18 Consequences of High-Functioning Anxiety |

17. You see the world differently

In a study that took place at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel, it was found that anxious people were unable to discriminate between an experienced initially, threatening stimulus and a newer, similar one that was safe. Researchers found that emotional experiences induced changes in sensory representations in the brains of patients with anxiety. These plastic changes in the patients’ brain circuits affected the way they responded to new safe stimuli. They over-generalized emotional experiences due to this fundamental difference in their brains.

People are not usually born with anxiety. They form it after a traumatic experience that leaves them with unresolved fears and worries. They often develop triggers that cause these events to resurface. This is why they may proceed very cautiously and overreact in circumstances that do not bother others at all. They may jump when a door slams or keep looking over a shoulder when walking down the street.

For instance, you get on the train, and the person next to you looks suspicious and is wearing a hoodie. He reaches into his pocket, and you expect him to pull out a knife when he is only reaching for his cell phone. You probably can’t even see the damage yourself, and it may be somewhat like an invisible wound that you could bump and tear open at any time.

Your anxiety creates a fundamental difference in the way you perceive things. When you are focused on discerning threats, negative information dominates your consciousness. Developing self-awareness of the way your anxiety may be driving your perception of the world and a bias for threat may be the first step towards preventing it from instilling fear and distorting reality.

18. You can’t just ‘stop it’

You can’t just tell yourself to stop being anxious and expect it to disappear. However, you can learn to cope with anxiety and lessen it. You need to recognize it is an issue because, if it left untreated, the many symptoms could start affecting your mental, emotional and physical well-being. Not only that but if you try to cope with the symptoms yourself, it can also lead to mal-adaptive behavior such as drinking too much, to deal with the painful feelings inside.

Trying to deaden anxiety in unhealthy ways usually leads to greater feelings of anxiety and contributes to the development of depression, sleep disorders and more. Fortunately, it is treatable, and knowledge is power. If you recognized yourself in these 18 consequences of high-functioning anxiety, you could do something about it. Treating it does require time and effort. Various means and modalities may be used to address it because it is likely to have developed over time.

Cognitive behavioral therapy is regarded as one of the best therapeutic approaches for people suffering from anxiety. They are taught to recognize irrational thought patterns and behaviors and learn how to replace them with healthy ones. Psychotherapists may also help to creatively implement real-life actions that support their well-being and help to reduce behavior that contributes to anxiety.

Genetic, social, lifestyle and biological factors were all probably involved in its presence in your life, and this is why you will probably need some support in finding different ways of living with it and treating it. You may also need medication in conjunction with therapy. Your anxiety does not mean that you are ‘broken.’ However, learning to acknowledge it means that you can find ways of coping with it and minimizing its adverse effect on your life.

Did you recognize yourself in these 18 consequences of high-functioning anxiety? Knowledge is power, so now that you know, you can do some self-help. But if you find it hard to stop any of these negative actions, consider seeking some professional help. You don’t have to suffer in silence with high anxiety.