In the vast field of mental health, anxiety is well understood and encompasses physical and psychological symptoms. It’s characterized by factors like restlessness, increased heart rate, and constant anxiety. However, there exists a lesser-known variant, known as high-functioning anxiety. It is something that is not always evident, and the results of this often-invisible fight can be rather profound, which is why it is crucial to be able to identify it and seek the right help.
What is High-functioning Anxiety?
High-functioning anxiety is where people look fine on the outside; professional, successful and perform optimally and on the inside, they live with chronic anxiety and self-doubt and constant over achievement compared to their perceived set standards.
Roots & Nature
The constant striving comes with high-functioning anxiety and can be triggered by past events in a person’s life. High-functioning anxiety might be the consequence of inheritable low self-esteem and low self-confidence due to parents’ anxious behaviours, stressors during childhood, and disruption of the family environment. Thus, early experiences often become deeply ingrained and involve fear of criticism, embarrassing situations, and failure; these translate into adulthood as a constant striving for perfection and approval.
A Rising Crisis
Even though studies show that women are two times more likely to develop high functioning anxiety than men, like most mental disorders, high functioning anxiety can affect anyone. The first is that it is a silent epidemic that often goes unnoticed. High-functioning anxiety is characterized by the patient hiding their symptoms in such a way that they achieve success in aspects of life such as school, work, or even friendships. Nonetheless, High functioning anxiety goes unnoticed until they can face their fears and cover up the symptoms. This means that a person can have this condition for years without anyone knowing it until he or she is challenged to the extremities of their socio-occupational dysfunction and disarray in their everyday lives.
A major effect of high-functioning anxiety is the demand to be overachieving, which is a direct result of the standard of success foisted on individuals by society. This pressure can result in something I like to call “high functioning burnout” or the complete exhaustion of the mind and body. It’s important for people to sustain such a pace so that they may fall ill, both physically and mentally, next. This internal conflict, when combined with the outward appearance of success, is not easy to sustain over the long term.
The results of untreated high functioning anxiety are catastrophic, as many functions of life become impacted. “If one proceeds along the lifespan with untreated high-functioning anxiety, the possible consequences could include potential strain on the interpersonal relationship as well as oneself in terms of nutrition, sleep, and exercise. Also, it can cause the development of other mental disorders such as depression or substance use disorder as people look for a way to cope with the heightened level of anxiety.
Seeking Professional Support
It is therefore important for a person experiencing or observing the signs of high-functioning anxiety in others people to seek help for professional diagnosis and treatment. Broadly, some signs include thinking too much, setting high standards, needing constant assurance and inability to unwind even where there is no cause to worry. People can also get physical signals of stress, like tense muscles, headache, and fatigue. People must be aware that while high-functioning anxiety sounds like a minor issue, it is a real and serious condition that requires attention and help.
If these signs are visible in oneself or in someone close, then getting professional help is compulsory. “While receiving treatment for high-functioning anxiety, one might be advised to take some medication, undergo therapy, or even both. It is especially helpful as cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) assists people in changing the way they appraise the situation and addresses their anxious thoughts with better methods. At times, therapy including medication such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) may be recommended. With the right support system, those diagnosed with high-functioning anxiety disorder can effectively be taught how to deal with their worries, find some way or another to deal with their thoughts, and attain the goal of having a good and calm life.
In conclusion, the concept of high-functioning anxiety describes a condition that may not be obvious but has the potential of impacting the quality of an individual’s life in a very significant manner. These people appear to be well-adjusted and are often found in high-paying jobs while inside they are facing major struggles. It is important, therefore, to identify symptoms that alert a patient to seek medical help or support in the right manner as required. When people are aware of high-functioning anxiety, it will become easier for such individuals to get support from the society and hence they are not only able to provide for their families and achieve what the society expects from them but also be happy or find inner peace.
(Article Courtesy: Dr. Arun Kumar, a renowned psychiatrist at Cadabam’s Hospitals)
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