Can i have anxiety and not know it

If you're experiencing symptoms of anxiety over a long period of time, you may have an anxiety disorder. For more information about symptoms, read Why do I feel anxious and panicky? Generalised anxiety disorder GAD is a long-term condition that can make you feel anxious about a wide range of situations and issues, rather than one specific event. You should see your GP if anxiety is affecting your daily life or causing you distress. They can diagnose your condition based on your symptoms, which may include:.

These symptoms can be so disruptive that they make it hard to meet new people, maintain relationships, and advance at work or in school. Panic attacks can be terrifying: Picture a sudden, gripping feeling of fear and helplessness that can last for several minutes, accompanied by scary physical symptoms such as breathing problems, a pounding or racing heart, tingling or numb hands, sweating, weakness or dizziness, chest pain , stomach pain, and feeling hot or cold.

Not everyone who has a panic attack has an anxiety disorder, but people who experience them repeatedly may be diagnosed with panic disorder. People with panic disorder live in fear about when, where, and why their next attack might happen, and they tend to avoid places where attacks have occurred in the past. Reliving a disturbing or traumatic event—a violent encounter, the sudden death of a loved one—is a hallmark symptom of post-traumatic stress disorder PTSD , which shares some features with anxiety disorders.

Until very recently, in fact, PTSD was seen as a type of anxiety disorder rather than a stand-alone condition. But flashbacks may occur with other types of anxiety as well. Some research, including a study in the Journal of Anxiety Disorders , suggests that some people with social anxiety have PTSD-like flashbacks of experiences that might not seem obviously traumatic, such as being publicly ridiculed. These people may even avoid reminders of the experience—another symptom reminiscent of PTSD.

The obsessive mindset known as perfectionism "goes hand-in-hand with anxiety disorders," Winston says. Perfectionism is especially common in obsessive-compulsive disorder OCD , which, like PTSD, had long been viewed as an anxiety disorder.

In order to be diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder, a person's obsessiveness and intrusive thoughts must be accompanied by compulsive behavior, whether it's mental telling yourself It'll be all right over and over again or physical hand-washing, straightening items. Obsessive thinking and compulsive behavior become a full-blown disorder when the need to complete the behaviors—also known as "rituals"—begins to drive your life, Winston says.

Persistent self-doubt and second-guessing is a common feature of anxiety disorders, including generalized anxiety disorder and OCD. In some cases, the doubt may revolve around a question that's central to a person's identity or relationships, like "Do I love my husband as much as he loves me? With OCD, Winston says, these "doubt attacks" are especially common when a question is unanswerable.

To get our top stories delivered to your inbox, sign up for the Healthy Living newsletter. Save Pin More. The symptoms of anxiety can be hard to detect. Here are the ones you need to pay attention to, and how to know if you may have an anxiety disorder. Start Slideshow. Characteristics of people with high functioning anxiety that are often thought of as positive include:.

In the case of high functioning anxiety, a struggle often lies beneath that veil of success. Characteristics of high functioning anxiety can be perceived by others as being "cute" or just part of your personality.

In reality, these attributes are driven by underlying anxiety. Other characteristics of high functioning anxiety are internal and may never be noticed by others—despite the fact that they cause you a great deal of stress. People don't know always know that these actions are caused by anxiety and they may view them as being part of you who are. Despite being regarded as "high functioning," you may experience the following struggles in your day to day life.

A high-functioning person is often regarded as an overachiever. If you asked most people who know you, they probably would not have a clue that you struggle with anxiety every day.

Perhaps you are able to achieve essential tasks such as those relating to work and housekeeping , but feel your life is limited in other ways for example, you never do anything outside your comfort zone. Your actions are probably dictated by your anxiety. You likely choose activities that calm your racing thoughts rather than pursuing activities because you would enjoy them , or because they would expand your horizons.

If you have high functioning anxiety, you've likely become adept at presenting a false persona to the world and never show your true feelings to anyone. Instead, you keep it all bottled up inside and compartmentalize your feelings with a plan to deal with them later but later never comes.

There is help out there for people who are dealing with any form of anxiety, including high functioning forms. However, certain characteristics of high functioning anxiety may have prevented you from seeking help. Some possible reasons you might not have sought help for high functioning anxiety include:.

For more mental health resources, see our National Helpline Database. Many people have a specific image or idea of what it means to have an anxiety diagnosis. For example, you might envision a person who is housebound, cannot work, or who struggles to maintain relationships of any kind. We don't often think of the inner turmoil of anxiety as an internal struggle as being reason enough to seek help.

Anxiety can be very much a life of denial. You might even convince yourself that there is nothing wrong—you're just a workaholic, germaphobe , list-maker, etc. It would be more helpful for us to refer to "high functioning anxiety" as simply anxiety. While it can look and feel different from other types of anxiety, it's still present even though it's well-hidden and can seriously disrupt a person's life.

When you feel isolated and alone, it's harder to reach out to others. As more people talk about and identify with having "high functioning" anxiety, it may become easier for people to seek help.

Thinking of anxiety in both its positive and negative terms may help to reduce stigma. Rather than view anxiety as being a weakness, reducing stigma has allowed society to highlight when people with anxiety are able to live full and productive lives. When trying to raise awareness of a social issue like mental illness, it can be helpful to identify well-known or famous people as examples.

Stars such as Barbra Streisand and Donny Osmond, and athletes like Zack Greinke and Ricky Williams, have all been forthcoming about their experiences with high functioning anxiety. Scott Stossel, the national editor of The Atlantic, has written extensively about his experiences with anxiety in the context of his achievements. There is little research on the topic of high functioning anxiety, but we do know that there is an optimal level of anxiety not too low or too high that fuels performance the Yerkes-Dodson Law.

Based on this concept, your ability to function at a higher level might be increased if you had a mild to moderate level of anxiety as opposed to severe anxiety. IQ may also play a role in how well people with anxiety function in work and life. A study found that financial managers with high levels of anxiety made the best money managers—as long as they also had a high IQ.

If you've never been diagnosed with a mental illness such as anxiety but you identify with the symptoms or characteristics, talk to your doctor. A medical professional you trust can provide support and give you a referral to be assessed by a mental health professional. If you are diagnosed with an anxiety disorder such as generalized anxiety disorder GAD or social anxiety disorder , know that there are effective treatment options.

Anxiety disorders can be treated with cognitive-behavioral therapy CBT , medications such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors SSRIs , and even techniques like mindfulness training. Many people with anxiety find that using a combination of treatments best helps them manage their symptoms. If your anxiety symptoms do not meet the full diagnostic criteria for anxiety disorder, treatment with psychotherapy with or without medication may still be helpful.

Whether you've already sought professional help or are still in the process, here are some tips you can try on your own to reduce your anxiety.

Ask yourself why you hold on to your anxiety. Are you afraid that if you are no longer driven by anxiety, that you will stop being an overachiever? These are real concerns that you will need to address as you work on reducing the effect your anxiety has on your life. This will involve refuting the belief that you can't accomplish things without your anxiety. It may take some adjustment, but you will find a new groove that gives you a healthy balance between your mental well-being and getting things done.

Click below to listen now. High functioning anxiety can be a double-edged sword.