Everyone has heard of anxiety disorders but may not be aware of what’s called high-functioning anxiety. Living with this condition can cause a person to think that they have everything under control or even that they don’t really have a serious problem. Montare Outpatient treats a variety of types of anxiety disorders by using multiple types of therapies and any necessary prescription medications. You don’t have to be unable to participate in life at all to need and deserve help. See if you recognize yourself in our discussion of 7 signs of high-functioning anxiety.
What is High-Functioning Anxiety?
High-functioning anxiety is a type of anxiety disorder, which is classified as a mental health disorder. A person with high-functioning anxiety feels persistent anxiety but is still able to participate in their daily lives for the most part. In fact, others may not pick up on the fact that they constantly feel anxious. The individual may have a job, go to school, participate in hobbies, and have romantic relationships or children. To the outside world, all is well. However, the person with anxiety often works hard to hide their symptoms from their partners, family members, friends, and colleagues.
The level of anxiety may rise and fall, going from being minor to causing the person to feel completely overwhelmed. Even when they feel capable of participating in daily events or social situations, they often are not able to truly enjoy them. When symptoms become obvious to others, the person will try to excuse them out of fear or embarrassment.
Symptoms of High-Functioning Anxiety
While not everyone exhibits the exact same signs of high-functioning anxiety, many are quite common. These include:
- Often appearing successful and in control of work and personal lives
- Striving for perfection at work
- Excusing any signs of anxiety as things like “nervous energy”
- Tending to be people pleasers in an effort to be liked by everyone
- Organized
- Racing thoughts
- Active in several areas of life
- Talks a lot
- Engages in nervous habits, like cracking their knuckles or playing with their hair
- Asks for reassurance or repeated instructions
- Difficulty sleeping
- Loyal in relationships
- Uses alcohol or drugs to feel calmer
What are the 7 Signs of High-Functioning Anxiety?
There are 7 signs of high-functioning anxiety that people tend to exhibit. It’s important for someone who has this condition to recognize them or for someone who cares about them to understand what’s going on. The 7 signs are:
- Perfectionism: The person sets very high standards and goals for themselves and experiences anxiety when they cannot meet their own expectations.
- Overthinking: This involves overthinking everything from simple to complex events, ideas, and conversations. The person may also focus on overthinking about past or future events.
- Avoidance: The person tends to avoid situations that provoke anxiety, such as social events or doing something new.
- Procrastination: Putting off starting or completing certain tasks, often out of anxiety that the person will fail at them or be unable to meet their own impossibly high expectations.
- Need for control: Attempting to control all areas and events in a person’s life with the belief that this control will prevent anxiety.
- Physical symptoms: Medical issues such as headaches, indigestion, diarrhea, and muscle aches surface as a sign of anxiety.
- Imposter syndrome: The person feels they aren’t genuine and they fail at being successful or do not deserve compliments for their accomplishments.
How to Treat High-Functioning Anxiety
Someone who has high-functioning anxiety can get highly effective treatment that helps minimize or eliminate many of their symptoms. Talk therapy proves especially helpful, including cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and mindfulness-based therapy. These therapies help people learn to stay in the moment and not spiral into automatic anxiety-based reactions. The individual learns to change their negative thinking habits and behaviors and replace them with positive ones. Even when anxiety still arises, the person can learn to minimize its effects and manage them in ways that make their overall life less stressful.
Prescription medication plays an important part in helping people who have anxiety disorders. Treatment clinicians help explore options for what medications might work and monitor how the person reacts to them. Any necessary changes in the specific drug or dosage can be overseen during treatment.
While some people require checking into a residential facility, people with high-functioning anxiety often get great results attending outpatient programs. This type of treatment takes place during the day at a mental health facility and allows the person to still live in their home and attend to personal and professional responsibilities in their lives.
Begin Treatment for High-Functioning Anxiety in Los Angeles, California
Living with anxiety limits people, even when they are trying to get by with high-functioning anxiety. Montare Outpatient presents several different programs that help people minimize and eliminate many of the symptoms of anxiety disorders. With the help of our skilled, caring therapists, you can learn coping skills that change how you feel. We provide access to multiple types of highly effective therapies designed to improve your mental health. In addition, we help you find the right prescription medication to reduce feelings of anxiety.
For more information about overcoming anxiety with our help, visit our admissions page now. Let us help you enjoy a life no longer ruled by anxiety.
