‘’High functioning anxiety is a type of anxiety in which individuals outwardly appear relaxed, successful, and composed while internally suffering from stress, anxiety, and fear. It remains silently in individuals, and they feel trouble in achieving sound mental health. The most common silent struggles of high functioning anxiety include prolonged phases of stress, fear of judgment or criticism, struggle to achieve perfectionism, social withdrawal and avoidance behavior, difficulty in relaxing, and some related physical symptoms. 

A happy or smiley face does not mean that the person is physically or mentally active. Smiles can be deceiving. If any person is calm or relaxed, then there is a possibility that he or she might be grappling with any mental health issue, such as high-functioning anxiety. It is not just a form of anxiety; it is a silent battle of many individuals in which they deal with anxiety but maintain a normal daily life functioning. 

Anxiety is a common mental issue that involves persistent feelings of sadness, fear, dread, and uneasiness. Multiple studies have reported that approximately 40 million US adults are suffering from anxiety. Different forms of anxiety manifest differently in each individual. High-functioning anxiety is also a subtype of anxiety in which individuals seem normal and happy in their lives, but inside, they are stuck in the deep sea of mental worries. They constantly battle with their hidden and continuous state of worry and fear.  

This article offers a detailed insight into the quiet struggles of high-functioning anxiety. You will get a complete idea regarding high-functioning anxiety, its main features, struggles, and the ways to cope with it.

High Functioning Anxiety: Silent Struggles & Their Negative Impact on Mental Health

In high-functioning anxiety, individuals do not look stressed from the outside, although internally struggling to gain mental stability. In addition, the symptoms of high-functioning anxiety usually remain unnoticed and unrecognized. This is the main reason why individuals face multiple challenges in their personal, professional as well and social life. 

Furthermore, high-functioning anxiety is also not categorized as an official diagnosis in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5). There is an extensive list of the main features or characteristics of high functioning anxiety, but among all the major ones is their desire and ability to maintain excellence in performance in each aspect of their life while facing the stress and anxiety. 

Despite all the bigger or massive struggles, high-functioning anxiety usually remains overlooked. As the individuals are doing good in their lives, making the required efforts, meeting the social expectations, this form of anxiety does not receive the extent of recognition that others get. But meanwhile, their mental and physical health gets affected to a major extent that needs to be recognized on time.

Read More About: The Truth About High Functioning Anxiety

What is the Prevalence of High-Functioning Anxiety?

Approximately 18% of adults in the USA are identified with this anxiety experience. Moreover, several factors increase the prevalence of high functioning anxiety in individuals, such as societal pressure and the associated stigma related to mental health, etc. 

Moreover, individuals also do not evaluate themselves as to why they are taking excessive stress that is affecting their mental health. Even if they identify their stress or anxiety, they do not address it and continue living their life like before. This ultimately leads to a delay in seeking professional help. 

Major signs of High-Functioning Anxiety: Struggles Behind Every Symptom

Although the major signs of high-functioning anxiety in individuals are the same, the main difference lies in the intensity and frequency of the symptoms. Most common signs of high-functioning anxiety are as follows:

Persistent Worry and Overthinking

Continuous state of stress, anxiety, and overthinking is one of the most common and major symptoms of high-functioning anxiety. Individuals with this type of anxiety disorder remain stuck in the cycle of stress, and their minds remain overfilled with negative, undesired, or intrusive thoughts. They remain overly concerned with each aspect of their life.

From their personal, professional, to social life and relationships, they remain overwhelmed and chase mental stability. In addition, they think that they are not capable of achieving anything in their life. They also feel fear of criticism or rejection from others. 

Furthermore, they even start thinking about those drastic situations that are less likely to occur. Their mind start overthinking at any time, even without any apparent reason. Their constant worries get strongly incorporated into their life and result in major negative consequences in terms of their mental health. 

High Pressure to Perform

All the individuals with high functioning anxiety feel pressure to perform better in each phase of their lives. Whether they are at school, college, or at a professional place, they set high standards and then take excessive stress to excel while maintaining the high standards. Even if they think that they will lose, they get completely overwhelmed and their minds delve into a cycle of stress. 

Chasing Perfectionism

Individuals with high-functioning anxiety always want to be perfect in front of everyone. Whenever they start a new project, they excessively start thinking about self-evaluation and always remain in fear of making any mistake. 

Always remember that making things perfect or becoming a perfectionist is good, but running after it and making excessive efforts that drain your energy is not appropriate and should be avoided. It can exert a strong burden on your mental health. If you get yourself into such a situation, you will have to face several issues in every phase of your life. So instead of pointing out the flaws in your personality, you should focus on your inner strengths. 

Physical Symptoms 

Anxiety not only stays in the head, it also affects the body and results in a sense of fatigue or tiredness, dizziness, headache, elevated heart and respiratory rate, and certain issues in the gastrointestinal tract. If the physical symptoms of high-functioning anxiety are not treated on time, then these conditions can get prolonged and can take over the mind and body. Then, individuals face a number of challenges in their lives. 

Social Withdrawal

Individuals seem outgoing and social, but deep inside, they always feel fear of judgment, criticism, or embarrassment. Even if they start any conversation on their own will but after a few minutes, they feel exhausted. This is the main reason why they avoid social interactions and get uncomfortable easily. Moreover, they are always stressed about what others will say to them if they say anything wrong, or they will be badly judged by others. 

Difficulty in Relaxation

Individuals with high-functioning anxiety remain in a state of hypervigilance or hyperactivation. Their brain never takes a break, which is a major requirement for mental stability. Moreover, their minds remain continuously filled with intrusive, undesired, or racing thoughts even in those activities that are meant to provide relaxation, pleasure, or calmness. Such individuals always avoid sitting free without doing anything. 

As their brain remains hyperactive they also face difficulty in enjoying a good quality sleep. When they move to bed, their mind remains filled with less important thoughts and therefore they face difficulty in falling or staying asleep.

Fear of Judgement or Criticism 

Individuals battling high-functioning anxiety are also more sensitive to external pressure. They feel fear and constantly remain worried that others will judge them or criticize them. Moreover, they also take stress that if they make any mistake, then they will have to listen to harsh words that they can’t easily tolerate. 

They usually prefer to avoid meeting new people and those situations that they think can make them feel embarrassed. Therefore, they remain mostly separate from others to prevent hesitation, shyness, judgment, as well as criticism. 

Procrastination and Avoidance Behavior

High-functioning anxiety also involves procrastination and avoidance behavior in individuals.  When they start any task or project, they feel stressed and tend to delay that or avoid doing that. For example, they mostly avoid giving presentations and try to miss deadlines. Likewise, they do not submit their assignments on time and even miss their submission in the last minutes. 

Avoidant behavior is also common in people with high-functioning anxiety. They avoid every individual, object, or situation that they feel can initiate their feelings of anxiousness. For example, they miss important occasions and events and prefer to stay in their comfort zone. 

They think that by doing this, they can overcome their anxiety, but in reality, they face multiple issues. 

Substance Abuse & Addictive Behaviors

High-functioning anxiety is also linked with substance abuse. Most individuals get addicted to any substance and consider it a coping strategy to deal with their intense emotions. They drink alcohol in excessive amounts and also take other substances, whose addiction can easily develop. 

Moreover, their addiction is not just restricted to the harmful substance, such as extra work, excessive physical activity,  or any other activity like playing a game also become their addiction and is not useful. 

By doing this, they feel that they can get rid of their stress and anxiety, but in reality, they just step into a world where they become prone to suffer from multiple underlying issues, such as substance abuse disorders and other addiction issues. But with the help of mindfulness and stress management techniques, individuals can restore the quality of their lives. 

What are the Main Challenges of Living With High-Functioning Anxiety?

Individuals with high-functioning anxiety face the following challenges:

Internal Conflict 

In high-functioning anxiety, there is always a conflict between two things in individuals: fear of failure and drive for success. They force their mind to take extreme levels of stress so that they have to excel in their life at any cost. This keeps them in a constant state of stress. 

Trouble Asking for Help

Individuals also think that they should never ask anything or show their weakness to others. This is why they avoid seeking help from others as they consider it a sign of weakness. They think that they have the capability and they can do it. 

Fear of Vulnerability

In high-functioning anxiety, individuals also have a fear of vulnerability. They do not want to show their true inner selves to others. They always try to build a wall around them that hides all their anxieties. 

Increased Self-Doubts 

They always keep self-doubting without any reason. All the time they try to find the flaws in their personality. This also reduces their confidence and self-esteem especially in front of others. 

What Complications Can Occur Due to High-Functioning Anxiety?

If the symptoms of high functioning anxiety are left untreated and continue to persist, then many complications can occur, such as:

Depression

Most of the individuals also suffer from depression as a comorbid condition with high-functioning anxiety. 

Substance Abuse

Most teenagers and adults start substance abuse as a way to cope with their stress.

Likewise, other complications include:

• Relationship issues
• Burnout

Seeking Professional Help for High-Functioning Anxiety 

Early identification of the symptoms of high-functioning anxiety is crucial for getting the most effective treatment and improving the quality of life. Remember that stepping ahead and taking the professional step is a courageous step. Stop silently suffering alone. Reach out to the professionals and get the best treatment for high-functioning anxiety.

What are the Main Treatment Options for High-Functioning Anxiety?

High-functioning anxiety or any other form of anxiety can be treated by the following treatment options:

• Medications 
• Psychotherapy
• Positive alterations in lifestyle 

Psychiatric medications: Medications help in managing the symptoms of high-functioning anxiety. Experts prescribe the following medications to treat high-functioning anxiety:

• Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs)
• Serotonin and Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitors (SNRIs)
• Antidepressants
• Tricyclic Antidepressants

Psychotherapy for High-Functioning Anxiety 

Psychotherapy is the most common talk therapy that is used to treat mental health issues, including high-functioning anxiety. There are different types of psychotherapy, but among all, cognitive behavioral therapy is widely recognized and accepted.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

In cognitive behavioral therapy, experts’ main role is to help individuals identify the negative thoughts and triggers of anxiety and then replace them with positive ones, and also change behavior. 

Coping with High-Functioning Anxiety

Major coping strategies for high-functioning anxiety include:

Self-Care

The first step that you should take to get rid of high-functioning anxiety is self-care. Prioritize self-care and employ the best practices, such as:

• Mindfulness techniques 
• Stress management techniques like deep breathing, yoga, and guided meditation

Other Ways That Can Also Help in Dealing With High-Functioning Anxiety Include:

• Regular physical activity 
• Balanced sleep-wake cycle
• Setting goals 
• Making some personal boundaries 
• Schedule your day
• Take some mental breaks. 
• Identification of personal strength
• Break the chain of your silence and mental stigma.
• Challenge your worrisome thoughts.
• Lean to say no
• Join the support group

When to Seek Professional Help for High-Functioning Anxiety

If you ever feel that your high-functioning anxiety is interfering with your normal life, like:

• It is affecting your physical health & mental health
• It is affecting your relationship. 
• Your self-care strategies are not working.

Concluding thoughts

High functioning anxiety is a type of anxiety disorder that comprises the outward calm and stable appearance of individuals and internal hidden struggles in the mind. Individuals with high-functioning anxiety take excessive stress on even minor things and always seek approval or validation from others. Due to their symptoms of high-functioning anxiety, they have to struggle a lot in their life. Their struggles are all linked with their overthinking, fear of rejection or criticism, perfectionism, social isolation, procrastination, etc. But all the inevitable struggles can be alleviated by the help of the right and on-time therapeutic strategies of professional mental health providers. 

Start Your Healing Journey at Renewed Mental Health Group 

You deserve to be happy from the inside and out. You do not need to suffer from any mental illness. Whether it is anxiety, depression, OCD, ADHD, bipolar disorder, or any other common mental illness, we are here to help. 

Renewed Mental Health Group is a leading platform that offers the best psychiatric services for all individuals. At Renewed, you can find a comprehensive, ideal, and reliable mental health treatment for all individuals, including children, adolescents, and adults. Whether you are suffering from anxiety, depression, or any other common mental illness, here you can find the best compassionate care to manage the symptoms of each mental health issue.

So if you or anyone else you are concerned with is facing difficulty in life due to the interference of the symptoms of high-functioning anxiety in life then consider seeking assistance. Other than in-person, we also offer virtual care for the treatment of mental health issues. With our telehealth service, you can join the virtual mental health appointments.