What Does High Functioning Anxiety Mean?
Anxiety disorders are the most common type of mental health concerns. It impacts millions because it involves a broad spectrum of subsets. Some of the most common anxiety disorders are:
Generalized anxiety disorder
Panic disorder
Phobias
Social anxiety
Separation anxiety
Living with any type of anxiety disorder can pose problems for many people. We can think of anxiety, in general, as a range. Some people have crippling anxiety that affects them in their everyday life. Other people don't deal with chronic anxiety at all. In the middle of this range is people who are considered to have high-functioning anxiety.
What Is High-Functioning Anxiety?
We purposefully did not include high-functioning anxiety in the above list. While it is used to describe someone, it is not an official diagnosis or disorder. Rather, it is just a way to describe the type of anxiety someone has. If this throws you off, don't worry, we'll explain.
To the outside world, someone can look like they have it all together. They live their life normally, are highly successful, and are often considered to be perfectionists. They can get through everyday life just fine. So, what's the problem with all of this?
Anxiety Is Under The Surface
There is nothing wrong with wanting to be and do your best. It's commendable when someone is so driven that they continue to succeed and achieve. However, underneath this exterior is someone who is still dealing with anxiety. Perfectionism, for instance, is a side effect of anxiety. It drives someone to have unrealistic expectations about their career, personal life, and the lives of other people. It's the idea that anything less than the best is not acceptable. Leaving no room for mistakes.
Nothing in life is ever perfect. So when mistakes inevitably happen, it causes the person with high-functioning anxiety to go into a downward spiral of mental health and anxiousness.
Someone who has high-functioning anxiety normally has:
Problems saying no to a new project or responsibility
The tendency to be a people pleaser(which isn't always a bad thing)
Major self-doubt about their skills
A need to always plan ahead and think of every possible outcome
How To Deal With High-Functioning Anxiety
While this type of anxiety doesn't manifest itself in the ways that GAD or other disorders may be, it still is a very real condition that people have to deal with. It's challenging to deal with this type of anxiety, but it is definitely possible to manage it.
Start To Accept The Idea Of Mistakes
Nothing in life is perfect. We're human and we will make mistakes, that's just a fact. You can strive to achieve your best and you'll do that plenty of times. But, also get comfortable with the idea that mistakes will happen. Not everything will always go smoothly 100% of the time and that is okay.
Quiet Your Inner Critic
We all have that voice in our heads that tells us lies. It says that we aren't enough, that we are doomed to fail, and that we don't deserve the success we have achieved. When this voice gets loud, this is your inner critic trying to fool you and is a driving force behind your anxiety.
If your anxiety tells you that you will fail a certain task, challenge it by asking, "What evidence do I have of this?" In this way, you can help yourself take control of your worries.
Therapy
Even though high-functioning anxiety is not something you can be diagnosed with, it is something very real that people deal with. With that said, anxiety treatment can be a powerful way to help you learn to control your anxiety and manage your own expectations in more realistic ways. Don't hesitate to reach out to us to learn more when you are ready.
