by Tamara Pridgett via PopSugar
Experiencing anxiety every now and then is normal, and it’s common to feel anxious before a speaking engagement, a job interview, or when you have to discuss something serious with someone you care about. But for those with an anxiety disorder, the anxiety experienced doesn’t dissipate and can become worse over time, interfering with daily activities, such as completing assignments for school and work or socializing with friends and family. Some types of anxiety, such as generalized anxiety, may inhibit people from completing daily tasks and functioning in social settings, but high-functioning anxiety affects people in the opposite way.
What is High-Functioning Anxiety?
High-functioning anxiety is “a phrase that’s going to describe somebody who is functioning at a high level with anxiety, to the point where it doesn’t impede their abilities to carry out daily tasks, interact with their families, and complete tasks at work,” Nina Westbrook, MA, LMFT, told POPSUGAR. “It’s pretty much the symptoms of what anxiety disorder is but what is internal,” Monique Castro, LMFT, founder and CEO of Indigenous Circle of Wellness, who is Diné and Xicana, told POPSUGAR. Although numerous people live with high-functioning anxiety, it is not an official diagnosis in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) because it doesn’t impair how someone functions.
