Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsSignsStrengthsChallengesCauses of High-Functioning AnxietyGetting Help for High-Functioning AnxietyNormal vs High-Functioning AnxietyPrevalenceTreatmentCoping
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Signs
Strengths
Challenges
Causes of High-Functioning Anxiety
Getting Help for High-Functioning Anxiety
Normal vs High-Functioning Anxiety
Prevalence
Treatment
Coping
Close
High-functioning anxiety is a catch-all term that refers to people who live with anxiety but identify as functioning reasonably well. It is not a recognized mental health diagnosis.
If you have high-functioning anxiety, you appear to be successful, together, and calm—the typicalType A personalitywho excels at work and life.However, the way you feel inside may be very different.,
Verywell / Brianna Gilmartin
Signs of High-Functioning Anxiety
High-functioning anxiety typically propels the person forward rather than leaving them frozen in fear. As a result, they often appear very successful in work and life—which might be objectively true if that success is measured only in achievements.
What others might not know (and what you would never share) is that beneath the surface of a seemingly perfect exterior, you’re fighting a constant churn of anxiety.
Here are a few other signs.
At Work
You might be thepicture of success, arriving toworkearlier than everyone else, impeccably dressed, with your hair neatly styled. Coworkers might say you aredriven in your work: You’ve never missed a deadline or fallen short in a given task.
It may have been nervous energy,fear of failure, and being afraid of disappointing others that drove you to success.
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Though you desperately need a day off work to get yourself together, you’re often too afraid to call in sick. Nobody would ever believe something was wrong, because you always portrayed yourself as being fine.
If these characteristics sound familiar, here’s a look at what you might experience or what others might observe of you if you have high-functioning anxiety.
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In Personal Life
People with high-functioning anxiety tend to always be willing to help others—partly because they’re afraid of driving people away, being a bad friend/spouse/employee, or letting others down. Their social schedules tend to be busy and full.
The potentialbenefits of high-functioning anxietycan be seen in the outcomes and successes that you and other people observe.
Signs You’re an Overachiever
Characteristics of people with high-functioning anxiety that are often thought of as positive include:
In the case of high-functioning anxiety, a struggle often lies beneath that veil of success.The anxiety you feel about your success inevitably must come out.
Perfectionism and Anxiety Disorders
Despite being regarded as “high-functioning,” you may experience the following struggles in your day to day life.
A high-functioning person is often regarded as an overachiever.However, this perception is short-sighted because it fails to account for the struggle (and, perhaps, anxiety) required to achieve that level of success.
If you asked most people who know you, they probably would not have a clue that you struggle with anxiety every day.Deep down, you know that your anxiety limits your life—even if you don’t let on.
If you asked most people who know you, they probably would not have a clue that you struggle with anxiety every day.
Deep down, you know that your anxiety limits your life—even if you don’t let on.
Perhaps you are able to achieve essential tasks (such as those relating to work and housekeeping), but feel your life is limited in other ways (for example, you never do anything outside your comfort zone.
If you have high-functioning anxiety, you’ve likely become adept at presenting a false persona to the world and never show your true feelings to anyone.
Instead, you keep it all bottled up inside andcompartmentalizeyour feelings with a plan to deal with them later (but later never comes).
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Types of Anxiety
The National Institutes of Mental Health lists five major types of anxiety:
Anxiety has as many causes as people who have it. A few examples include:
In some cases, you might not even know the source of youranxious feelings. An experienced therapist can help you figure that out.
Help is available for people who are dealing with any form of anxiety, including high- functioning forms. However, certain characteristics of high-functioning anxiety might prevent you from seeking help.
Some possible reasons you might not have sought help for high-functioning anxiety include:
If you or a loved one are struggling with an anxiety disorder, contact theSubstance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helplineat1-800-662-4357for information on support and treatment facilities in your area.For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.
If you or a loved one are struggling with an anxiety disorder, contact theSubstance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helplineat1-800-662-4357for information on support and treatment facilities in your area.
For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.
Many people have a specific image or idea of what it means to have ananxiety diagnosis.For example, you might envision a person who is housebound, cannot work, or who struggles to maintain relationships of any kind.
We don’t often think of the inner turmoil of anxiety as an internal struggle as being reason enough to seek help.
Anxiety can be very much a life of denial. You might even convince yourself that there is nothing wrong—you’re just a workaholic,germaphobe, list-maker, etc.
It would be more helpful for us to refer to “high-functioning anxiety” as simply anxiety.
While it can look and feel different from other types of anxiety, it’s still present (even though it’s well-hidden) and can seriously disrupt a person’s life.
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Famous People With High-Functioning Anxiety
When trying to raise awareness of a social issue like mental illness, it can be helpful to identify well-known or famous people as examples.
Stars such as Barbra Streisand and Donny Osmond, and athletes like Zack Greinke and Ricky Williams, have all been forthcoming about their experiences with high-functioning anxiety.
Scott Stossel, the national editor ofThe Atlantic,has written extensivelyabout his experiences with anxiety in the context of his achievements.
Confronting Stigma Around Anxiety Disorders
Normal Anxiety vs. High-Functioning Anxiety
There is little research on the topic of high-functioning anxiety, but we do know that there is an optimal level of anxiety (not too low or too high) that fuels performance (theYerkes-Dodson Law).
Based on this concept, your ability to function at a higher level might be increased if you had a mild to moderate level of anxiety (as opposed to severe anxiety).
IQ may also play a role in how well people with anxiety function in work and life. A 2005 study found that financial managers with high levels of anxiety made the best money managers—as long as they also hada high IQ.
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Prevalence of High-Functioning Anxiety
According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), around 19% of adults in the United States have an anxiety disorder.Some people might consider themselves to be in the “high-functioning” category, but it’s difficult to know exactly how many.
Treatment Options for High-Functioning Anxiety
How Therapy Can Treat Anxiety
If you are diagnosed with an anxiety disorder such as generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) or social anxiety disorder, know that there are effective treatment options.
Anxiety disorders can be treated withcognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), medications such asselective serotonin reuptake inhibitors(SSRIs), and even techniques likemindfulness training.
Many people with anxiety find that using a combination of treatments best helps them manage their symptoms.
If your anxiety symptoms do not meet the full diagnostic criteria for anxiety disorder, treatment with psychotherapy with or without medication may still be helpful.
Medication and Lifestyle Strategies for Anxiety
Coping With High-Functioning Anxiety
Whether you’ve already sought professional help or are still in the process, here are some tips you can try on your own toreduce your anxiety.
These are real concerns that you will need to address as you work on reducing the effect your anxiety has on your life. This will involve refuting the belief that you can’t accomplish things without your anxiety.
It may take some adjustment, but you will find a new groove that gives you a healthy balance between your mental well-being and getting things done.
Reducing the Stigma
Thinking of anxiety in both its positive and negative terms can help you get past its lingeringstigma.We all need some level of anxiety to get things done.
Often,stereotypesand their resulting stigma take root when people don’t understand what’s happening or why, and this applies to anxiety disorders. Sharing your challenges with friends, family, and coworkers can help head off judgment and fear.
Furthermore, sharing your coping strategies can help others recognize and deal with their own anxiety.
Press Play for Advice on Managing Anxiety
A Word From Verywell
High-functioning anxiety can be a double-edged sword. You might be afraid to let go of something that feels like it’s part of your personality, but know that you don’t need to be secretly anxious to achieve and succeed.
Hold on to your positive traits through the habits that you’ve developed and try to let go of the tension and internal struggle your anxiety causes.
Not only does success not need to be the result of struggle, but opening yourself up to your true feelings and sharing them with others can make your experience of life and the world around you more authentic.
11 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.The South African College of Applied Psychology.What is high functioning anxiety and is it real?AH Clark, Clark Psychology Group.9 Surprising Symptoms of High Functioning Anxiety.U.S. Department of Health & Human Services.What are the five major types of anxiety disorders? HHS.gov.Griffiths KM, Batterham PJ, Barney L, Parsons A.The Generalised Anxiety Stigma Scale (GASS): psychometric properties in a community sample.BMC Psychiatry.2011;11:184. doi:10.1186/1471-244X-11-184Comer RJ.Abnormal Psychology. 8th ed. New York: Macmillan; 2013:132.Yerkes R, Dodson J.The relation of strength of stimulus to rapidity of habit-formation.Journal of Comparative Neurology and Psychology.1908 (18):459-482. doi:10.1002/cne.920180503Perkins A, Corr P.Can worriers be winners? The association between worrying and job performance.Personality and Individual Differences.2005;38(1):25-31. doi:10.1016/j.paid.2004.03.008National Institutes of Mental Health (NIMH), The National Institute of Mental Health Information Resource Center.Any Anxiety Disorder.US Preventive Services Task Force.Screening for Depression and Suicide Risk in Adults: US Preventive Services Task Force Recommendation Statement.JAMA.2023;329(23):2057–2067. doi:10.1001/jama.2023.9297Borza L.Cognitive-behavioral therapy for generalized anxiety.Dialogues Clin Neurosci.2017;19(2):203-208.Sachan A, Chaturvedi TP.Onychophagia (Nail biting), anxiety, and malocclusion.Indian J Dent Res. 2012;23(5):680-2. doi:10.4103/0970-9290.107399Additional ReadingAnxiety and Depression Association of America.Facts and Statistics.National Institutes of Mental Health.Anxiety Disorders.Patel, A.‘High-Functioning’ Anxiety: It’s not a Diagnosis, But Many Say it’s Real.Global News.Perkins AM, Corr PJ.Can Worriers Be Winners? The Association Between Worrying and Job Performance.Pers Individ Diff.2005;28(1):25-31.Stossel, S,The Atlantic.Surviving Anxiety. January/February 2014.
11 Sources
Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.The South African College of Applied Psychology.What is high functioning anxiety and is it real?AH Clark, Clark Psychology Group.9 Surprising Symptoms of High Functioning Anxiety.U.S. Department of Health & Human Services.What are the five major types of anxiety disorders? HHS.gov.Griffiths KM, Batterham PJ, Barney L, Parsons A.The Generalised Anxiety Stigma Scale (GASS): psychometric properties in a community sample.BMC Psychiatry.2011;11:184. doi:10.1186/1471-244X-11-184Comer RJ.Abnormal Psychology. 8th ed. New York: Macmillan; 2013:132.Yerkes R, Dodson J.The relation of strength of stimulus to rapidity of habit-formation.Journal of Comparative Neurology and Psychology.1908 (18):459-482. doi:10.1002/cne.920180503Perkins A, Corr P.Can worriers be winners? The association between worrying and job performance.Personality and Individual Differences.2005;38(1):25-31. doi:10.1016/j.paid.2004.03.008National Institutes of Mental Health (NIMH), The National Institute of Mental Health Information Resource Center.Any Anxiety Disorder.US Preventive Services Task Force.Screening for Depression and Suicide Risk in Adults: US Preventive Services Task Force Recommendation Statement.JAMA.2023;329(23):2057–2067. doi:10.1001/jama.2023.9297Borza L.Cognitive-behavioral therapy for generalized anxiety.Dialogues Clin Neurosci.2017;19(2):203-208.Sachan A, Chaturvedi TP.Onychophagia (Nail biting), anxiety, and malocclusion.Indian J Dent Res. 2012;23(5):680-2. doi:10.4103/0970-9290.107399Additional ReadingAnxiety and Depression Association of America.Facts and Statistics.National Institutes of Mental Health.Anxiety Disorders.Patel, A.‘High-Functioning’ Anxiety: It’s not a Diagnosis, But Many Say it’s Real.Global News.Perkins AM, Corr PJ.Can Worriers Be Winners? The Association Between Worrying and Job Performance.Pers Individ Diff.2005;28(1):25-31.Stossel, S,The Atlantic.Surviving Anxiety. January/February 2014.
Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
The South African College of Applied Psychology.What is high functioning anxiety and is it real?AH Clark, Clark Psychology Group.9 Surprising Symptoms of High Functioning Anxiety.U.S. Department of Health & Human Services.What are the five major types of anxiety disorders? HHS.gov.Griffiths KM, Batterham PJ, Barney L, Parsons A.The Generalised Anxiety Stigma Scale (GASS): psychometric properties in a community sample.BMC Psychiatry.2011;11:184. doi:10.1186/1471-244X-11-184Comer RJ.Abnormal Psychology. 8th ed. New York: Macmillan; 2013:132.Yerkes R, Dodson J.The relation of strength of stimulus to rapidity of habit-formation.Journal of Comparative Neurology and Psychology.1908 (18):459-482. doi:10.1002/cne.920180503Perkins A, Corr P.Can worriers be winners? The association between worrying and job performance.Personality and Individual Differences.2005;38(1):25-31. doi:10.1016/j.paid.2004.03.008National Institutes of Mental Health (NIMH), The National Institute of Mental Health Information Resource Center.Any Anxiety Disorder.US Preventive Services Task Force.Screening for Depression and Suicide Risk in Adults: US Preventive Services Task Force Recommendation Statement.JAMA.2023;329(23):2057–2067. doi:10.1001/jama.2023.9297Borza L.Cognitive-behavioral therapy for generalized anxiety.Dialogues Clin Neurosci.2017;19(2):203-208.Sachan A, Chaturvedi TP.Onychophagia (Nail biting), anxiety, and malocclusion.Indian J Dent Res. 2012;23(5):680-2. doi:10.4103/0970-9290.107399
The South African College of Applied Psychology.What is high functioning anxiety and is it real?
AH Clark, Clark Psychology Group.9 Surprising Symptoms of High Functioning Anxiety.
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services.
What are the five major types of anxiety disorders? HHS.gov.
Griffiths KM, Batterham PJ, Barney L, Parsons A.The Generalised Anxiety Stigma Scale (GASS): psychometric properties in a community sample.BMC Psychiatry.2011;11:184. doi:10.1186/1471-244X-11-184
Comer RJ.Abnormal Psychology. 8th ed. New York: Macmillan; 2013:132.
Yerkes R, Dodson J.The relation of strength of stimulus to rapidity of habit-formation.Journal of Comparative Neurology and Psychology.1908 (18):459-482. doi:10.1002/cne.920180503
Perkins A, Corr P.Can worriers be winners? The association between worrying and job performance.Personality and Individual Differences.2005;38(1):25-31. doi:10.1016/j.paid.2004.03.008
National Institutes of Mental Health (NIMH), The National Institute of Mental Health Information Resource Center.Any Anxiety Disorder.
US Preventive Services Task Force.Screening for Depression and Suicide Risk in Adults: US Preventive Services Task Force Recommendation Statement.JAMA.2023;329(23):2057–2067. doi:10.1001/jama.2023.9297
Borza L.Cognitive-behavioral therapy for generalized anxiety.Dialogues Clin Neurosci.2017;19(2):203-208.
Sachan A, Chaturvedi TP.Onychophagia (Nail biting), anxiety, and malocclusion.Indian J Dent Res. 2012;23(5):680-2. doi:10.4103/0970-9290.107399
Anxiety and Depression Association of America.Facts and Statistics.National Institutes of Mental Health.Anxiety Disorders.Patel, A.‘High-Functioning’ Anxiety: It’s not a Diagnosis, But Many Say it’s Real.Global News.Perkins AM, Corr PJ.Can Worriers Be Winners? The Association Between Worrying and Job Performance.Pers Individ Diff.2005;28(1):25-31.Stossel, S,The Atlantic.Surviving Anxiety. January/February 2014.
Anxiety and Depression Association of America.Facts and Statistics.
National Institutes of Mental Health.Anxiety Disorders.
Patel, A.‘High-Functioning’ Anxiety: It’s not a Diagnosis, But Many Say it’s Real.Global News.
Perkins AM, Corr PJ.Can Worriers Be Winners? The Association Between Worrying and Job Performance.Pers Individ Diff.2005;28(1):25-31.
Stossel, S,The Atlantic.Surviving Anxiety. January/February 2014.
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