7 Signs of High Functioning Anxiety

Understanding Anxiety Among Professionals and Trauma Survivors

Life can feel out of control when you have high-functioning anxiety or an anxiety disorder with other mental health disorders. You might feel as if you’re wearing a mask of calm, with everything appearing to be fine to those around you. But the truth is that others don’t see the reality of the chaos behind the mask. If this sounds a bit like you, it’s worth knowing the 7 signs of high functioning anxiety.

Icarus Behavioral Health knows that people with high-functioning anxiety tend to go about daily life without anyone knowing about their internal struggles. But anxiety is one of those mental health disorders that worsen if you don’t seek professional help. Our mental health professionals know how to treat anxiety disorders to help you get your life back on track, whether you struggle with anxiety as a standalone mental health disorder or with another mental health concern.

Keep reading to learn more about anxiety disorder and how we can help you or your loved one struggling with anxiety to feel well again.

Defining High Functioning Anxiety (an Anxiety Disorder)

High functioning anxiety refers to a state where people live with constant anxiety or stress. Despite that, people with high-functioning anxiety tend to be successful and productive. They appear calm and well-accomplished to everyone they know. But inside, they struggle with persistent worry, perfectionism, and other overwhelming feelings.

While things appear calm – like that mask mentioned earlier – this constant anxiety can manifest as self-doubt, avoidance, or substance use as coping strategies.

Nevertheless, anxiety disorders are diagnosed as mental health conditions listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual. They can have an impact on your life quality and physical health. Learning how to reduce anxiety is important so you can live a happier life.

Sandy Had to Experience High Functioning Anxiety Daily Until She Came to Icarus

‘Sandy’ rose at 5 AM sharp every day. Her mind buzzed with a long to-do list to tackle that sometimes felt unending. She performed well at her high-pressure job, always completing her projects promptly.

But beneath that successful exterior, Sandy had to experience anxiety every day. She spent each evening replaying conversations from the day in her mind. Or, she reviewed every detail obsessively, fearing she had made a mistake. She slept fitfully, often with racing thoughts playing in her brain as she sought rest.

One afternoon at work, Sandy felt an overwhelming wave of dizziness, and her heart pounded uncontrollably. Her vision blurred, and she gripped her chest. Her colleagues called an ambulance, fearing a heart attack.

But the doctor at the emergency room said the physical symptoms were not a heart attack but a panic attack; her anxiety had decided to manifest physically in the form of a nervous breakdown. After making an official diagnosis, the ED physician suggested that Sandy attend outpatient therapy to learn to manage anxiety and calm her mind to prevent future panic attacks.

Sandy turned to Icarus to treat high-functioning anxiety so that she could enjoy the successful life she’d built. With our help, she discovered that her anxiety disorder traced back to her very demanding parents who had set impossibly high standards. They responded disappointedly when Sandy made a mistake, reinforcing her internal drive for perfection.

Once the Icarus therapy team helped Sandy dismantle those impossible expectations and replaced her worrying with healthy coping skills. She’s learned to be comfortable with herself. Today, Sandy still performs well at work; however, she’s rebalanced her life and spends much more time on enjoyable, non-work-related tasks.

7 Common Signs and Symptoms of High-Functioning Anxiety

Download High Functioning Anxiety Checklist
Now that you have a better picture of how high-functioning anxiety may interrupt your life, let’s look at the 7 signs of high-functioning anxiety that can disrupt your life.

1) Anxious Feelings Leave You Feeling on Edge or Restless

People with high-functioning anxiety often feel on edge or restless. The ongoing uneasiness makes it almost impossible to relax. It leaves people feeling overwhelmed or feeling out of control.

Our past client ‘Jax’ always felt like they had a knot in their stomach. They couldn’t sit still in meetings at work and always tapped their foot or clicked their pens. A concerned co-worker who also struggled with high-functioning anxiety spotted it and spoke to Jax about the symptoms. Jax came to Icarus for help and mastered mindfulness to keep in touch with their feelings.

2) Difficulty Concentrating Today Because of Worry About the Future

People who struggle with high-functioning anxiety may struggle with concentrating on the essential tasks of daily life because they worry constantly about the future. They overanalyze situations, obsessively trying to plan for a better future outcome. This can lead to excessive overthinking and a series of negative thought patterns.

‘Telisha’ came to Icarus after feelings of doom about the future. Her daily life revolved around planning for a financial catastrophe. She was so distracted by overthinking potential pitfalls that she was missing out on the things that make a person happy – her two beautiful daughters were growing up and she had barely noticed.

Telisha’s care at Icarus included CBT; today, Telisha still applies CBT and reframes thoughts when she feels herself start to backslide into her high-functioning anxiety symptoms.

3) Seeking Perfection in All Outcomes and Relationships

Those with high-functioning anxiety may strive for perfection in every facet of life. They want to appear infallible at work, in social situations, and in relationships. The pursuit of perfection results in self-criticism. It sets the person up for a cycle that can lead to depression or imposter syndrome.

An example of this is ‘Emily,’ a former client. Her high-functioning anxiety meant that she spent too much time revising every text message or email she sent – both professional and personal. She was convinced that any minor mistake would mean the other person might think less of her. Her worry wasn’t the mistake; it was the other person judging her harshly. This left Emily feeling increasingly isolated and she began to drink more frequently before reaching out to Icarus.

In therapy, Emily worked with a professional counselor to reshape this behavior and learned to love herself despite imperfections. Emily has learned to let go of those unrealistic thoughts and takes a healthier approach in her daily interactions with others.

4) Deteriorating Emotional Well-Being Due to Being Overly Critical of Everything

Like other mental disorders, high-functioning anxiety can lead to an emotional downward spiral. As people take on more tasks to stay in control of their high-functioning anxiety, they reject self-care. They may soon start to avoid social events, stop enjoying their favorite hobbies, or experience a significant decline in happiness.

‘Antonio’ constantly berated himself for not meeting his self-imposed high expectations. He often felt inadequate and ashamed of his work. He even lost his social support when he quit his recreational soccer league. He did not recognize these as common signs of high-functioning anxiety and never thought about treatment.

When Antonio came to Icarus, we discovered he had both high-functioning anxiety and depression. He worked hard in therapy and learned self-care and coping strategies for his anxiety symptoms. He’s also rejoined his soccer league and benefits from the camaraderie.

5) Procrastination Paired with Intense Fear of Failure

People with high-functioning anxiety frequently procrastinate because they fear failure. Conversely, they may push themselves too hard, always striving to do things perfectly. This paradox comes from an intense fear of failure or not wanting to disappoint a loved one.

‘Laurel’ was a classic procrastinator due to her high-functioning anxiety. She always felt pressured by deadlines but had so much fear of failure that she often put things off. She created so much intense pressure that she started drinking to cope.

When Laurel came to Icarus for high-functioning anxiety treatment, we helped her stop the alcohol abuse and taught her techniques to strike a healthier balance in life. Now, she’s managing her workload and life healthily and even accepted a job promotion.

6) People Pleasing Behaviors

People with high-functioning anxiety may find themselves constantly trying to please others instead of knowing how to make themselves happy. They accept the stress of taking on too many tasks because they fear that saying no may damage relationships.

‘Marie’ often took on too much responsibility to help her friends. She was always the dutiful pal, helping people while ignoring her needs. She was overwhelmed but wanted to prove herself worthy of friendship.

That took a toll on Marie, and she had an emotional breakdown so intense that a family member called 911. Marie came to Icarus mentally exhausted. We helped her learn to set and impose boundaries; she had family counseling and invited her closest friends so that they could learn to give her emotional support. Marie now knows she’s worthy of love without strings attached.

7) Physical Symptoms (Headaches, Muscle Tension, Difficulty Sleeping)

As the stress of living with high-functioning anxiety continues to take a toll, almost every person who struggles with it develops physical symptoms. These can include insomnia, muscle aches or tension, headaches, or stomach pain.

‘Rachel’ lived with intense neck cramps every day. She thought it was from long hours on her technology and didn’t think much about it. But the discomfort persisted and worsened. A doctor could find no physical symptoms that would cause such discomfort; however, they suggested Rachel receive a mental health treatment and assessment.

Icarus found that Rachel struggled with high-functioning anxiety that had caused muscle tension. After we effectively treated the high-functioning anxiety, the muscles recovered. She’s pain free today.

Icarus: Professional Mental Health Support for High-Functioning Anxiety

If you have the risk factors for high-functioning anxiety, it’s time to get support. While the common symptoms may seem relatively innocent. However, high-functioning anxiety may eventually escalate with worsening symptoms over time.

Here are some good reasons to choose Icarus Behavioral Health to overcome the signs and symptoms of high-functioning anxiety:

Getting Help from Top Mental Health Professionals

We have high standards for recruiting the best mental health professionals. Our counselors and therapists are licensed, compassionate professionals who will help you prevail over the signs of high-functioning anxiety. They are skilled in helping you reduce anxiety disorders.

Effective Therapy and Emotional Support

You will leave therapy at Icarus with a new toolkit that includes mindfulness training, CBT, DBT, and group counseling. With these new tools at your disposal, you will better navigate career, social interactions, and all facets of your daily routine without worrying.

Custom-fit Care for People with High-Functioning Anxiety Disorders

The Icarus team understands that high-functioning anxiety manifests differently in every person it touches. Some people go through life with mild signs and never receive a diagnosis.

Still, others find it relatively severe. In the worst cases, high-functioning anxiety may lead to other high functioning mental health conditions, such as depression, substance use disorders, or behavioral health issues.

Because we know the many nuances of anxiety disorders, we create custom care plans for every person we treat. No cookie-cutter treatments here!

Use Insurance Benefits to Help Get Treatment

Some patients have told us in the past that they once weighed the risk factors of living with high-functioning anxiety with treatment costs. Icarus works with most major insurance companies, which can help to alleviate the worry of cost.

We will even help you coordinate your insurance benefits and obtain your pre-authorization. Give our admissions team a call to apply your benefits and control health expenditures.

Contact Icarus for Healing Anxiety or Mental Health Disorders

If you see these signs of high-functioning anxiety in yourself or a loved one, please seek help. The mechanisms that cause one to struggle with high-functioning anxiety can lead to other forms of mental illness if you don’t have treatment. We provide compassionate care for your anxiety disorder, depression, or any related mental or behavioral health disorders.

Reaching out to our team is always confidential; you have nothing to lose and everything to gain. Call us today and get support to relieve anxiety now!