• In a state of flow or pulled underwater
• Happy or unhappy
• Calm or anxious

And do you recognize these symptoms of anxiety, including but not limited to:

• Persistent worry and fear
• Racing thoughts
• Anxiety attacks
• Fatigue
• Chest pain
• Difficulty breathing
• Sleep problems
• Self-doubt
• A need for control
• Tension
• Restlessness
• Difficulty concentrating

If, after reflecting on these questions and symptoms, you find that you do experience a Superman complex or Superwoman syndrome, it just might be time to consider shifting some things around in your life to enhance wellbeing and reduce anxiety. Next week’s post will examine some ways to do just that.