Dedicated to your stories and ideas. Anxiety is not easily explicable, at least not to those who don’t experience it. I think part of it is genetic, part of it was family of origin experiences, and part of it is my lifestyle.” — Dana“There are days I feel like a science experiment, trying each med my doctor prescribes, hoping one of them will make life normal again. I do a damn good job of keeping it hidden, because I have a family (and a brand) to protect. I’m fighting a disease.” — Lynda “I’d never really understood that anxiety was a diagnosable condition. Accomplishing (anything, really) requires a ton of focus for an extensive period of time. While a person with high-functioning anxiety can appear as though in control and actively engaged in the daily tasks of life, underneath this confident exterior, it is a fight to make it through the day.

Sometimes the med works for a while and stops. They are associating a cause-and-effect that, while improbable, isn’t High-functioning OCD isn’t always the person who has to check the door 7 times exactly before they leave (though this is, of course, a symptom of the disorder). You simply feel scared, worried, anxious over something you just can’t name. Most importantly, it means that I’m able to recognize my symptoms, take action, and keep the anxiety from blowing up. A good day means I make it to work on time; I don’t feel the need to apologize for a million little things that no one else is noticing, and I don’t lock myself in the bathroom stall at work for three minutes of silence. This is because it can go on for years, and nothing will be done about it. I may tell someone that I’m worried, but this is often seen as a part of my character. As with all anxiety disorders, high-functioning anxiety often comes with physical symptoms. “The symptoms can interfere with daily activities such as job performance, school work, and relationships,” notes the There are several types of anxiety disorders. On the surface it can just seem like someone who gets too worried or worked up for no reason, especially when they aren’t showing any of the stereotypical ticks of the disease. When a problem gets really bad really quickly, you’re able to address it and take action.

Anxiety to me feels like constant grinding or grating on my brain.

Sometimes I get really resentful and angry about how hard I have to work to manage my health. This is the premise of all anxiety, but particularly with OCD. It’s the person who cannot simply “get over” their former love, or an idea about themselves that they think is true. I’ve made big life changes to support my mental health. But high-functioning anxiety is a little bit tougher to recognize, mostly because those living with it appear to be fine. I need people to think I’m dealing with it in healthy ways. That’s a really good day.” — Steve“High-functioning to me means that I’m able to be productive. I think because I’m high-functioning, my anxiety often presents as irritation, anger, and frustration.” — Alex“One of the things I struggle most with as a person with high-functioning anxiety is the fact that other people, including my family and friends, easily excuse the times my anxiety is giving me problems, because I ‘don’t seem to have anything wrong’ with me. But for the majority of us, it’s situational and temporary.That said, when fear or intense physical reactions start to creep in along with anxiety, it morphs into an anxiety disorder. It’s hard to come down from this, and it happens to me pretty frequently. Our website services, content, and products are for informational purposes only. Those are the only things I really need.

All rights reserved. Learn about us.Submit your writing to be published on Thought Catalog.The big reason why people with obsessive thoughts or compulsive behaviors can’t get past them is because they are deep thinkers. It’s the person who cannot get over a fear, or has an obsessive, recurring idea, and ends up taking impulsive action to “fix” it. Even though her gut warns her to stay home, a work assignment forces Ari to visit the island—and it’s even more dangerous than she ever could have imagined. The whole problem is that OCD makes you incapable of controlling your attention. I have definitely canceled things at the last minute with friends and family because anxiety was too overwhelming.” — Dana“I’d love for people to treat me with understanding and compassion. And I mostly am. Similar to stress, a healthy amount of anxiety is what drives us to do our best, whether it’s studying for a test, getting regular checkups at the doctor, or thinking through an important life decision.We all have anxiety at some point. Anxiety is a part of normal life. And we hope for different results.” — Steve“I really have to proactively manage my stress level by identifying what adds or subtracts from my energy. You’re afraid, but you don’t know why or what of. My anxieties don’t stand in my way too much. When it isn’t obvious, like a minor addiction, it becomes a behavior, or “part of your personality.” It’s not, it’s a disorder.