High-functioning anxiety, or high-achieving anxiety, is a term used to describe individuals who suffer from significant hidden anxiety yet somehow manage to maintain a high level of functioning in daily life.
While it’s not an official medical diagnosis, it describes some people’s real experiences. People with high-functioning anxiety manage to tackle this condition, keeping it together on the outside. They might even appear to be the epitome of success, calm and collected at work and in social settings.
It’s important to note that anxiety disorders manifest differently in people. Doctors acknowledge this spectrum, recognising that some individuals experience crippling symptoms, while others navigate life with a milder, manageable form of anxiety.
However, to prevent the worsening of symptoms and ensure adequate medical attention has been provided, one should consider treatments for anxiety. To learn more about the highlighted 7 signs of high-functioning anxiety, check out our article below.
Read on to find out more.
There’s a lack of proper scientific study on how high-functioning anxiety works because it’s not a declared formal diagnosis. People suffering from it might be good at hiding their anxiety, and it often mirrors generalised anxiety disorder. The 7 signs of high-functioning anxiety include:
1. Lacks Quality Sleep
People with high-functioning anxiety often suffer from insomnia. Despite feeling exhausted, you can’t sleep well because of the anxious thoughts racing through your mind. Continuous thoughts about tomorrow’s tasks make it hard to fall asleep or stay asleep. This trouble sleeping can worsen anxiety.
This lack of quality sleep can leave you feeling irritable, tired, and unable to focus. This worsens the anxiety cycle and affects your routine. Seeking professional treatment for insomnia leads to a more relaxed feeling and a healthy mind.
2. Fear of Disapproval
High-functioning anxiety can manifest as difficulty regulating fears and problems. It’s common to care and overthink what people might think of you, but a social anxiety disorder arises when a negative judgement is a constant concern.
People with high-functioning anxiety present with a constant, overwhelming feeling of worry and fear. Such people always prioritise others’ needs over their own, fueled by a fear of disappointment or disapproval. If this anxious state is left untreated, it eventually leads to burnout, resentment, and emotional exhaustion.
3. Strives for Perfectionism
Many people who silently suffer from high-functioning anxiety, set incredibly high standards for themselves in every aspect of life, from work performance to home and their home environment. This can manifest as taking on more projects than you can easily manage, consistently meeting deadlines early, and working overtime.
This constant pressure to seek perfection can stem from your unmet needs. You might even have a strong desire for security, accomplishment, or validation from others. All this, unfortunately, leads to exhaustion and frustration. If you find yourself in such a situation, know when to pause and seek professional help for anxiety.
4. Struggle With Decision-Making
High-functioning anxiety can definitely make decision-making a challenge, particularly for long-term commitments. You might find yourself stuck in an ‘analysis paralysis’ loop when faced with decisions. This leads to a confused state of mind and excessive overthinking, which keeps your mind exhausted and occupied.
This constant worry about making the wrong decision and doubting your sound decision-making ability leads to fear of disastrous outcomes. This may even lead you to catastrophize the potential outcomes of low-risk situations. This further worsens the state of anxiety.
5. Restlessness
High-functioning anxiety puts you in a state of feeling like you’re not doing enough. This leads to a feeling of restlessness. You might find your calendar overflowing with tasks because you take on more than you can handle. This constant state of busyness stems from the urge to be productive and find a temporary escape from your anxious thoughts.
By neglecting self-care and failing to address your underlying worries, your anxiety symptoms may actually worsen. If you have high-functioning anxiety, you might even feel its associated physical symptoms. Some common ones include recurrent episodes of panic attacks, shortness of breath, body tremors, and trouble sleeping.
6. Muscle Tension and Fatigue
High-functioning anxiety doesn’t just present with psychological symptoms; it also impairs your physical well-being. You might also suffer from symptoms like weakness, headaches, nausea, muscle fatigue, and stomach issues.
Anxiety also disrupts your hormonal balance. Stress hormones released during anxious periods divert energy away from muscle repair and recovery. This further worsens your anxious state and makes it difficult to get good sleep. In short, it’s a vicious cycle: fatigue worsens anxiety symptoms, which leads to less sleep, more fatigue, and hence more anxiety.
7. Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms
Some people with high-functioning anxiety may turn to unhealthy coping mechanisms to deal with their stress. Under this radar of high achievement, people might suffer from anxiety and addiction simultaneously.
These behaviours include overdoing caffeine, using alcohol as a coping mechanism, or burying yourself in immense loads of work. This might offer a temporary escape hatch, but it can eventually make anxiety worse in the long term.
At times, despite this misuse of substances, people showcase normalcy by fulfilling all their work and social commitments. In fact, these substances might be their driving force for pushing through fatigue or numbing overwhelming physical and mental symptoms.
What Causes High-Functioning Anxiety
While the exact causes of high-functioning anxiety remain unclear, it is believed to develop as a manifestation of stress and anxiety disorder in some individuals. Everyone experiences anxiety differently, and the reason behind it varies as well.
Some common triggers of high-functioning anxiety include:
- Stressful situations at home or work lead to social anxiety disorder
- Physical and mental health issues linked to anxiety
- Past trauma, abuse, or bullying
- Alcohol or drug use can cause anxiety
- Shyness or nervousness from childhood can make you susceptible to anxiety
It’s important to remember that experiencing one of these risk factors doesn’t guarantee developing an anxiety disorder. Therefore professional consultation is required before you move to anxiety treatment.
High-Functioning Anxiety Tests
Initially, an anxiety diagnosis is made based on physical symptoms, and the doctors run some tests to rule out conditions that mimic anxiety. If everything looks good, they move on to the psych evaluation for your mental well-being test.
Mental health professionals use a guidebook called the DSM-5 to diagnose anxiety disorders. To get an anxiety diagnosis, your symptoms need to match certain criteria for a specific type of anxiety.
For high-functioning anxiety, they consider these general points:
- Constant worry
- Impact on daily life
- Fear of panic attacks
- Social anxiety
- Actively avoid triggers
People with high-functioning anxiety might be good at hiding their symptoms, however, being honest with your mental health professional is crucial. This helps you get an accurate diagnosis and the help you deserve.
Coping With High-Functioning Anxiety
Here are some commonly practiced ways to manage high-functioning anxiety:
- Embrace a healthy lifestyle: regular exercise, sufficient sleep, and nutritious meals are all mandatory for building strength against anxiety. Exercise helps reduce stress hormones, improve sleep quality, and soothe your mood, while a balanced diet provides the body with the nutrients it needs to function perfectly.
- Befriend mindfulness: mindful practices like meditation can be a powerful tool for managing anxiety. By focusing on the present moment and accepting your thoughts and feelings without judgement, you can learn to detach from anxious emotions.
- Find your think-alikes: connecting with others who understand what you’re going through can be incredibly supportive. Support groups, either in-person or online, and provide a safe space to share your experiences.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What Are People With Anxiety Good At?
People with high-functioning anxiety are surprisingly blessed with amazing brainpower. People prone to anxiety often possess high intelligence. This anxiousness can translate into their strengths, making them excellent researchers, sharp critical thinkers, and thorough analysts.
How Do You Talk to Someone With High-Functioning Anxiety?
Anxious triggers vary widely. If you see someone close to you dealing with anxiety, be patient and offer emotional support. Dismissing their feelings saying, ‘It’s no big deal’ hurts. Instead, offer reassurance and ask, ‘How can I help?’ This validates their feelings and offers positive energy.
Can Anxiety Be Controlled Naturally?
You can fight anxiety without medication. Exercise, calming scents, deep breaths, meditation, and chamomile tea can all be anxiety tamers. However, if anxiety intensifies, you should seek professional support. Active therapy treatment for anxiety or medication, or even both, can be powerful tools for managing significant or chronic anxiety.
