On any given day, there are probably dozens of worries, big and small that race through your mind: Is my kid settling in at school? Did my email sound OK? Did I shut off the stove? Is my friend mad at me? Yet despite this steady stream of concerns, you always have a calm demeanor \u2013 even when the stress is making it difficult to function.<\/p>\n
If this sounds like you, you could be dealing with high-functioning anxiety, a condition in which you experience the symptoms of anxiety<\/a>, such as persistent feelings of fear, unease, or worry, while appearing to successfully manage the demands of daily life.<\/p>\n \u201cI like to think of high-functioning anxiety as a duck gliding peacefully across a lake,\u201d says Dr. Heidi Allison Bender<\/a>, a neuropsychologist at NewYork-Presbyterian\/Weill Cornell Medical Center. \u201cIt looks effortless on the surface, but you don\u2019t realize how furiously he\u2019s paddling underneath.\u201d<\/p>\n High-functioning anxiety isn\u2019t a recognized clinical disorder \u2014 it isn\u2019t included in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) \u2014 but that doesn\u2019t mean its impact isn\u2019t real. \u00a0<\/p>\n How can you tell if the level of anxiety you feel is \u201cnormal\u201d? And what can you do about it? Health Matters spoke with Dr. Bender about all this and more.\u00a0<\/p>\n Explore Mental Health Services at NewYork-Presbyterian <\/p>\n Learn more <\/p>\n <\/a> <\/p>\n Normal Stress or High-Functioning Anxiety? \u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll often ask my patients what is motivating them to perform,\u201d says Dr. Bender. \u201cIs it the desire to do your best? Or is it the fear of what might happen if you don\u2019t do your best? If it\u2019s the latter, that\u2019s a red flag. Ask yourself: How much energy is going into maintaining the appearance of function for others?\u201d says Dr. Bender. \u00a0<\/p>\n Think, for example, of an executive, who may get positive feedback on their excellent work presentations, but spends three stressful hours a day obsessively checking and rechecking their work. Or a student with a big exam coming up: They may feel a certain level of nervousness that helps them prepare better, but if that feeling causes them to lose sleep every night, it can impact their physical and mental health.<\/p>\n \u201cIf left untreated, the physiological symptoms can worsen \u2014 along with long-term immune system responses and inflammation,\u201d explains Dr. Bender. \u201cThis chronic level of stress can cause damage to your body and impede the very things you’re trying to push forward.”<\/p>\n Those with high-functioning anxiety often struggle to make the connection between their symptoms and their chronic stresses, explains Dr. Bender. If you\u2019re developing thoughts like, \u201cThis is too stressful,\u201d or \u201cI just can\u2019t handle this anymore,\u201d that is a red flag and a sign to reach out and get care.\u00a0<\/p>\n Signs and Symptoms of High-Functioning Anxiety<\/p>\n On the surface, those with high-functioning anxiety can appear to be:<\/p>\n PerfectionistsPunctual, if not earlyHighly organizedOverachieversDetail-orientedProactive<\/p>\n Below the surface, however, they often struggle with:<\/p>\n Overthinking\/overanalyzingFear of disappointing or angering othersSelf-doubtFrequently double-checking detailsRepetitive thoughtsInability to relax<\/p>\n Physical symptoms can include:<\/p>\n Heart palpitations or a high resting heart rateRapid breathing or hyperventilatingTension headachesSweatingDiarrhea, constipation or other gastrointestinal issuesIssues falling or staying asleep \u00a0 <\/p>\n What To Do If You\u2019re Suffering<\/p>\n \u201cAt its core, high-functioning anxiety is driven by internal fears and perceived threats,\u201d explains Dr. Bender. \u201cThe constant effort to manage uncertainty can be exhausting, as fear of \u2018what will happen\u2019 is often the primary force fueling these behaviors.\u201d People with high-functioning anxiety often feel like they have no control over their situations, but there are some coping strategies that can help: \u00a0<\/p>\n Think concretely: Talking through your options and their realistic potential impact can help you recognize what choices you do have. Major project at work producing an untenable level of stress? Try asking yourself: What happens if I take a day off? How will that impact my goal? How will it impact my wellness? Could taking a day off actually help me return to work more refreshed and productive so you can still meet deadlines?\u00a0Set realistic guardrails around stressors: Instead of sweeping lifestyle changes, consider limits and goals <\/a>that fit into your life as it is. Consider picking one day a week to work reduced hours, take 10-minute breaks throughout your day to stand up and stretch or go for a walk. If specific worries are intruding on your thoughts, schedule time to think about them and time to set them aside. \u00a0Prioritize hobbies and downtime: Make time for relaxation and activities you enjoy away from work or responsibilities. If doing so feels uncomfortable, sit with that discomfort and see how long you can tolerate it. \u00a0Seek professional help: Working with a mental health professional can help you build awareness of how you\u2019re coping with anxiety and explore different types of therapies <\/a>\u2014 for example, cognitive behavioral therapy or mindfulness practices \u2014 for when it starts to feel like too much. A psychiatrist can help determine if medication should be part of your treatment.Thriving With High-Functioning Anxiety<\/p>\n \u201cPeople with high-functioning anxiety can feel reluctant to get treatment because they are scared that they will lose their \u2018edge,\u2019 or the traits that have made them successful,\u201d says Dr. Bender. \u201cIf that\u2019s you, try reminding yourself, \u2018You don\u2019t need to rely on your anxiety to function or do your best.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n “It\u2019s okay to not be the version of yourself that everyone thinks that you are. It\u2019s okay not to have an answer to everything, or to be a little messy or imperfect. You don\u2019t have to have to get to the point of falling apart to get help \u2014 if you feel discomfort, that\u2019s reason enough.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"On any given day, there are probably dozens of worries, big and small that race through your mind:…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":617027,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[35],"tags":[134,554,555,111,139,69],"class_list":["post-617026","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-mental-health","tag-health","tag-mental-health","tag-mentalhealth","tag-new-zealand","tag-newzealand","tag-nz"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/617026","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=617026"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/617026\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/617027"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=617026"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=617026"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=617026"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}