SPIRITUALITY AND FAITH
Everyday Heroes Part 2:
Do you wear the “S”?
Superman/Ironman and Superwoman/Wonder Woman Syndrome
Submitted by Francine Houston
Trying to live up to the expectations of others can be hard; trying to have it all and striving for perfection can be ways people cause stress/anxiety to develop in their bodies. I am talking about overcoming the superman and superwoman syndrome. I know as a Christian, we are told that all things are possible to those who believe. However, I also believe in balance, self-care, health, beauty, and wellness.
The Superman complex/Superwoman syndrome consists of:
- High achievers
- Setting unrealistically high standards
for yourself
- Can’t or won’t acknowledge a need for
rest and breaks
- Workaholic
- A belief you must be “on” all the time
- An urge to 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 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.
I and several of my family members suffer from this male and female alike. I have overworked myself to the point of hospitalization. While others just need a sense of balance. There is no sense of balance, it is either one extreme or another; no middle ground. Ask yourself, “Do you “feel” this way?” 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.