Hey there, Dr. Kelly Vincent here. I’m a licensed clinical psychologist, and I struggle with High “Functioning” Anxiety (HFA). I’d love to share a little bit more about my experience with HFA, to make you feel a little less alone. I know based on my clinical work and my community on Instagram that so many individuals can relate.

Let’s first explore what HFA even is. We need to be clear on one thing.

High-functioning anxiety is not a clinical diagnosis, as it’s not an anxiety disorder recognized by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), which therapists utilize to help diagnose mental health struggles. As a result, there is very little (if any) empirical research on the experience. Instead, think of high-functioning anxiety as someone who experiences anxiety while still managing daily life quite well. From the outside, you wouldn’t know this is a common experience for them, but on the inside, it is a very different experience. Anxiety can be so common. And when it comes to high “functioning” anxiety, the individuals who struggle tend to shy away from letting the people around us know that we are struggling.

If you struggle with high “functioning” anxiety, you may experience:

General anxiety or excessive worry
People pleasing
Overachieving
Irritability
Physical sensations or discomfort in the body
Detail oriented
High-organized
Ambitious and driven
Struggle to ask for help
Inability to feel a sense of calm or groundedness
Appears “put together” on the outside, but yet feels anything but on the inside
*Please know so many of these symptoms can be attributed to many different things. This list is not exhaustive AND provides a general picture of what the experience may feel and be like.

An example of how this may appear in everyday life is when we are asked, “how are you?”

We get asked this question constantly but rarely pause to check in with ourselves. It can be the more uncomfortable thing to do, especially if we're exhausted, overwhelmed, or just trying to get through the day.

It's so much easier to blurt out, "I'm fine!" and move on with your day. But I hope this can be a virtual landing space for honesty and vulnerability. I'm of the opinion that making space for our emotions, especially those we perceive as difficult, helps us process, move through, and release them. That's all to say; there's space here for whatever you feel.

This brings me to our topic for today: High "Functioning" Anxiety. Those who experience High "Functioning" Anxiety (you know who you are) almost always blurt out, "I'm fine!" when they are very much not fine.

Whenever I post about High "Functioning" Anxiety (HFA, for short) on @dr.kellyvincent, the response is so often, 'Yes! This is me. This is my existence.' What you may might not realize is that I'm writing from a space of personal experience. I want to share my journey with you in hopes that you will feel less alone in your experience if you relate.

My Story

The anxiety I experienced was heightened when I entered graduate school. Anxiety about my enoughness, worthiness and capabilities, flooded my mind daily for years. When I really think about it, I had always experienced anxiety as a kid and teenager. I didn't have the language to name it.

Looking back, if I had gone to see a psychologist during graduate school, I would have likely been diagnosed with Generalized Anxiety Disorder. They would have helped bring awareness to my tendencies and behaviors and allowed space for healing. But I kept pushing because I didn't realize I needed the help.

I worried incessantly (about everything). I often felt irritable and overwhelmed and struggled to sleep soundly. I pushed myself to do more, achieve more, and accomplish more to feel worthy and enough. I was looking for validation through people-pleasing and being an overachiever. This helped soothe the anxiety at the time. These behaviors were coping.

From the outside, it may not have appeared that way. People may have seen a motivated, determined, brave young woman chasing her dreams and changing her life based on gut intuition. They may have seen someone who appears to have it all together by balancing the demands of graduate school, friendships, social demands, family dynamics, and cultural norms. The outside appearance did not match the inside experience. This can be very lonely.

High “functioning” anxiety typically refers to someone who experiences anxiety while still managing daily life quite well (from the outside that is). Generally, a person with high-functioning anxiety may appear put together and well- accomplished on the outside, yet experience worry, stress or have obsessive thoughts on the inside. This definition really resonated with me and my experience. Maybe it does for you, too.

As I've moved through my own journey with HFA, I've learned so much about myself, my patterns, and about the path to healing. Everyone's experience is different because well, we are all different. But I think there are common threads woven through HFA that impact so many of us.

FREE RESOURCE

With that being said, I created a Free Guide for High "Functioning" Anxiety as a resource and guide to those who identify with the experience.

In this guide, I want to give you the basics of what HFA is, where it may come from and how to start healing. This is just a START to your journey! Think of it as you invitation to release, restore, and recalibrate. It's a big one, so take your time and be gentle with yourself. Also, feel free to pass it along to anyone in your life that HFA might impact.

Finally, remember that we are human. Struggling can often be part of the experience. If you're sitting with the discomfort of High "Functioning" Anxiety, or anything else, know that this is part of the human experience. There is nothing wrong with you. We all need support. We all need to work through something. You are not alone.

Take good care

Dr. Kelly