Is High Functioning Anxiety A Genetic Or Learned Behavior?
The question that anyone struggling with anxiety has likely asked themself at least once — is anxiety disorder genetic or learned? It makes sense to wonder this once you understand that identifying the source of your anxiety is a helpful and healthy way to deal with it. If you struggle with high functioning anxiety (HFA), you’re probably wondering if it’s something you picked up from your burnt out relatives, or something you learned over time.
The easy answer — it’s kind of both. The hard bit is trying to figure out where your anxiety is coming from, because your anxiety won’t be the same as someone else’s. We all have our own family and life experiences that influence our anxiety and how we cope with it.
Knowing where your HFA originates will help you understand more about your emotions and possible triggers that could be causing your anxiety. If you aren’t sure what next step to take, consider working with an anxiety coach like me. With help from an anxiety coach you can identify the source of your anxiety and finally figure out if your anxiety is hereditary or learned.
What Is High Functioning Anxiety?
You may have a general understanding of how anxiety works and what people with generalized anxiety disorder may be experiencing but HFA may be a new term that you’re not as familiar with — and high functioning anxiety is not the same as general anxiety.
The truth is that high anxiety is not considered a separate diagnosis of general anxiety. The way people with HFA may experience symptoms is what makes the key difference. So while people with general anxiety may struggle with productivity, people with HFA are likely to struggle with burnout because their anxiety makes them overwork to overcompensate for their fear of being a failure.
One of the biggest indicators that you may have high functioning anxiety? You know what it’s like to seem cool, calm, and collected on the outside but are internally battling with the constant storm of self doubt, stress, and anxiety.
Is High Functioning Anxiety Genetic Or Learned?
I wish there was one straightforward answer for this question. What I’ve learned over the years of being an anxiety coach and helping other people figure out where their anxiety comes from, is that HFA can be both genetic and learned.
Studies also show that you are more likely to develop HFA if it runs in your family, but don’t let that scare you. Just because something is genetic doesn’t mean you’re guaranteed to have it. The opposite is also true — you can still develop HFA and general anxiety if it doesn’t run in your family. How so?
Consider the experiences you’ve had throughout your life. Maybe something happened to you at an early age that triggered your initial anxious feelings that still torment you till this day. There’s also environmental factors that influence our anxiety like where we grew up or our religious upbringings. Consider other factors when you’re trying to figure out if your HFA is genetic or learned:
Traumatic events that taught you to keep your head down
Career goals that feel impossible to meet
Growing up being overly praised for achieving
Financial worries that pushed you to accomplish more and more
Adopting the idea that productivity is most important
So your anxiety could be genetic, but it could also be something you learned over time through other factors you’ve experienced. Since you’re the only one that has lived your life, then you’re the only one going through what you’re going through and feeling what you’re feeling. Sifting through those emotions can be overwhelming but with the help of an anxiety coach, you don’t have to do it alone.
Work Through Your Anxiety With An Anxiety Coach
Whether your high functioning anxiety is genetic or learned, working with an experienced anxiety coach can help you find the root of your HFA and create a plan to work through it that meets your needs.
I know how scary it can be when you want to help yourself but don’t know where to start. With my coaching services, I offer a one-on-one approach where we can really dig deep into finding out where your anxiety is coming from.
I also have a self-guided course aimed to help people that look like they have it all together on the outside, but are struggling with anxious thoughts and feelings on the inside. Are you ready to get a handle on your high functioning anxiety? Schedule a free consultation or check out my course today to get started.