Do you experience high functioning anxiety when you do any work? Well, nowadays, it is pretty normal. Some people just seem to have it all together all the time. So these high-achieving folks always seem to know what to do and complete everything within the stipulated time. In fact, they never even miss a deadline and always do their work on time. Many of them can also refer to these people as perfectionists. At times, they can also be a little hard on themselves or demanding others; however, they ultimately become successful.
So if you know someone like that, they might be suffering from high functioning anxiety. Today we have summed up some of the common symptoms and the possible treatments in this article. Stay with us until the end if you want to know all about these things. Let’s get started!
Table of Contents
Some Important Aspects about High Functioning Anxiety
This is one of the problems that many of this generation face now and then due to the immense pressure. So if you have high functioning anxiety, you will probably notice that your anxiety propels you forward rather than leaving you frozen in fear. Apparently, these people might appear to be successful and calm; however, the way you feel on the inside may be pretty different.
For instance, people suffering from high functioning anxiety might arrive at the workplace earlier than everyone else, be impeccably dressed, and look like a perfectionist. You might always complete your work within time and help others when needed; however, that is not all. Others might not know that you are probably fighting with an anxious self beneath a seemingly perfect exterior.
At times, you might require a day off; however, you are too afraid to call in sick. In fact, nobody would even believe that something is wrong with you because of your spotless track record. So let us now have a look at some of the common symptoms that might help you determine this condition.
What are the Symptoms of Anxiety?
Needless to say, anxiety disorders can make achieving goals difficult. Moreover, people having high functioning anxiety often exhibit symptoms like fears or worrisome thoughts that can lead to physical conditions like:
- Headaches
- Racing heartbeat
- Restlessness and agitation
- Panic attacks
- Muscle tension
- Avoidance of situations that trigger fears
- Disrupted concentrations
- Increased blood pressure
- Sleep disturbances
- Digestive problems
So many people might also suffer from any of these symptoms; however, that does not stop them from achieving their goals. In fact, at times, it actually drives them to greater heights. However, success, driven by anxiety, can be at the expense of functioning well in other areas like relationships. Therefore, it can also greatly impact your health and wellness in some cases.
According to doctors, anxiety disorders are most common in the United States. In fact, it affects around 50 million adults over the age of 18 years every year. Even though this condition is treatable, hardly a few people are open-minded enough to receive this treatment.
In fact, as per medical reports, people with an anxiety disorder are three to five times more likely to be hospitalized than those who don’t have this disorder. At the same time, anxiety disorders can heighten your risk of developing depression. So if you feel that you have an anxiety disorder, visit a doctor for treatment instead of suffering.
Also read: Amygdala Retraining: How to Cope with Anxiety and Stress
What are the Signs that of High Functioning Anxiety?
Here are the signs of high functioning anxiety…How many of you can relate to at least 3 of these? 🙋♀️🙋♀️
— Peer Mental Health (@PeerMHealth) April 23, 2021
By https://t.co/MbTDda9g1o…#anxietyrecovery #anxietydisorders pic.twitter.com/IPkwrtJ4HS
Since this is a very common condition among the people of this generation, many of our readers are probably wondering about the signs that will help them understand that they are suffering from high functioning anxiety. Well, you are at the right place as we will share with you the details regarding it here:
- Demanding control over situations
- Being extremely organized
- Bouncing legs
- Nail-biting
- A harsh inner critic or unrelenting standards
- Has a problem trusting others or delegating tasks
- Too much anger and irritation when things do not go as planned
- Being a perfectionist
However, you must not think these characteristics and behaviors as bad, but they do have a darker side at times. For instance, when situations do not go as planned, people with high functioning anxiety may feel irritated and take extraordinary measures to regain a sense of control. Let us now discuss some of the treatments.
How Can You Combat This Anxiety?
So if you think that you have high functioning anxiety, you need to get immediate treatment before your situation worsens. There are, in fact, various strategies like cognitive behavioral therapy for treating this disorder. It is one of the best ways in such cases. So what is it all about?
According to doctors, CBT is a type of talk therapy that focuses on changing behaviors. At the same time, it is also a good tool for combating the downsides of high functioning anxiety. It is actually an empirically validated approach to teaching people with anxiety to cope and function better. So when the doctor applies this treatment, the patients learn adaptive strategies and develop new perspectives for functioning well as a new person. This, in turn, helps to reduce the suffering to a great extent.
Another technique that is highly beneficial in these cases is practicing mindfulness. It is a technique that focuses on the breath; self-compassion can also help in this regard. In fact, this practice works well for reducing stress and managing aspects of life that contribute to feelings of anxiety.
One of the simplest ways to get rid of this disorder is to take some time off, stand back, and explore your values and perspectives. Analyze if you are living in a way that is consistent with the type of person that you want to be. This can indeed help you cope with high functioning anxiety. You can also go through some of these tips to help you get rid of this disorder.
Some Tips to Get Rid of this Disorder
Whether you have already sought the help of a professional or not, the following tips will help you get better.
- Make sure you spend at least 10 mins each day working on your mental health.
- Sleep hygiene is one of the essential aspects that keeps your mental health sound, so have adequate sleep.
- Look at some of your thought patterns, especially if it involves a lot of negative predictions.
- If you encounter negative thoughts, counter them with something realistic and helpful.
- Look for coping strategies for nervous habits like biting nails or lips. To prevent this, you can practice some deep breathing exercises and relax.
Ending Note
So as we conclude, we can say that high functioning anxiety is highly common in today’s world. This is due to our mechanical and stressful lives. Therefore, if you notice any signs, make sure you get the proper treatment instead of shying away.
