What causes and triggers High-Functioning anxiety isn’t always obvious. In fact, anxiety triggers can be really sneaky and you don’t notice them until later. Sometimes it’s hard to notice them at all because they can be something you’ve dealt with for what seems like forever. Figuring out your anxiety triggers and anxiety therapy are important steps in helping you overcome high-functioning anxiety. You'll be surprised at how many everyday situations can unknowingly set off your anxiety. Whether it's work stress, relationship stuff, or even certain social situations, we'll take a close look at each trigger and discuss ways to manage them.
Triggers or Causes of High-Functioning Anxiety
Everyone has their own unique experiences with anxiety symptoms. This isn’t a comprehensive list so if this doesn’t fit for you, that’s ok! It just means you have different triggers that can be explored and understood more fully.
Fear of Failure
High-functioning anxiety is often fueled by an overwhelming fear of failure. These people set exceptionally high standards for themselves, creating a constant need to excel in every aspect of life. The fear of falling short of their own expectations can be paralyzing, leading to relentless self-doubt and anxiety. The women I work with experience fears of failing as a mom, employees, partners, and more. They constantly worry that they aren’t giving or doing enough. This fear of failure leads to anxiety symptoms.
Past Painful Experiences or Trauma
Experiencing a painful event or traumatic experience in the past can lead to anxiety in several ways. First, these painful memories can act as emotional triggers, making certain situations, people, or places bring back the distressing event, causing anxiety. Those with high-functioning anxiety fear a similar negative experience might happen again. Fear of repeating these painful experiences can make you feel on edge, expecting danger, and leading to ongoing anxiety. Negative thought patterns can make you believe negative outcomes will happen despite evidence that says otherwise.
Need for Control
The fear of uncertainty leads to coping with anxiety through a need for control. This desire for control is often linked to perfectionism, leading to constant worry about not meeting the high standards you or others have set for you. Overthinking and ruminating are anxiety symptoms that are common as you try to gain a sense of control by analyzing things that happened in the past or future situations that may come up. Doing this only makes anxiety worse. Avoiding uncertainty becomes a way of coping, but it really makes anxiety worse in the long run. . Strained relationships and difficulty adapting to change also contribute to anxiety.
Stress and Burnout
Chronic stress and burnout can take a toll on your mental and emotional well-being, leading to worse anxiety. When you experience ongoing stress, your body releases hormones like cortisol and adrenaline that might result in anxiety symptoms. Juggling overwhelming pressures, worries, and responsibilities can overload your mind making it tough to manage your thoughts and emotions well. This, combined with feeling physically and emotionally drained and having trouble sleeping make anxiety symptoms worse. When you are stressed and burned out your coping skills might not feel like they work anymore. This can lead to feeling more helpless and powerless to deal with anxiety, and you guessed it, this leads to more anxiety. Negative ways of thinking and not having supportive relationships can all add to the anxiety cycle amid stress and burnout.
Anxiety Therapy in Utah can help your high-functioning anxiety
I totally get that high-functioning anxiety can be tough to handle, but anxiety therapy can really make a big difference. Anxiety therapy isn't about judging or fixing you – it's about understanding what's going on and learning better ways to deal with it. In anxiety treatment, we'll work together to figure out what triggers your anxiety and how it affects your life. We'll explore those racing thoughts and the constant worry that might be holding you back. And you know what? It's okay to feel overwhelmed sometimes; we all do. Anxiety creates a safe space where you can talk openly about your experiences without worrying about judgment from me. You might think, "I'm a high achiever, I can handle this on my own." But trust me, it's okay to ask for help. Therapy isn't about making you feel weak; it's about empowering you to take control of your anxiety and find balance in your life.
Start working with an anxiety therapist in Utah today
You deserve the support and help to work through your high-functioning anxiety. You don’t have to keep trying to figure it out yourself. Anxiety therapy can help. This Utah Counseling Clinic has an anxiety therapist who specializes in high-functioning anxiety. To begin anxiety treatment follow the steps below:
Meet with a therapist for anxiety
Begin finding relief from anxiety symptoms