Anxiety can be so debilitating that some people struggle to get out of bed or complete daily tasks. When anxiety looks like this, it’s easy to see that anxiety disorder treatment is needed. However, not everyone responds to anxiety this way. Many people live with high-functioning anxiety. On the outside, they might look successful, confident, and happy. However, they conduct their lives while battling severe internal worry and apprehension.
High-functioning anxiety can affect anyone, including the rich and famous. You might be surprised to learn about five celebrities who deal with high-functioning anxiety. Contact Silicon Beach Treatment Center at [Direct] to discuss treatment options for anxiety disorders and other mental health concerns.
What Is High-Functioning Anxiety?
If you’ve never heard the phrase, you may be wondering, “What is high-functioning anxiety?” Individuals with this condition often look mentally healthy from the outside. They may be extroverted, engaging, and positive. Oftentimes, high-functioning anxiety affects the people you’d least expect. Yet beneath the exterior, they struggle with the hallmarks of this overwhelming condition, such as:
- Overthinking
- Self-doubt
- Racing thoughts
- Panic attacks
- Procrastination
- People-pleasing
- Misuse of alcohol or drugs
The ability to disguise anxiety comes with a cost. You might feel like you’re living a double life or stretched nearly to the breaking point.
Celebrities who Deal with High-Functioning Anxiety
Here are five celebrities who live with high-functioning anxiety.
1. Oprah Winfrey
Believe it or not, even Oprah Winfrey deals with high-functioning anxiety. Her external success makes it easy to stand in awe of her accomplishments. However, her achievements came with a cost. At one point, her anxiety became so severe that she experienced a mental breakdown. This helped her recognize that she needed to pause and focus on restoring her mental health.
2. Michael Phelps
Michael Phelps is renowned for his Olympic gold medals in swimming. However, he’s also been known to make the news for issues with substance use and DUIs. Phelps has spoken openly about living with anxiety and depression. He believes that mental health disorders were the primary factor in his legal issues and substance use, and he states that therapy has played a huge role in his recovery.
3. Lady Gaga
Lady Gaga aims to speak openly about struggling with anxiety and depression since childhood. She’s vocal about high-functioning anxiety and other mental health concerns because she wants young people to know that they’re not alone. Gaga even created the Born This Way foundation to help young people gain increased access to mental health resources.
4. Steven Colbert
Steven Colbert doesn’t speak on mental health concerns much in public, but high-functioning anxiety was a driving force behind his career. Colbert began experiencing panic attacks in his 20s. He says he finally realized that creating and performing gave him a sense of purpose and relief that helped alleviate his extreme anxiety.
5. Simone Biles
Olympic gold medal gymnast Simone Biles has spoken openly about her anxiety and how it was largely fueled by sexual abuse and pressure to succeed. In 2021, Biles made world news for withdrawing from competition during the Olympic games. She set an example for mental health awareness by speaking about how prioritizing her mental health was more important than winning.
Learn More About Mental Health Treatment at Silicon Beach Treatment Center
It can be difficult to seek treatment for high-functioning anxiety. Clients sometimes feel that their lives look right on the outside, so their anxiety is not serious enough to require treatment. Mental health professionals know how to deal with high-functioning anxiety in a way that reduces its effects on your life. Ignoring high-functioning anxiety can lead to conditions such as:
- Panic attacks
- Mental breakdowns
- Burnout
- Physical health problems
Contact Silicon Beach Treatment Center at [Direct] to learn more about treatment options for anxiety disorder.
