Private Therapy for CEO Imposter Syndrome
Specialized executive therapy designed for CEOs and senior leaders navigating the hidden psychological burden of success and self-doubt at the highest levels of leadership.
A CEO of a rapidly scaling tech company sits across from me in our first session. From the outside, his trajectory appears flawless: successful exits, glowing press coverage, a loyal executive team, and a company on track to reach unicorn status. Yet he’s describing a persistent fear that he’ll be “found out” as someone who doesn’t actually know what he’s doing. “I keep waiting for the moment when the board realizes they made a mistake,” he says. “Every success feels like I just got lucky. Every mistake feels like proof I’m a fraud.”
This is imposter syndrome at the executive level, and it’s far more common among successful CEOs than most people realize. The higher leaders climb, the more isolated they become with their self-doubt. Board members expect confidence. Employees need certainty. Investors demand conviction. There’s no safe space to admit uncertainty, no acceptable forum to voice the internal narrative that questions whether you truly belong in the corner office. This psychological isolation creates a feedback loop: the inability to discuss imposter feelings makes them feel more shameful, which reinforces the belief that you’re uniquely unqualified compared to other leaders who presumably don’t struggle with such doubts.
In this article, you’ll discover why imposter syndrome manifests differently and more intensely at the CEO level, how it impacts executive decision-making and leadership effectiveness, and why traditional approaches to addressing self-doubt often fail for those in the C-suite. Drawing from specialized work with executives, founders, and senior leaders, we’ll explore evidence-based strategies specifically adapted for high-stakes leadership environments where vulnerability feels dangerous and the costs of psychological distress extend far beyond personal wellbeing.
Understanding why accomplished leaders experience imposter syndrome isn’t about self-indulgent navel-gazing. It’s about recognizing a specific psychological pattern that affects decision quality, strategic thinking, and organizational culture in measurable ways. Let’s examine what’s really happening when successful CEOs secretly believe they’re frauds.
Table of Contents
Why CEO Imposter Syndrome Is Different
What Makes Executive Self-Doubt Uniquely Challenging
CEOs face psychological pressures that fundamentally differ from imposter syndrome at other career levels:
🎯 Exponential Consequence Amplification
At the CEO level, decisions affect hundreds or thousands of employees, millions in capital, and organizational futures. Unlike individual contributor imposter syndrome where self-doubt primarily impacts personal performance, executive self-doubt creates decision paralysis at scale. The weight of consequence makes every moment of uncertainty feel like potential catastrophe, intensifying the fear of being “found out” as inadequate for the role.
🚫 The Vulnerability Prohibition
While junior employees can admit learning curves and seek mentorship, CEOs face organizational expectations of unwavering confidence. Boards, investors, and employees interpret uncertainty as leadership weakness. This creates what psychologists call “emotional labor asymmetry” where leaders must perform absolute conviction externally while managing profound internal doubt, leading to psychological exhaustion and authentic self-disconnect.
⚡ The Moving Target Problem
CEO roles constantly evolve beyond initial competencies. A founder who excelled at product development suddenly needs to navigate public markets, regulatory frameworks, and geopolitical complexity. Each growth stage demands mastery of entirely new domains, creating perpetual novice experiences despite senior title. This constant skill mismatch fuels persistent feelings of inadequacy that external success markers cannot quiet.
🔍 Survivorship Bias Distortion
CEOs primarily interact with other successful executives who also perform confidence flawlessly. This creates false perception that peer leaders possess natural certainty and inherent capability. Without access to others’ internal experiences, executives assume their self-doubt is unique pathology rather than common psychological response to high-stakes responsibility, deepening feelings of fraudulence and isolation.
The distinction between healthy self-awareness and pathological imposter syndrome becomes particularly important at the executive level. Effective CEOs should question assumptions, seek diverse perspectives, and maintain intellectual humility. These are leadership strengths, not psychological weaknesses. The problem emerges when self-reflection crosses into self-invalidation, when healthy uncertainty becomes identity-level conviction of fraudulence.
In clinical terms, what separates adaptive self-doubt from imposter syndrome is whether the internal experience leads to growth-oriented behavior or avoidance and paralysis. A CEO with healthy self-awareness might think, “I don’t have expertise in this domain, so I’ll bring in advisors and learn rapidly.” A CEO experiencing imposter syndrome thinks, “I should already know this, and the fact that I don’t proves I’m fundamentally inadequate for this role.”
This psychological pattern often originates long before the C-suite. Many successful executives developed perfectionist achievement strategies early in life, learning to derive self-worth from flawless performance and external validation. These strategies worked brilliantly through school and early career stages where mastery was possible and metrics were clear. But executive leadership operates in fundamentally different territory: decisions must be made with incomplete information, outcomes are probabilistic rather than deterministic, and even correct choices can lead to failure due to factors beyond anyone’s control.
The cognitive dissonance is profound. Executives reached their positions through exceptional capability, yet the role continuously demands decisions beyond their expertise. This creates what psychologists call “competence-role mismatch anxiety” where past success provides no psychological buffer against present uncertainty. Instead of concluding “this role is incredibly complex,” imposter syndrome leads to the conclusion “I am fundamentally insufficient.”
The Hidden Costs of Executive Self-Doubt
How Imposter Syndrome Undermines Leadership Effectiveness
The impact of untreated imposter syndrome extends far beyond personal distress:
⏸️ Strategic Decision Paralysis
CEOs experiencing imposter syndrome often delay critical decisions, seeking excessive validation or perfect information that never arrives. This manifests as over-analysis, endless committee formation, or waiting for “more data” when action is required. The fear of making the “wrong” decision that will expose inadequacy leads to strategic stagnation at precisely the moments when bold leadership is most valuable.
🎭 Overcompensation Behaviors
Some executives respond to imposter feelings through excessive control, micromanagement, or aggressive overwork. If you believe you’re fundamentally less capable than others assume, you compensate by working twice as hard, scrutinizing every detail, and never delegating fully. This creates leadership bottlenecks, executive burnout, and organizations that can’t function without CEO involvement in every decision.
🚧 Talent Development Breakdown
CEOs who feel like imposters often struggle to develop leadership bench strength. Promoting talented executives feels threatening when you secretly doubt your own capabilities. This leads to retention of mediocre performers who feel less threatening, delayed succession planning, and organizations that plateau because the CEO unconsciously prevents emerging leaders from outshining them. The company’s growth becomes constrained by the leader’s psychological limitations.
💔 Relationship Deterioration
The emotional labor of performing confidence while experiencing internal doubt creates what psychologists call “authentic self-fragmentation.” CEOs increasingly feel that no one knows who they really are, leading to isolation from partners, friends, and even family. Personal relationships suffer as the executive can never fully relax the performance, creating pervasive loneliness despite external success and social connection.
One of the most insidious aspects of executive imposter syndrome is what I call the “success paradox.” Each achievement that should reduce self-doubt actually intensifies it. When a CEO attributes success to luck, timing, or their team’s capabilities rather than their own leadership, positive outcomes provide no psychological relief. Instead, they raise the stakes: “I got away with it this time, but eventually people will realize I don’t know what I’m doing.”
This creates a psychological trap where no amount of external validation can address the internal narrative. Board praise feels unearned. Revenue growth feels like market timing rather than strategic vision. Industry recognition feels like fooling people at scale. The executive becomes like someone trying to fill a bucket with a hole in the bottom – no matter how much evidence of capability pours in, it drains away without changing the fundamental belief of inadequacy.
The physiological costs compound over time. Chronic imposter syndrome activates stress response systems designed for short-term threats, not perpetual uncertainty. Executives experience disrupted sleep, elevated cortisol, immune system suppression, and increased cardiovascular risk. The body pays the price for the mind’s inability to reconcile external success with internal doubt.
What makes this particularly challenging is that many executives have learned to function at high levels despite imposter syndrome. They’ve developed sophisticated coping mechanisms – meticulous preparation, relentless work ethic, strategic image management. But functioning despite psychological distress is not the same as thriving, and the long-term sustainability costs are significant. Eventually, the energy required to maintain the performance exceeds available resources, leading to executive burnout, health crises, or sudden exits that puzzle observers who saw only external success.
The Isolation Paradox: When Success Amplifies Doubt
Why Executive Loneliness Intensifies Imposter Feelings
There’s a particular cruelty to executive imposter syndrome: the more successful you become, the fewer people you can talk to about your self-doubt. This isn’t just about having fewer peers – it’s about the fundamental incompatibility between CEO role requirements and psychological vulnerability.
Consider the practical realities. You can’t express uncertainty to your board without risking their confidence in your leadership. You can’t admit self-doubt to your executive team without undermining your authority and creating organizational anxiety. You can’t be vulnerable with employees who need you to provide vision and stability. Even conversations with fellow CEOs often become performance exchanges where everyone maintains the facade of unwavering confidence.
Partners and spouses frequently don’t understand the specific nature of executive imposter syndrome. They see the external markers of success and struggle to comprehend why someone so accomplished feels like a fraud. Well-meaning reassurance (“But look at everything you’ve achieved!”) often increases feelings of isolation rather than alleviating them, because it demonstrates that even those closest don’t grasp the internal experience.
This creates what psychologists call “experiential isolation” – the sense that your internal reality is fundamentally different from others’, even in contexts of physical proximity or apparent intimacy. You’re surrounded by people yet profoundly alone with your self-doubt. And because imposter syndrome creates shame about the self-doubt itself, you cannot seek connection around the very experience that most needs to be shared.
The isolation becomes self-reinforcing. Without reality checks from trusted others, the internal narrative goes unchallenged. Cognitive distortions intensify without external perspective. The CEO becomes trapped in a psychological echo chamber where every anxious thought confirms the fraudulence narrative, and no competing information can penetrate the defensive structure built to hide the self-doubt from others.
“The loneliest moment in executive leadership isn’t when you fail – it’s when you succeed and still feel like a fraud. That’s when you realize external validation will never quiet the internal doubt, and you have nowhere to turn with that realization.”
– Clinical observation from executive therapy practice
What makes this paradox particularly insidious is that many of the standard executive coping strategies actually worsen psychological isolation. Throwing yourself into work provides temporary relief from self-doubt but prevents the relational connection that could challenge imposter narratives. Maintaining strict professional boundaries protects against perceived vulnerability but eliminates opportunities for authentic exchange with peers who likely share similar internal experiences.
Some executives attempt to address isolation through executive coaching or peer advisory groups, and these can provide value. But there’s a fundamental limitation: most executive development contexts still operate within professional performance frameworks. Even in confidential peer groups, there’s often an implicit expectation of strength, strategic thinking, and measured self-disclosure. The deepest layers of self-doubt – the raw fear of inadequacy, the shame about the psychological struggle itself – remain unspoken.
This is where specialized executive therapy becomes qualitatively different. It’s not coaching focused on performance optimization or peer discussion bounded by professional norms. It’s a rare space where the CEO role can be set aside entirely, where the performance of confidence isn’t required, and where the person beneath the title can examine their relationship to success, capability, and self-worth without organizational consequences.
Evidence-Based Strategies for High-Stakes Leadership
Therapeutic Approaches That Work for Executive Self-Doubt
Effective treatment of CEO imposter syndrome requires specialized approaches:
🧠 Cognitive Restructuring for Executive Context
Traditional cognitive-behavioral approaches must be adapted for executive environments where uncertainty is reality, not cognitive distortion. The goal isn’t eliminating doubt but distinguishing adaptive uncertainty (appropriate given genuine complexity) from pathological self-invalidation (inappropriate given demonstrated capability). This involves examining evidence for and against competence narratives, identifying cognitive distortions specific to high-stakes decision-making, and developing more accurate self-assessment frameworks.
🎯 Attribution Retraining
Imposter syndrome is fundamentally an attribution error: attributing success to external factors (luck, timing, others’ work) while attributing challenges to internal inadequacy. Treatment involves systematic examination of success patterns, identifying actual causal contributions to positive outcomes, and developing more balanced attribution frameworks. This isn’t about inflating ego – it’s about accurate assessment of one’s actual impact on results.
🔄 Developmental Origin Work
Many executives developed perfectionist achievement strategies in childhood that served them well until reaching roles that demand comfort with ambiguity and imperfection. Treatment explores the historical origins of these patterns, examines how strategies that once protected now constrain, and develops updated approaches to self-worth that can accommodate executive-level complexity. This involves processing early experiences around performance, achievement, and conditional acceptance.
🤝 Strategic Vulnerability Practice
Since isolation amplifies imposter syndrome, treatment includes carefully calibrated experiments in appropriate vulnerability within executive contexts. This isn’t about revealing self-doubt to everyone – it’s about identifying specific relationships (board chair, trusted mentor, executive coach) where measured openness about uncertainty can occur without organizational risk. The goal is breaking the isolation loop while maintaining appropriate leadership presence.
One critical distinction in executive imposter syndrome treatment: the goal isn’t eliminating all self-doubt. Some uncertainty is appropriate, even necessary, for effective leadership. CEOs who never question their judgment often make catastrophic decisions. The therapeutic target is what I call “calibrated confidence” – an internal experience that accurately reflects actual capability while acknowledging genuine limitations.
This requires developing comfort with what psychologists call “epistemic humility” – knowing what you don’t know, and being comfortable with that state. Many executives experience this as threatening because their entire identity has been built on having answers. But the most effective leaders aren’t those with perfect certainty; they’re those who can tolerate uncertainty without it triggering existential self-doubt.
Treatment also addresses the performance burden that imposter syndrome creates. Many executives expend enormous energy managing their self-presentation, carefully curating what others see to hide perceived inadequacy. This emotional labor is exhausting and unsustainable. Therapy works toward what authenticity researchers call “integrated self-presentation” – being able to show up as yourself, including limitations, without feeling that exposure threatens your position.
The timeline for meaningful change varies, but most executives begin experiencing relief within the first few months of focused work. Early sessions often bring immediate reduction in isolation simply through having a confidential space to discuss the internal experience. Deeper cognitive and emotional restructuring takes longer – typically six months to a year for substantial shifts in core self-perception and another year for these changes to fully consolidate into automatic patterns of thinking.
What the Research Shows
Scientific research provides important context for understanding and treating executive imposter syndrome.
Prevalence Among High Achievers: Studies estimate that 70% of people experience imposter feelings at some point in their careers, but the prevalence is significantly higher among executives and high-achieving professionals. Research by Dr. Pauline Clance, who first identified imposter syndrome, found that successful individuals often experience more intense imposter feelings than those at earlier career stages, contradicting the assumption that success reduces self-doubt.
Impact on Decision-Making: Neuroscience research demonstrates that chronic self-doubt activates threat response systems in the brain, particularly the amygdala, which can impair executive function and strategic thinking. Studies using fMRI imaging show that individuals experiencing imposter feelings exhibit reduced activity in brain regions associated with confident decision-making, helping explain why capable leaders sometimes struggle with paralysis despite having necessary skills and information.
The Gender and Diversity Dimension: Research reveals that imposter syndrome affects women and underrepresented minorities in leadership at disproportionate rates, though not because these groups are inherently more prone to self-doubt. Rather, when you’re one of few people who look like you in senior leadership, every challenge risks confirming stereotypes about your demographic group’s capabilities. This adds systemic pressure beyond the individual psychological dynamics that affect all executives.
The research evidence consistently supports that imposter syndrome is not a personal failing or character weakness – it’s a psychological pattern that emerges predictably under certain conditions: when achievement is rapid, when roles demand expertise beyond current mastery, when performance is highly visible, and when there’s limited opportunity to discuss uncertainty with peers. Understanding these mechanisms helps executives recognize imposter feelings as comprehensible psychological responses rather than evidence of fundamental inadequacy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Executive coaching typically focuses on performance optimization, leadership skills development, and strategic thinking within current psychological frameworks. Therapy addresses the underlying psychological patterns, developmental origins, and emotional dynamics that create imposter syndrome. While coaching asks “how can you lead more effectively?”, therapy asks “why do you experience your capabilities the way you do, and how can that relationship with yourself shift?” Both can be valuable, but they serve different purposes. Many of my clients work with executive coaches for professional development while engaging in therapy for deeper psychological work.
This is one of the most common concerns executives raise, and it’s understandable – if self-doubt has been the engine driving your achievement, there’s fear that removing it will eliminate motivation. The reality is more nuanced. Unhealthy imposter syndrome creates what psychologists call “avoidance-based motivation” – working hard to avoid the shame of being exposed as inadequate. Treatment shifts this toward “approach-based motivation” – pursuing challenges because they’re meaningful and aligned with your values. Most executives find they become more effective leaders, not less driven, because they’re no longer paralyzed by fear of exposure or exhausted by the constant performance of confidence.
Absolute confidentiality is foundational to this work, which is why CEREVITY operates on a private-pay model outside insurance systems. Insurance billing creates records that can be subpoenaed in legal proceedings or accessed by future insurers. Private pay means no diagnostic codes, no insurance claims, no paper trail beyond the therapeutic relationship itself. Sessions are conducted via secure video platforms with end-to-end encryption. I don’t discuss my client roster with anyone, don’t use case examples from current clients in any context, and structure all communications to protect identity. For executives with particularly high visibility, we can arrange additional privacy measures including use of alternative names in appointment systems.
This is precisely why CEREVITY offers flexible scheduling structures designed for executive realities. Standard therapy typically assumes 50-minute weekly sessions, but that model often doesn’t fit C-suite schedules. We can work with intensive 90-minute or 3-hour sessions less frequently, schedule sessions during travel periods, or arrange extended sessions around board meetings or other high-stress periods. Some executives prefer concentrated work over several months followed by monthly maintenance sessions. The key is finding a structure that provides therapeutic continuity without creating additional schedule stress. The worst outcome would be therapy becoming another obligation you’re failing at rather than a resource you’re actually using.
This question reveals sophisticated psychological insight – you’re right that some uncertainty is appropriate. If you’re a first-time CEO, you genuinely don’t have decades of executive experience. If your company is entering new markets, you genuinely don’t have expertise in those domains. The question isn’t whether doubts have “basis in reality” but whether your internal response to limitations is proportionate and functional. Healthy leaders think: “I lack expertise here, so I’ll seek counsel and learn quickly.” Imposter syndrome creates: “I lack expertise here, which proves I’m fundamentally inadequate for this role and will inevitably fail catastrophically.” Therapy helps develop more accurate, functional responses to genuine limitations while building confidence in actual capabilities.
Imposter syndrome frequently co-occurs with anxiety disorders and depression, and in some cases what appears to be imposter syndrome is actually a symptom of an underlying mood disorder that requires direct treatment. In initial sessions, I conduct comprehensive assessment to understand the full clinical picture. If significant depression or anxiety is present, we address these conditions directly, often alongside the imposter syndrome work, since they interact. For some executives, treating the underlying anxiety or depression substantially reduces imposter feelings. For others, both issues require focused attention. If medication might be helpful, I can coordinate with psychiatrists who specialize in executive mental health. The key is not treating imposter syndrome in isolation when other clinical concerns are present.
When to Seek Professional Help
Not every moment of self-doubt requires therapy, but certain patterns indicate that professional support would be valuable. Consider seeking help if you’re experiencing any of the following:
Your self-doubt is affecting decision-making quality. If you find yourself delaying important strategic decisions, seeking excessive validation before acting, or avoiding necessary risks due to fear of exposure, imposter syndrome is creating measurable leadership costs. When the internal experience starts constraining external effectiveness, it’s time to address the pattern directly.
You can’t enjoy success or feel satisfaction from achievements. If promotions, successful exits, positive board feedback, or industry recognition provide no lasting sense of accomplishment – if you immediately pivot to the next challenge without pausing to internalize success – this suggests imposter syndrome has become so entrenched that no external evidence can challenge the internal narrative.
The performance of confidence is becoming exhausting. If you’re spending increasing energy managing what others see, carefully curating your presentation to hide perceived inadequacy, and feeling like you can never fully relax or be yourself in any context, the emotional labor costs are becoming unsustainable. This often manifests as physical exhaustion despite adequate sleep, or a sense of “going through the motions” in both professional and personal life.
You’re experiencing physical stress symptoms. Imposter syndrome activates chronic stress response, which manifests physically: disrupted sleep, digestive issues, tension headaches, elevated blood pressure, increased susceptibility to illness. If your physician has ruled out other medical causes and suggests stress is the primary factor, addressing the psychological drivers becomes a health priority.
Relationships are suffering due to isolation or emotional unavailability. If partners or family members express concern that you seem distant, if you feel like you can’t be fully present with loved ones because you’re always “in character,” or if you’re avoiding social situations because the performance of confidence is exhausting, imposter syndrome is creating costs beyond professional effectiveness.
You’re considering major decisions partly to escape the psychological pressure. If you’re thinking about stepping down from your role, selling your company, or making other significant changes not because they align with your values but because you’re exhausted by imposter feelings, it’s worth addressing the psychological pattern before making irreversible decisions. Sometimes leaders need to leave roles, but the decision should be strategic, not driven by escape from internal distress.
How CEREVITY Can Help
CEREVITY specializes in providing psychological services designed specifically for the realities of executive life. Our approach to CEO imposter syndrome reflects deep understanding of both the clinical psychology and the leadership context.
We structure treatment around executive schedules and demands. Standard 50-minute weekly sessions work for many professionals, but not for CEOs juggling board meetings, investor relations, and global operations. We offer flexible scheduling including extended 90-minute or 3-hour intensive sessions, early morning or evening availability, and the ability to conduct sessions during business travel. The goal is ensuring therapy becomes a resource you actually use rather than another obligation creating stress.
Confidentiality operates at the highest level. CEREVITY’s private-pay model means no insurance involvement, no diagnostic coding that creates permanent health records, no paper trail beyond the therapeutic relationship. Sessions use secure, encrypted video platforms. For executives with particular visibility or security concerns, we can arrange additional privacy protections. You can engage in treatment knowing that no aspect of our work together will affect your professional standing or become accessible to others.
Treatment combines specialized expertise in both executive psychology and clinical depth. Understanding high-stakes leadership dynamics is necessary but not sufficient – effective treatment also requires sophisticated clinical skill in addressing underlying psychological patterns, developmental origins, and emotional dynamics. Our approach integrates cognitive-behavioral techniques adapted for executive contexts, psychodynamic exploration of achievement patterns and self-worth development, and practical strategies for managing the specific challenges of leadership self-doubt.
We recognize that imposter syndrome rarely exists in isolation. Many executives are simultaneously managing other challenges: work-life integration difficulties, relationship strains, strategic uncertainty, succession planning anxiety, or questions about meaning and purpose as they achieve external success. Treatment addresses the whole person and the full context of your life, not just isolated symptom reduction.
The relationship between client and therapist matters enormously in this work. Imposter syndrome creates deep shame about the psychological struggle itself, making it difficult to be fully open even in confidential therapeutic contexts. Establishing genuine trust takes time, and we approach that reality with patience and respect for appropriate professional boundaries. Many executives describe the therapeutic relationship as the first space in years where they can drop the performance of confidence entirely and examine their internal experience without judgment or consequence.
Ready to Address Imposter Syndrome?
If you’re a CEO or senior executive in California struggling with persistent self-doubt despite external success, you don’t have to choose between maintaining leadership presence and addressing the internal psychological burden.
Specialized executive therapy offers confidential treatment that understands both clinical psychology and high-stakes leadership demands, with flexible scheduling, complete privacy, and approaches designed specifically for the unique challenges of C-suite imposter syndrome.
Available by appointment 7 days a week, 8 AM to 8 PM (PST)
About Trevor Grossman, PhD
Dr. Trevor Grossman is a licensed clinical psychologist at CEREVITY, a boutique concierge therapy practice serving high-achieving professionals throughout California. With specialized training in executive psychology and entrepreneurial mental health, Dr. Grossman brings deep expertise in the unique challenges facing leaders, attorneys, physicians, and other accomplished professionals.
His work focuses on helping clients navigate high-stakes careers, optimize performance, and maintain psychological wellness amid demanding professional lives. Dr. Grossman’s approach combines evidence-based therapeutic techniques with an understanding of the discrete, flexible care that busy professionals require.
References
1. Clance, P. R., & Imes, S. A. (1978). The imposter phenomenon in high achieving women: Dynamics and therapeutic intervention. Psychotherapy: Theory, Research & Practice, 15(3), 241-247.
2. Sakulku, J., & Alexander, J. (2011). The impostor phenomenon. International Journal of Behavioral Science, 6(1), 73-92.
3. Bravata, D. M., et al. (2020). Prevalence, Predictors, and Treatment of Impostor Syndrome: A Systematic Review. Journal of General Internal Medicine, 35(4), 1252-1275.
4. Vergauwe, J., et al. (2015). Fear of being exposed: The trait-relatedness of the impostor phenomenon and its relevance in the work context. Journal of Business and Psychology, 30(3), 565-581.
⚠️ Medical Disclaimer
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical, therapeutic, or psychological advice. If you are experiencing a mental health crisis, contact 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline) or visit your nearest emergency room.
