High-functioning anxiety is when someone is extremely anxious and worrisome, but still productive and successful in society. Someone who has high-functioning anxiety may seem put-together, organized, and successful. In reality, they may experience emotional exhaustion from extreme anxiety and worry.
High-functioning anxiety is more of a term used to describe a symptom. The DSM-5 does not have an official diagnosis for high-functioning anxiety. In order to be diagnosed with an anxiety disorder, someone may have to meet the criteria for generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder, or another anxiety disorder. Only a licensed mental health practitioner can officially evaluate and diagnose an individual for an anxiety disorder.
What Does High-Functioning Anxiety Look Like?
There are many symptoms of anxiety in general, but there are some symptoms that are more indicative of high-functioning anxiety. Some of these symptoms may include:
Some of these symptoms may vary from day-to-day and may even be normal to you. Just because you’re productive and seem to “have your life together”, anxiety may still be negatively impacting your life. Seeking help may be beneficial.
High-Functioning Anxiety Remains Invisible
Most people with anxiety have a big gap between their actions and their feelings. This is one of the most difficult things about high-functioning anxiety to understand. A focus on what you achieve can reward behaviors that are really driven by terror.
For example, many people with anxiety think they work best when they are given the most free rein. Some people interpret a premature completion of a project as a good example of initiative. However, this can sometimes mean that the project is being done with a lot of anxiety about what the criticism of the project will be.
Some people think that willpower can overcome their anxiety and, therefore, do not seek professional help. This can cause long term issues with interpersonal relationships and can affect their physical health.
High-Functioning Anxiety and the DSM-5
While the DSM-5 doesn’t recognize high-functioning anxiety, a mental health professional may identify aspects of anxiety disorders in a patient and determine if this best describes the patient’s case.
For some patients, it may help to understand that anxiety disorders often come with symptoms of restlessness, fatigue, and irritability. Additionally, anxiety disorders can negatively affect interpersonal relationships to the extent that it impacts a person’s ability to fall and stay asleep.
Because the symptoms of anxiety disorders can mimic other psychological and physical conditions, it is important for a mental health professional to determine the core of a patient’s condition to ensure the patient receives appropriate care.
High-Functioning Anxiety and Perfectionism
Perfectionism is related to anxiety. A person may feel distress when they are not meeting the standards they set for themselves.
This kind of anxiety can be spiraling: it causes a strong need to prepare too much. Preparing too much can lessen anxiety, however, this only increases the need to overprepare next time it is required.
Seeking therapy can help learn healthier ways to deal with the need to achieve, uncertainty, and criticism. This does not require getting rid of goals and aggressively pursuing them. This teaches ways to feel less controlled by fear.
Chronic anxiety can have physical and emotional consequences. From a physical standpoint, this can lead to muscle aches, stomach aches, and headaches. Anxiety can also leave one mentally fatigued and have trouble concentrating. From an emotional standpoint, this can lead to social exhaustion and decreased enjoyment. Other consequences can include relationship problems and burnout.
Chronic anxiety can also lead to depressive symptoms, and in some cases, anxiety and depression can occur at the same time.
Anxiety should be professionally addressed if it impacts social and work activities and causes emotional exhaustion, avoidance, and other symptoms of depression.
After considering symptoms and circumstances, mental health professionals design specific plans to help people with mental health conditions.
Available Treatments for Anxiety Disorders
In general, treatment for anxiety disorders includes counseling (i.e., talk therapy) to help patients recognize anxiety and learn to manage it. Certain anxiety disorders can benefit from exposure therapies.
CBT can benefit anxiety disorders by helping patients understand the thought processes that contribute to anxiety and learning to replace maladaptive thoughts and behaviors with more adaptive ones.
There are anxiety disorder–specific medications. Generally, a psychiatrist would evaluate the pros and cons of prescription anxiety disorder medications based on a patient’s symptoms, other conditions and medications, and personal attitudes about mental health conditions.
Psychological conditions can often overlap, and symptoms of one disorder can mimic another. Therefore, sometimes the best person to help distinguish anxiety disorder symptoms from OCD, ADHD, depression, bipolar disorder, etc. symptoms is an anxiety disorder specialist.
It is usually best to seek professional help to differentiate symptoms and learn more about available treatments.
While there are different ways to manage anxiety, it is important to focus on other areas of your life such as sleep, exercise, diet, and relaxation. It is also helpful to organize your schedule. Finally, having quality social connections is beneficial for emotional health.
Learning to identify anxious thoughts is beneficial, and you can choose not to act on the thoughts. Anxiety can be reduced by practicing boundaries and self-discipline. This can include not asking for reassurance.
When anxiety is diagnosed or thought to be present, and it is impacting your day to day life, self-care and therapy should be implemented.
Taking Silent Anxiety Seriously
Anxiety can also be present when you seem to be successful in other areas of your life. It is often hard to distinguish between anxiousness and motivation. To determine if your anxiety is negatively affecting your life, you can contact a licensed mental health practitioner.
