On the outside, you are highly successful in what you do. You perform well in your job, are proactive, very organized, detail oriented, have healthy relationsh

ips, and outgoing personality. But on the inside, you feel like you're barely holding it together and your mind is constantly racing with anxious thoughts and you're always on high alert, no matter how safe or secure you feel in your environment.

If you have felt like this before, you are not alone and may be suffering from high-functioning anxiety. In this article, we will discuss what high functioning anxiety is, its symptoms, and how you can overcome it!

What is high functioning anxiety?

High functioning anxiety is a term used to describe a type of anxiety characterized by high levels of productivity and achievement. While people with high functioning anxiety may appear successful and well-adjusted, they often can't relax or live with a constant sense of fear and insecurity on the inside.

Often not recognized or treated, high functioning anxiety can take a toll on your physical and mental health, as well as your emotional well-being. People with high levels of anxiety may experience headaches, stomach problems, insomnia, and fatigue. They may also struggle with depression anxiety and irritability. When left untreated, high functioning anxiety can lead to burnout and other serious health problems in the late thirties and forties.

Just because you are successful in your career, have a large social circle, or can juggle a lot of different responsibilities does not mean that you are immune to anxiety and its effects. People with high-functioning anxiety often work very hard to mask their anxious feelings from others, which can lead to even more anxiety and stress.

While generalized anxiety disorder is not a diagnosable anxiety condition, some experts believe that the signs and symptoms are frequently most comparable to those of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD).

Signs of high-functioning anxiety

High functioning anxiety can be tough to spot when looking at the traits separately. However, when looked at together, they can give a pretty clear indication that someone may be struggling with high-functioning anxiety which might be masked by positive and negative signs and symptoms:

• Perfectionism (+): Always striving for perfection in everything they do. They may have high standards for themselves and others and can be very critical, both of themselves and others.
• Overachieving (+): They may overcompensate for their anxiety by overachieving. This can be in their job, school, or other areas of their life. high achievers may have difficulty relaxing and enjoying leisure activities because they feel like they should be doing something productive all the time.
• Detailed oriented (+): A high attention to detail can be a good thing, but for people with high functioning anxiety, it may be a way to avoid making mistakes. They may spend excessive amounts of time on projects to make sure everything is perfect.
• Outgoing personality (+): On the surface, they may appear to be extroverted, and have a lot of friends. However, this may be a way to avoid feeling anxious in social situations. They may feel like they have to be the party's life and always be doing something.
• Substance abuse (-): People with high functioning anxiety tend to turn to drugs or alcohol to self-medicate. This can lead to addiction and mental health disorders.
• Bad eating habits (-): People may have unhealthy eating habits. They may skip meals, overeat, or eat junk food to cope with their anxiety. This can lead to weight problems and deficiencies in vitamins and minerals which are essential to good mental health. When left unchecked, this can lead to headaches, digestive issues, and eating disorders.
• Anxious thoughts (-): Constantly overthinking and overanalyzing worst-case scenarios and feeling like something bad is going to happen. They may have difficulty concentrating or making decisions because their mind is always racing.
• Restlessness (-): Feeling like they can never sit still and are constantly on the go. They may pace, tap their fingers, or fidget when they are feeling anxious.
• Irritability (-): People with high functioning anxiety may be quick to anger or get frustrated easily.
• Constant fear and insecurity (-): Even when there is nothing to be afraid of. They may feel like they are not good enough or that they are going to fail.
• Fatigue and insomnia (-): People may have difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep. They may drink coffee or energy drinks to try and stay awake. This can lead to a cycle of insomnia and fatigue. When left unchecked it can lead to sleeping disorders.

While some of the symptoms and signs may positively impact your life on the outside, it is important to beware of the negative characteristics. When left unchecked, high functioning anxiety can backfire and lead to serious physical and mental health problems.

Causes of High-Functioning Anxiety

While the exact causes of high-functioning anxiety are not fully understood, several elements may contribute to its development such as genetic and environmental factors, stressful life events, and personality traits. People who have a family history of a parent or sibling with anxiety disorders are more likely to develop anxiety themselves, indicating that there may be a genetic component. Additionally, early life experiences such as trauma or stress can increase the risk of developing anxiety symptoms. Finally, certain personality traits such as perfectionism or being highly sensitive can also make people more susceptible to high-functioning anxiety.

Other anxiety disorders

According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), there are four main types of anxiety disorders: generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, and phobias.

• Generalized anxiety disorder is a condition characterized by chronic worry and tension. It can affect people of all ages and can be extremely debilitating. Symptoms of GAD include restless nights, irritability, tiredness, muscle tension, and difficulty concentrating.
• Panic disorder is characterized by unexpected and repeated episodes of intense fear. Some symptoms of panic disorder include heart palpitations, shortness of breath, sweating, trembling, and feeling of impending doom.
• Social anxiety disorder is characterized by intense shyness or fear of social situations. For some, the mere thought of interacting with others can trigger a paralyzing fear. People with this condition often worry about being judged or evaluated negatively by others. As a result, they may avoid social interactions altogether, endure them with great difficulty or mask them as alcohol abuse shyness. Untreated, social anxiety disorder can have a profound impact on a person's quality of life.
• Phobias are characterized by a fear of specific objects, places, or situations. The fear is usually irrational and out of proportion to the actual danger. People with phobias may go to great lengths to avoid their triggers. For example, someone with a fear of flying may avoid airplanes entirely. Phobias can be extremely debilitating and often have a negative impact on work, school, and social life.

While each type of anxiety disorder has its own unique symptoms, all four types can lead to significant distress and negatively affect your physical and mental health to the point where it interferes with your daily life.

However, there are effective treatments available that can help people manage their symptoms and live healthier, more balanced lives.

4 Ways to Overcome high-functioning anxiety

Although there is no one-size-fits-all solution to managing high-functioning anxiety, we know for sure that anxiety is a problem that originates in the mind and brain. Anxiety symptoms can be treated with natural and effective solutions that may be beneficial to the majority of people. You just need to make a decision to get better and start doing things that align with this goal. With enough time and the proper guidance, you will begin to notice permanent improvements.

Knowledge Is Power

But knowledge about yourself and your body is self empowerment. It is critical to understand how your body, brain, and mind work together.

The first step toward overcoming high-functioning anxiety is to learn more about how your brain and body react to excessive anxiety and what you can do to help them return to a state of balance. The moment a person is experiencing severe anxiety, the autonomic nervous system (ANS) triggers the fight-or-flight response. When the ANS is activated, stress hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol are released. Cortisol, epinephrine, and norepinephrine cause your heart rate and blood pressure to rise, narrow blood vessels, and divert blood away from non-essential functions such as digestion and immunity.

All of these bodily changes prepare the body to either fight or flee from a perceived threat. When the danger is gone, however, the autonomic nervous system should revert to its normal function. Unfortunately, when the anxiety is so intense or continually happens over a long period, the person’s autonomic nervous system gets stuck in fight-or-flight mode causing the central nervous system and the brain to overload to the point of causing the neurons to stop working or even die. This can lead to negative long-term effects, like mental or anxiety disorders.

In the case of people who experience high functioning anxiety before their forties, they could be pushing themselves to the point of physical and mental exhaustion before they realize it. This is because the symptoms of high functioning anxiety can be easily mistaken for stress. But suddenly, they find themselves in the middle of a full-blown anxiety attack, or they can no longer cope with their symptoms and have to stop working for weeks or even months to restore their body to balance. This is very true for individuals in the social media industry, where they are constantly under pressure to be "on" and produce high-quality content regularly. But this can happen to anyone, regardless of their profession.

This is why it's critical to understand how your brain and autonomic nervous system function, as well as what you can do to assist them to get back into balance.

Intentionally affect the physiology of your body

There are several things you can do to bring your body and brain into balance that are scientifically proven to work, including:

• Breathing exercises: Proper deep breathing helps to activate the parasympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for the “rest and digest” response. This can help to lower heart rate and blood pressure and promote relaxation.
• Raise your Gaba levels: Gaba is a neurotransmitter that helps to inhibit the fight-or-flight response. Gaba Calming Support supplement will help you turn off the anxious thoughts.
• Brainwave entrainment and Meditation: When you meditate, you help to slow down the brainwaves and bring them into a state of alpha waves. Alpha waves are associated with relaxation and healing. This process is accelerated by using brainwave entrainment, which is a method of using sound waves to slow down neural activity.
• Exercise: Exercise releases endorphins, which are hormones that have pain-relieving and mood-boosting effects. In addition, exercise helps to increase levels of serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine, which are all neurotransmitters that have been shown to be effective in treating anxiety.
• Visualization: Positive emotions and visualizing yourself in a safe place can help to lower anxiety levels and further promote relaxation. This is a powerful tool because your brain doesn't know the difference between what is real and what is imagined. Dr. Daniel Amen's research with SPECT scan proves this with real brain images. Dr. Amen discovered that when an individual does meditation the blood flow to the brain increases. But what's more interesting, is that negative or positive thoughts can also affect the blood flow to the brain and your emotional state.
• Increase blood flow, and oxygen intake: Every morning, drink 24 oz of water and walk 20 minutes like you are late for work to increase blood flow and oxygen to the brain. When you keep practicing this for two weeks, you'll be more optimistic and have a better day.
• Brain health supporting supplements: These include omega-three fatty acids, magnesium, probiotics, and vitamins B6, B12, and D. These nutrients are essential for the proper functioning of the brain and the nervous system.

There are many other things you can do to help your body and brain overcome anxiety symptoms. However, these techniques are some of the most effective and evidence-based methods that promote healing.

The above information is very important to understand and internalize because it allows you to take control of your body and mind so your outside and inside are in harmony.

Kill the ANTs - Automatic Negative Thoughts

Kill the ANTs is a very effective Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. Our brains get infested by daily negative thoughts that rob our joy and steal our happiness. Every time you have a thought, your brain releases chemicals to make your body feel the way you think and vice versa. For this reason, it is very important to be aware of what you are thinking.

Thoughts are real and they have a direct impact on how you feel and how you behave. They are very powerful and can make your mind and body feel good or they can make you feel bad. Every cell in your body is affected by every thought you have. That is why when people get emotionally upset they often develop physical symptoms, such as headaches or stomachaches.

With Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, you can train your thoughts to be positive and hopeful. Once you learn about and are aware of your thoughts and emotions, you can choose to think good thoughts and feel good.

Team up with a Brain Health Professional Coach

It is important to seek professional help if you are struggling to cope on your own. A mental health professional coach can provide support and guidance as you work to heal the anxiety symptoms.

Your coach can help you to understand your thoughts and emotions, work through difficult memories, and develop healthy coping mechanisms. In addition, your coach can provide support and accountability as you work to make lifestyle changes.

Our Amen Clinics Brain Health Certified professionals can help you with that. We look at high functioning anxiety from a holistic perspective, taking into account your diet, exercise, nutritional deficiencies, toxins, stress levels, and negative habits. We can create a personalized and natural plan to help you overcome severe anxiety. When you follow our proven and time-tested methodology the changes become permanent. You can finally be free and move on with your life feeling energetic, productive, and confident knowing that anxiety is no longer holding you back.

To learn more about our approach to brain health and treating anxiety symptoms, please contact us today. We offer a free 30-minute consultation to discuss how we can help you heal and thrive. Schedule a call now!

The first step is always the hardest, but it is also the most important. Taking action is a sign of strength and courage. It shows that you are committed to taking control of your life and your future. So, take the first step today and book your free consultation.

I trust you found this information helpful. We are God's highest form of creation, we are spiritual beings living in a physical body. With the right mindset, tools, and proper support, you can TRULY unlock your full potential.

Thank you for reading! If you have any questions or would like to share your own experience, please leave a comment below. Take care!

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Frequency Asked Questions

What are the treatment options for someone who has high-functioning anxiety?

When treating high functioning anxiety, the tools and approach used is similar when treating other anxiety disorders. In extreme situations, medication can be an effective way to manage the symptoms but the person will experience side effects. Cognitive behavioral therapy, for example, can be very effective in helping people to deal with the thoughts and behaviors that contribute to anxiety. In addition, relaxation techniques and stress management can also be helpful.

What is the difference between anxiety and high-functioning anxiety?

Anxiety and high-functioning anxiety are both mental health conditions that can cause significant distress and impairment. However, there are some key differences between the two. Anxiety is generally characterized by persistent, excessive worry and fear. This can lead to symptoms such as racing thoughts, feeling nervous, and difficulty concentrating and sleeping. When left unchecked, it can lead to chronic stress and mental disorders.

High-functioning anxiety is similar, but it tends to be masked by success in other areas of life. For example, a person with high-functioning anxiety may be a high achiever at work, but they may also have difficulty relaxing and enjoying leisure activities which could negatively affect their relationships.

The key difference between the two is that people with high-functioning anxiety are able to manage their condition and live relatively normal lives, while people with anxiety may struggle to do so.

Please note: This article is for informational purposes only and should not be used as medical advice. If you have any questions or concerns about your health, please speak with a doctor or other healthcare professional. Anxiety disorders and mental disorders can be serious, so it is important to seek medical help if you think you may be experiencing acute symptoms. Always consult with a healthcare professional before starting any mental health treatment.