Have "High-Functioning" Anxiety Disorder?

Have High-Functioning Anxiety Disorder

The severity of anxiety may be correlated with the degree of functional impairment. Anxiety is a very prevalent issue. In the United States, there are more than 40 million persons who suffer from an anxiety condition, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness. The 40 million comprises people with a variety of anxiety disorders, some of which are regrettably highly incapacitating. However, some people appear to be able to operate well despite their severe anxiety-related symptoms.

Dread is the root of anxiety, and fear is a natural, albeit unpleasant, feeling. Unfortunately, anxiety shows up all too often in our lives. We experience anxiety frequently because we require it in order to survive. Alcohol and other substances can reduce or block fear, which causes us to act foolishly and risk our lives or fail to detect possible threats in our immediate environment.

Anxiety is an alert, and you can't dismiss it as you would any other alarm. Even if you choose to push past your fear, you will still experience it. Unfortunately, and unfairly, people mistakenly associate anxiety with cowardice or a lack of courage, while in reality, individuals who wake up in the morning despite their worry may even be more courageous than others who never experience dread in the first place. And those who are so anxious that they are unable to even wake up in the morning deserve our support and empathy.

Battle or Flight-

In humans, fear causes the "fight or flight" reaction. Animals, including ourselves, only engage in combat when they believe they can win; otherwise, it makes more sense to escape. The fight or flight reaction awakens our body and mind in either case. This arousal enables us to swiftly assemble the physical stamina and mental concentration required for either fighting or fleeing.

The two alternatives (fighting or running away) correspond to the various anxiety-related reactions. On the one hand, a fearful feeling usually encourages avoidance, which is the same as the "fleeing" reaction, while other people may push through the fear and proceed regardless.

This would be the "fight" reaction that "high-functioning anxiety" is characterized by. The phrase "high-functioning anxiety" has been used to describe people who have anxiety symptoms but, on the surface, appear to have no detrimental impact on their functioning, despite the fact that it is not a recognized diagnosis and is not included in the DSM-5. Despite having solid work and a great life, these high-functioning people are always anxious and tense. They struggle to unwind, frequently have indigestion, and have trouble falling asleep at night.

The range of anxiety-

I believe it is helpful to think of anxiety as a dimension or spectrum, with full-blown clinical anxiety disorders—certainly diagnosable—at one end, normal, unavoidable, intermittent anxiety at the other end, and high-functioning sufferers likely in the middle. Some of these individuals may still be eligible for a more formal anxiety diagnosis. I'm drawing a contrast between the various spots on the spectrum just to emphasize that a person's ability to function or not is a reflection of how severe their anxiety is, not a decision they made or a test of their own bravery and fortitude.

Even though it is a normal part of life, anxiety is terrible. When the condition worsens, the patient will require assistance and care. Not assuming that the high-functioning anxious person doesn't require this help is a mistake. Even worse, we shouldn't blame the highly worried and functionally impaired individuals for their difficulties by insinuating that they lack the guts to face their fears.