High Functioning Anxiety

High functioning anxiety is not a diagnosis, but we recognise that people who function well often need help. They may ‘soldier on’ in spite of their anxiety. This is part of a series on high functioning people and mental health. We’ll look at high functioning anxiety, high functioning depression, healthy vs unhealthy stoicism, beating anxiety, and resilient high-functioning wellness (and more).

Do you function exceptionally well at work? Are you an overachiever? That’s okay, but … are you stressed? (That’s almost all of us.) Do you worry excessively, sleep poorly, are often keyed up and on edge, and are much more irritable than you want to be? (I work hard on these.) Do you too often look for comfort and release in alcohol, cannabis or online addictions? (Life on the cliff-edge.)

 This post is highly relevant to you.

Research has uncovered the importance of sub-threshold Generalized Anxiety Disorder (Haller, 2014). High functioning anxiety is twice as prevalent as GAD. It’s associated with problem drug use and the loss of friends and family. It can lead to clinical GAD or other anxiety problems. It’s common. It’s a watch-this-space area of research.

 To come back from the brink, there are things you can do. If these don’t help you improve your life, definitely consider seeing a doctor or psychologist. Always see a professional if you are concerned about your mental health.

What you can do

First. Congratulate yourself. You have not been diagnosed with a mental illness. Anxiety is rising in our world due to these six very real problems:

1 We feel powerless in a sea of high expectations and societal values

2 We’ve been taught to march forward at all costs

3 We value career and achievement to the point of forsaking our mental health for it

4 We can fool others into thinking we’re okay, and we can even fool ourselves

5 In spite of the information overload, we don’t know the way out

6 We trust less and less people

 Let’s go through each of these and the way forward in each.

1. I FEEL POWERLESS!

Divide life into 2 camps: things you can control and things you can’t. Aim to put more under your control. You may feel you are in a sea of expectations but you can choose not to fulfil those expectations. You may not be able to control society’s values but you can choose whether you take on those values yourself. You can choose your values and begin to live out of them

2. I HAVE TO MOVE FORWARD!

You have choice in this. You may feel like you have to achieve and move forward but there is no law saying you do. Choice means freedom. If you choose to move forward, make sure it is in line with your values. And pace yourself wisely.

3. I VALUE MY CAREER, NOT MY MENTAL HEALTH!

You can already see the problem with this one. Aim to get these in the right order. Your life. Your choice. You’re in control.

4. WE CAN FOOL OTHERS (AND OURSELVES).

More and more, we live in a world of appearances. As long as I look good and think I’m doing okay, that’s what matters. But reality is important. How you really feel matters. Be real, with close people at least. Thoughts and feelings inside your head have more impact on your mental health than the external world. “To thine own self be true” said Shakespeare (he knew a thing or two). It’s values again.

5. THERE’S NO WAY OUT!

Strange. In a world of AI overload we feel we don’t even know what needs to be done. But that’s how it is. The info overload is part of the problem. One way out is to walk away from the screens, the social media and the internet, and spend time away in nature. Just make sure they don’t follow you. Then watch a stream flow by, some waves crash, some birds fly or just watch the grass grow. Seriously. In that space, you’ll find some peace. Your life is probably okay if you have a job, food, and a roof over your head. Your way out is perspective. Time. Values (again). Priorities.

6. I CAN’T TRUST OTHERS.

Here’s the foundational problem. Less trust means less oxytocin. That leads to less physical health and less mental wellness. The science on this is clear (but too complex for one post). Aim to trust these 3 groups of people:

         a. A closest person. Have one person you can be real with. A spouse, a parent, a friend.

         b. Band of closer people. Have a few close people like family members or friends.

         c. Community of close people. Acquaintances, relatives, anyone you can get around and feel accepted.

 This means taking the time to cultivate these. Don’t let it slide. Phone a distant person from the past if you need to. Spend time to get the a-b-c of close people in your life. The anxiety born of loneliness, meaninglessness, pressure to succeed on the world’s terms, and your own perfectionism, obsessionality, worry and fears will begin to fade into the background. Take time for this.

It takes the Anxiety out of High-Functioning Anxiety to leave you H-F.

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