Anxiety is the most prevalent mental illness in American adults, with about 19.1% of the population experiencing some sort of anxiety disorder. Despite the universal nature of anxiety, aspects of the disorder still go untalked-of. A 2022 poll by the American Psychiatric Association (APA) even found that stigmas around mental health continue to be major challenges in the workplace, showing that real-life people fear opening up in professional settings.
For those who don’t suffer from any anxiety disorder, here are some struggles that those who are living with anxiety don’t talk about.
More than a mental illness
Like many other mental illnesses, symptoms of anxiety don’t stop with thoughts or feelings. Oftentimes, living with anxiety can worsen other mental and physical conditions that pre-exist. Depression usually coincides with anxiety, meaning that one diagnosis can negatively affect the other by producing excess stress on the mind and body. Substance misuse can also occur as individuals try to cope with their anxiety symptoms.
Chronic pain may develop, as well, as a result of anxiety. Anxiety elevates stress hormones, forcing our bodies to pump adrenaline and cortisol into our systems. This can cause chronic inflammation and hyper-stimulation of the nervous system, resulting in chronic pain for the individual. Muscles also tense up when stressed, which may cause tension headaches and migraines, along with pain in the back, neck, and shoulders. This tension, as well as the overstimulation of the brain, often causes insomnia for those living with anxiety, further impacting their quality of life and daily health.
Anxiety can be “high functioning”
Anxiety often doesn’t manifest itself in shutting down and anxiety attacks for many individuals living with anxiety. For many, their anxiety may be “high-functioning,” meaning that their anxiety may look normal or non-existent based on their appearance and behaviors. These individuals are successful and achieve their goals, while simultaneously struggling with mental health under the surface.
High-functioning anxiety, though not a clinical diagnosis, is different from generalized anxiety disorder due to the individual managing their lives effectively. High-functioning anxiety may be a disorder caused by childhood factors, where parents only praise their children when they do good. This causes the individual to link their worth to their success and achievements, perpetuating a vicious cycle that often goes unnoticed.
High-functioning anxiety often may be falsely identified as perfectionism, organization, and high achievement due to the individual’s mindset. Seen as a positive trait, the individual living with anxiety masks their fears more and more.
Physical symptoms of high-functioning anxiety can be excessive sweating, feeling lightheaded, racing heart rate, numbness in extremities, and more. While high-functioning anxiety can affect anyone, women are twice as likely as men to be affected at some point in their lives.
Coping mechanisms can be weird
Anxiety is different for every individual, meaning that coping for everybody looks different on a case-by-case basis. While some people living with anxiety might bite the inside of their cheek or overthink into oblivion, others may rewatch the same TV shows and movies or avoid making phone calls. Blowing bubbles forces individuals to breathe, and even holding ice can calm the nervous system and bring an individual back to the present. Others still might decide to go to therapy or begin taking medications to help alleviate their symptoms. Sometimes lifestyle modifications, such as the implementation of meditation or specific diets, can also aid in lessening anxiety symptoms. For instance, experts suggest drinking less caffeine and yoga to help calm down bodies prone to anxiety.
The stress of invisible “free-floating” anxiety
While anxiety is more often than not caused by specific events, thoughts, or stressors, sometimes nothing can happen at all for an individual to feel anxious. Known as “free-floating” anxiety, this form of anxiety can manifest itself as restlessness, irritability, sleep difficulties, and unexplained stomach pain or discomfort.
True to its name, free-floating anxiety “floats” from subject to subject rather than narrowing in on a specific subject. Examples of specific anxieties can be health anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and phobias. Free-floating anxiety is tricky in this way that there is no direct cause to the anxiety, but rather just the incessant fear that something is possibly wrong or could go wrong.
Remember: you’re not alone
Although anxiety presents itself in a plethora of ways, it’s crucial to understand that, as an individual living with anxiety, you are not alone. Whether it’s confiding in loved ones, attending group or individual therapy sessions, or joining online chat forums, it’s important to find community even when it feels like community is nowhere to be found. There might be symptoms and side-effects nobody talks about, but that doesn’t have to mean you deal with it alone.
If you are struggling with your mental health, call 988 for the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
