Behaviors of Those With High Functioning Anxiety

Do you think you might have anxiety, or know someone who does? If not, what's the first image that comes to mind when you imagine someone with diagnosed anxiety? Perhaps the popular comical image popped into your head, with the frazzled, jittery expression, unkempt hair, and profuse sweating. The truth is, there are some people who go on to be successful and accomplish great things in spite of their battle against this mental illness. This is known as high-functioning anxiety. High-functioning anxiety isn't a diagnosable condition, and so it can be difficult to identify, because those who have it don't appear anxious. However, the calm appearance doesn't make it any less real, serious, or painful for those who have it. Wondering now if you might fit in with this category? Here are 12 things you may not realize you're doing because of your high-functioning anxiety. 1. You turn down things you actually want to go to. You eagerly await events and get-togethers with friends, but when the day finally comes, you often decide not to go at the very last minute. Sound familiar? Even though you were looking forward to it for so long, you've talked yourself out of attending because the thought of going out leaves you wracked with worry and dread. 2. You dislike having to meet new people. When someone says to you, "There'll be so many new people you can network with," how do you really feel? Mingling at social functions just isn't your thing. Not due to shyness or introversion, you just don't want to meet new people. Sticking to your close-knit group of friends is comfortable and happy for you. Introducing yourself or being introduced to someone else makes you feel self-conscious and worried about making a good first impression. This worry is so intense that it sucks any enjoyment or intrigue out of meeting someone new. 3. You're uncomfortable with slow responses. The moment you send someone a text or leave them a voice message, do you start counting the seconds waiting for a response? And the longer you wait, the more you feel anxious. You overthink about why they haven't replied yet and somehow take it to mean that you did something wrong. Take a breath. They probably like you just fine, and their phone might be on mute. 4. You get very little sleep. We hear 8 hours of sleep is required. Can you remember the last time you got 8 hours of sleep? We mean all at once, not spread out over a few days. You may be able to look at anxiety as the reason. It may wake you up early and keep you from having a deep and relaxed sleep and also keep you up at night with thoughts racing through your mind. Being shortchanged on both ends is why sleep deprivation is such a common complaint amongst those of us who suffer from high-functioning anxiety. 5. You fixate on the tiniest details. Is there any little thing you think about that's keeping you up at night and depriving you of sleep? Like how you said, "You too," to the waiter when they told you to enjoy your meal? Or maybe why that person replied to your long text with simply, "K." Logically, you realize this isn't going to hugely impact your life. The waiter won't remember you, and that other person was probably just busy. Still, you examine it. This fixation is a common feature for people with high-functioning anxiety. You tend to obsess over trivial things, especially social interactions. You analyze everything and spend hours and hours wondering what it could all mean and why. 6. You get hung up on old conversations. Speaking of social interactions, do you find yourself playing back old social scenarios in your head, thinking about different actions you could have taken or not taken? Things like, "Maybe I shouldn't have texted him," or "Maybe I should have given that witty reply." High-functioning anxiety makes you overthink every single social interaction you've ever had, big or small. And it's not unusual for people who struggle with it to get hung up on the past, regardless of how long ago it was. 7. You're unforgiving to yourself. Do you feel extra upset at yourself when you make a mistake? Mulling over it and scolding yourself for months, even years? Well, high-functioning anxiety can often resemble perfectionism, with one of its most problematic characteristics being that it turns us against ourselves whenever we mess up. Your anxiety makes that mistake bigger in your point of view than it was in reality, so getting over it feels difficult. 8. You constantly compare yourself to others. It's normal to occasionally compare yourself to others, but those with high-functioning anxiety take it to an extreme. Are you overly concerned with how you measure up against your peers? Do you constantly worry that you're not fulfilling your full potential? No matter how much you accomplish, do you never feel like it's enough? If so, you might be struggling with high-functioning anxiety. 9. You're a constant people pleaser. Do you work hard to make others feel happy, even if it comes at the cost of your own well-being? Do you feel like you'll never be good enough until you attain everyone's approval? If you have high-functioning anxiety, you may have convinced yourself that the only way others will ever accept you is if you go above and beyond what everyone expects of you all the time. 10. You need to keep yourself busy all the time. No, we're not talking about creating great renaissance artworks or intricate business plans. We just mean busy, not necessarily productive. If you're not busy, you feel restless and tense, so you try to occupy yourself with just about anything. Doing your nails? Yes. Alphabetizing your games? Okay. Cleaning your perfectly working computer fan with a toothbrush? Sure. The truth is, you don't mind doing anything as long as it helps distract yourself from your thoughts and worries. 11. You get very anxious whenever you think about the future. What does the future mean to you? For many, the future is the light of possibility, something to eagerly look forward to. And for some, it can feel like Scrooge and that last Spirit of Christmas who looked like the Grim Reaper. If you're not feeling hope, but terror and dread for what's to come, this could be a sign of high-functioning anxiety. Anxiety can paralyze you with fear about the unknown and what's not in your control. It can keep you from truly living your life to the fullest because you always expect the worst to happen. 12. You always focus on the worst-case scenario. Do you like to prep? By prep we mean, do you say to yourself, "Okay, so this is the worst possible outcome. I'll be ready for it. If I'm ready for it, I can handle anything else." Do you then continue to expect the worst-case scenario? That might be high-functioning anxiety laying the plans. This might lead people to misjudge you as a pessimist because ultimately, you may try to share with them your preparations. Where you see anticipating and being proactive, they see a downer. Unfortunately, being so prepared often doesn't allow you to just enjoy the moment. Do you relate to any of the things listed here? Living with high-functioning anxiety is never easy, but most people may not see the emotional toll it can have on a person. If you are starting to feel overwhelmed with your anxiety, there are many professional certified resources to reach out to. Please like, share, and subscribe to Psych2Go for more psychology content. We hope to see you in the next video.