Are You Suffering From High Functioning Anxiety?
Everyone has some feelings of anxiety at some points in their life. However people with anxiety disorders frequently have intense, excessive and persistent worry, fear and apprehension about daily happenings in their lives.
Anxiety can also show up in different ways in a person’s behavior and one of it is known as high-functioning anxiety.
High functioning anxiety is not an actual diagnosis as it is not recognized by the diagnostic criteria for mental disorders known as the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5). It is just a term that typically refers to someone who experiences anxiety while still managing daily life quite well.
A person with high-functioning anxiety is fully functional and usually even successful in their lives.
They may appear put together on the outside yet experience worry, stress and have obsessive thoughts on the inside. It is a kind of internal struggle and suffering that only the person with high-functioning anxiety will know.
High Risk Factors for High Functioning Anxiety
People who may have a higher risk of getting high functioning anxiety can possess these factors which exposes them to higher probability of suffering from the condition.
1. Family history of anxiety disorders
2. Substance or alcohol abuse
3. Health conditions such as thyroid problems
4. Exposure to negative or stressful life events
5. Childhood traits of shyness and nervousness
6. Individuals who have achieved success within a short period of time (eg. Lawyers who have become partners at their firm, corporates who have received many promotions, doctors who have taken on too many cases within a short period of time)
Falling into the traits and factors above may not indicate that it is definite for you to suffer from high functioning anxiety. The external presentations below together with internal feelings and sufferings will determine if you may be a sufferer of high functioning anxiety.
Checklist for High Functioning Anxiety
External presentations (Positive characteristics):
1. Productive
2. Motivated
3. Proactive
4. Prepared
5. Driven
6. Impeccable
7. Busy
8. Overachieve
9. Organized
10. Perfectionist
11. “Yes” person
Internal experiences (Negative characteristics):
1. Excessive anxiety or worry on most days for at least six months
2. Often overextend
3. People pleasing (Read how TCM and Acupuncture treat PCOS here）
4. Fear of disappointing others
5. Difficult staying present
6. Frequent rumination
7. Inability to say “no”
8. Overthink
9. Require external validation to determine self worth
10. Neglect own needs
11. Constantly compare oneself to others
12. Constantly feeling physical and mental exhaustion
13. Possess unrealistic expectations
14. High irritability
16. Sleep problems
Having said that, what will happen if we leave high functioning anxiety as it is and leave it untreated?
Read on in my next blog on the Dangers of High Functioning Anxiety.
Further reading:
Everything you need to know about Anxiety
Conventional Treatment of High Functioning Anxiety & Accompanying Side Effects
Dangers of High Functioning Anxiety
Holistic View on High Functioning Anxiety
Holistic Treatments for High Functioning Anxiety
Everything you need to know about Depression
Everything you need to know about Acupuncture
What Mental Illnesses Actually Look Like
Media Interview for Mental Health programme for Migrant Workers during Covid pandemic
Facial Acupuncture - How to differentiate the real deal from the fakers
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