If these characteristics sound familiar, here's a look at what you might experience or what others might observe of you if you have high functioning anxiety. The potential benefits of high functioning anxiety can be seen in the outcomes and successes that you and other people observe. On the surface, you may appear very successful in work and life. This may be objectively true if you only evaluate yourself based on what you achieve. Characteristics of people with high functioning anxiety that are often thought of as positive include:.
In the case of high functioning anxiety, a struggle often lies beneath that veil of success. Characteristics of high functioning anxiety can be perceived by others as being "cute" or just part of your personality. In reality, these attributes are driven by underlying anxiety. Other characteristics of high functioning anxiety are internal and may never be noticed by others—despite the fact that they cause you a great deal of stress.
People don't know always know that these actions are caused by anxiety and they may view them as being part of you who are. Despite being regarded as "high functioning," you may experience the following struggles in your day to day life. A high-functioning person is often regarded as an overachiever. If you asked most people who know you, they probably would not have a clue that you struggle with anxiety every day. Perhaps you are able to achieve essential tasks such as those relating to work and housekeeping , but feel your life is limited in other ways for example, you never do anything outside your comfort zone.
Your actions are probably dictated by your anxiety. You likely choose activities that calm your racing thoughts rather than pursuing activities because you would enjoy them , or because they would expand your horizons. If you have high functioning anxiety, you've likely become adept at presenting a false persona to the world and never show your true feelings to anyone. Instead, you keep it all bottled up inside and compartmentalize your feelings with a plan to deal with them later but later never comes.
There is help out there for people who are dealing with any form of anxiety, including high functioning forms. However, certain characteristics of high functioning anxiety may have prevented you from seeking help. Some possible reasons you might not have sought help for high functioning anxiety include:. For more mental health resources, see our National Helpline Database.
Many people have a specific image or idea of what it means to have an anxiety diagnosis. For example, you might envision a person who is housebound, cannot work, or who struggles to maintain relationships of any kind.
We don't often think of the inner turmoil of anxiety as an internal struggle as being reason enough to seek help. Anxiety can be very much a life of denial. You might even convince yourself that there is nothing wrong—you're just a workaholic, germaphobe , list-maker, etc.
It would be more helpful for us to refer to "high functioning anxiety" as simply anxiety. While it can look and feel different from other types of anxiety, it's still present even though it's well-hidden and can seriously disrupt a person's life.
When you feel isolated and alone, it's harder to reach out to others. As more people talk about and identify with having "high functioning" anxiety, it may become easier for people to seek help. Thinking of anxiety in both its positive and negative terms may help to reduce stigma. Rather than view anxiety as being a weakness, reducing stigma has allowed society to highlight when people with anxiety are able to live full and productive lives.
When trying to raise awareness of a social issue like mental illness, it can be helpful to identify well-known or famous people as examples. Stars such as Barbra Streisand and Donny Osmond, and athletes like Zack Greinke and Ricky Williams, have all been forthcoming about their experiences with high functioning anxiety.
Scott Stossel, the national editor of The Atlantic, has written extensively about his experiences with anxiety in the context of his achievements. There is little research on the topic of high functioning anxiety, but we do know that there is an optimal level of anxiety not too low or too high that fuels performance the Yerkes-Dodson Law. Based on this concept, your ability to function at a higher level might be increased if you had a mild to moderate level of anxiety as opposed to severe anxiety.
IQ may also play a role in how well people with anxiety function in work and life. A study found that financial managers with high levels of anxiety made the best money managers—as long as they also had a high IQ. If you've never been diagnosed with a mental illness such as anxiety but you identify with the symptoms or characteristics, talk to your doctor.
A medical professional you trust can provide support and give you a referral to be assessed by a mental health professional.
If you are diagnosed with an anxiety disorder such as generalized anxiety disorder GAD or social anxiety disorder , know that there are effective treatment options. Anxiety disorders can be treated with cognitive-behavioral therapy CBT , medications such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors SSRIs , and even techniques like mindfulness training.
Many people with anxiety find that using a combination of treatments best helps them manage their symptoms. If your anxiety symptoms do not meet the full diagnostic criteria for anxiety disorder, treatment with psychotherapy with or without medication may still be helpful. Whether you've already sought professional help or are still in the process, here are some tips you can try on your own to reduce your anxiety. Ask yourself why you hold on to your anxiety.
Are you afraid that if you are no longer driven by anxiety, that you will stop being an overachiever? These are real concerns that you will need to address as you work on reducing the effect your anxiety has on your life. They therefore might stop working, seeing friends, or exercising until they can calm themselves down. Only then will they continue on with their day.
This leads to shutting down, inactivity, more anxiety, and depression because avoidance keeps anxiety going in the long run. They keep right on going, in spite of the anxiety. They accept that some anxiety is a normal part of life and by not letting it change how they spend their time, they prevent it from becoming a persistent problem.
If you find yourself doing more of the Anxiety Habits, try making a lifestyle change towards the Effective Habits. If you consistently use these strategies, you will no longer be doing the things that fuel the anxiety, and it will eventually get better because of your changed behavior. Interested in learning some of the most common and most effective strategies I teach my clients for dealing with anxiety and worry?
Check out my self-help video series, How to Stop Overanalyzing , with over 3 hours of content covering the skills I teach to almost all of my clients in the first 5 therapy sessions. Michael Stein is a licensed clinical psychologist specializing in the treatment of anxiety disorders and OCD. He is the author of the self-help video series, How To Stop Overanalyzing.
He is passionate about both helping his own clients overcome anxiety and OCD and expanding access to quality care for these problems. The Anxiety Habit: When you feel anxious, do whatever you can to make it go away. The Effective Habit: You allow for and tolerate uncertainty.
The Effective Habit: You put no demands on yourself to feel calm. You allow yourself to feel however you feel. The Effective Habit: When you feel anxious, you keep doing what you were doing anyway. The Anxiety Habit: When you feel anxious, you spend your time differently than you normally do; you stop doing certain activities. About Dr. Stein Dr. Weighted blankets can help you manage your anxiety and sleep more deeply. Does worrying put a damper on your day?
Try these techniques to free yourself. Though autism and social anxiety have similarities, the two conditions are very different. Learn why. Health Conditions Discover Plan Connect.
Mental Health. Medically reviewed by Timothy J. Legg, Ph. What is anxiety? Does everyone feel anxious sometimes? How is anxiety diagnosed? How is anxiety treated? The bottom line. Read this next.
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