 Anxiety. Some people hear the term and roll their eyes immediately. Others know what an incredibly real thing it is. Many people who seem successful are actually suffering from high functioning anxiety. And just because it's not a formally recognized diagnosis, it shouldn't be something you have to live with. By this point, you may already know that your anxiety pushes you forward instead of holding you back. While in certain circumstances, this can be helpful, that doesn't mean it isn't without its lasting effects. To help you understand this condition, Psych2Go shares with you five facts you need to know about high functioning anxiety. One, it's not easy to see. Oftentimes, someone with high functioning anxiety appears very driven and successful. Your anxiety makes you efficient. Your work is delivered on time. You arrive early and are immaculately dressed and even seem to have endless amounts of energy. But what people can't see is the crippling anxiousness that creates this drive for success. You can never appear unprepared. As a result, nobody thinks anything is wrong because you are performing at such a high level. Two, it causes intense stress. Often with high functioning anxiety, you feel stressed even when there's no reason to be. When your boss gives you a deadline, your brain immediately goes into overdrive worrying about time management and what might go wrong to prevent you from completing it. Then, once you've turned it in, you're on to worrying about what if it's not good enough and questioning whether you are even right for this job. And then, because you actually did an excellent job, your boss assigns you to more tasks, but in your mind this cycle just continues. What should bring you a great sense of accomplishment instead just continues to spiral the stress, and that is greatly debilitating. Three, it's impossible for you to say no. As mentioned before, you dread being asked to do something. Is it because saying no is something you just can't seem to do? People with high functioning anxiety tend to have impossibly high standards, which causes them to take on more than they can possibly handle. You struggle to say no to work projects, social plans, or helping a friend, even when you are already stretched to the breaking point. The problem is you are choosing the strain of exhaustion over the dread of letting someone down. Four, you have difficulty asking for help. When you're performing at high levels, you might not see that anything is wrong. Meanwhile, your external success is masking your internal stress, so you think there is no need to open up or ask for help. Sometimes just having a chat with a friend or asking for assistance can greatly alleviate the built-up tension inside. Five, it's very controlling. High functioning anxiety can control many aspects of your life without you even knowing it. It may cause you to create strict routines that you can't bear to deviate from. While these compulsive habits give you the illusion that you are in control of your life, missing a single workout or using the wrong color highlighter can send you into a panic. The result is that you and those around you are held captive by your routines. Finding ways to gently break these habits can actually help break apart the anxiety that has you confined. High functioning anxiety can be really difficult to live with, and if it's something you struggle with, it's best to talk to someone and get help. Do you have high functioning anxiety? What facts or advice could you share? Psych2go would love to know. Be sure to leave a comment below. Thanks so much for watching!