What is high-functioning anxiety?
High-functioning anxiety is a term most people have heard before. While it is not an actual mental health diagnosis, it is a condition that many people are experiencing right now. You might not call it anxiety. You might recognize that something extra is going on inside of you, but you’ve gotten really good at hiding or minimizing it. After all, everyone gets stressed, right? Especially these days. There’s also the belief that anxiety can be a great motivator and that a life without it would be unproductive, listless, possibly even boring. While it’s true that our experience of anxiety is important and can tell us a lot about what is going in in our lives or inside our heads, there can be a point at which anxiety becomes a barrier to fulfilling relationships, creating the success we want, or feeling healthy and joyful.
How do we know when high-functioning anxiety may be present in our life?
You may be experiencing high-functioning anxiety if you recognize any of the following:
Insomnia or irregular sleep patterns
Frequently feeling irritated, or quick to anger
“Nervous habits” such as nail biting, knuckle cracking, chewing on fingers, hair twirling, scratching for no reason
Over-thinking and second guessing after the choice has been made or the event has been scheduled
Tendency towards over-committing or workaholic patterns
Frequently feel pressure to do something perfectly, or not at all.
Feeling extremely discouraged when something doesn’t work out
Not being able to fully enjoy successes or positive moments
Vague feelings of waiting for “the other shoe to drop,” or for a “bad” thing to happen to counteract the “good” thing that happened
How does high-functioning anxiety show up in daily life?
For a lot people, maybe even you, it would be difficult to recognize (much less acknowledge) that this is a struggle. You have good reason for losing sleep lately: Maybe your child is having sleep issues that affect your ability to get some good rest. You know you and your partner have been arguing more frequently, but relationships can have highs and lows. And of course you’re overthinking those work decisions- this is your career we’re talking about! It might feel like you’re doing fine overall, on paper… You’re still getting up, showering, going to work, parenting your kids. You’re successful. You have a full calendar. You’re getting the important things done. But you’re also exhausted, overwhelmed, and feeling like you should be doing more, or that there should be more to life than this. At the same time, you might be telling yourself that this is a normal part of being an adult human, and you just need to keep going, keep checking off the stuff on the To Do list, and eventually, maybe next week, maybe next month, things will settle down. The balance and joy you’d like to experience in life will come.
Why it’s worth getting treatment for high-functioning anxiety
The concern is that, while you’re waiting for life to settle down or beating yourself up for not feeling all the gratitude and joy you believe you should, the high-functioning anxiety is having a detrimental effect on your daily life, your relationships, and possibly your health. It can actually prevent you from going after what you want if you don’t feel confident or competent enough. It can create more tension in your relationships and have you and your partner feeling like you’re playing on opposing teams. It can get in the way of feeling patient and compassionate with your kids, especially when they’re having a rough day. High-functioning anxiety can also be linked to disordered eating, addiction, heart disease, depression, and irritable bowel syndrome.
What does treatment look like?
There are many ways to manage or ease your high-functioning anxiety. For some people, exercises and activities that calm the mind and/or the body are beneficial (i.e., yoga, meditation, mindfulness practice, knitting). For others, finding a way to channel the extra energy they feel on a daily basis helps (i.e., regular exercise, daily walks, boxing, playing sports). For others, finding a counselor specializes in anxiety is key. Walking through this experience with a professional who can provide support, specific strategies, and information to regain control over this condition can be extremely healing. If anxiety treatment with a counselor along with additional self-care activities does not seem to be having the desired impact, it might be time to speak with your doctor about medication options.
If high-functioning anxiety is getting in your way, it might be time to explore your options for treatment. If you are in Texas, feel free to reach out to discuss your experience and determine whether I might be a good fit for your therapy goals.