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Health and Wellness
Haymaker & Haymaker Psychological Services, LLC AD/HD, Anxiety, Depression, Eating Disorders, Marriage and Family, Underachievement Problems in Relationships Providing care for adults, families, children and adolescents for over 20 years. Stephanie Haymaker, Ph.D. NJ Lic Psychologist, SI 2794 Douglas Haymaker, Ph.D. NJ Lic Psychologist, SI 2793 For More Information, Please Call or See our Websites: www.DrStephanieHaymaker.com NJ Psychologist Lic 2794 www.DrDougHaymaker.com NJ Psychologist Lic 2793 245 Route 22, Suite 305, Bridgewater, NJ 908-429-9300 HIGH FUNCTIONING ANXIETY Anxiety is a complex set of reactions designed to keep us safe. In the days of the saber-toothed tigers, the “fight or flight response” was, literally, a life- saver. When a person faced a danger- ous situation, a series of physiological and psychological events occurred: the heart raced, attention focused on the threat, blood flow constricted in parts of the body to allow extra energy for other parts, blood pressure rose and he/she anticipated what would happen next. There was a rapid calculation - should I fight for my life…or run for it? In caveman days, this was as much decision-making as was needed. These two options covered most situations. Things were simpler back then. Today the world is more complicated. Anxiety about giving a presentation for school or work does not allow for either fight or flight. You just have to get through it. Being anxious about a math test for which you feel unprepared also doesn’t allow for flight or fight (unless you can squeeze in a sick day). In the extreme, anxiety can become panic - with racing heart, clouded mind, a sense of terror or doom. There is an urge to flee the situation, and avoid it in the future. Anxiety is the single most frequent rea- son people choose to begin therapy… and treatment for anxiety has the high- est rate of success. It has been estimat- ed that 18% of the population over 18 years of age will experience an anxiety disorder. Despite the fact that anxiety is treatable, only 1 person in 3 seeks treatment. Everyone experiences anxi- ety. It draws our attention to potential danger. But, like a car alarm that keeps going off even when no one is around - sometimes anxiety is a distracting, or even debilitating, false alarm. Recently, “high functioning anxiety” has been getting attention in the media. In 2014, Scott Stossel wrote in The Atlantic that he had struggled with severe anxiety despite being a success- ful magazine editor. Asked by a doctor how many episodes of anxiety he had, his answer was “one, my whole life.” With high functioning anxiety (HFA), the individual suffers with anxiety, but somehow is able to do what they need to do. People with HFA may be very successful. Often, the suffering is not apparent to others. But, inside, it can feel like chaos. Despite their success, people with HFA may doubt the adequacy of what they do. They may worry for days about something they said, or did, or some- thing that was said to them. Decisions are difficult because of the fear of making the wrong one. Sufferers can seem angry or irritable when they feel overwhelmed. A problem at work may seem like a disaster. At home, frantic activity or social avoidance may be ways these individuals try to regain equilibrium. The worries can seem endless. Fears of being “found out” as incompetent (the Imposter syndrome) are common, as are fears of losing control and pub- lic humiliation. Some of these fears can become self-fulfilling prophecies. Hav- ing to get work done perfectly can lead to delays in turning it in (because it is not good enough) or even getting started (because the task of doing something perfectly seems overwhelm- ing). Some clients have told us of a fear of things going too smoothly, as though, “It can’t be this easy…I must have missed something.” People with HFA can worry that there is nothing to worry about. If these problems sound familiar, they are. Everyone struggles with these issues to some extent. Those with HFA suffer to an extreme. Likely, no one will suggest you get help - only a few peo- ple very close to you know how hard it is for you. But, if the degree of strug- gle interferes with your life, your well- being, or your comfort with who you are, perhaps it is time to talk with someone who can help. Dr. Douglas Haymaker is a licensed clinical psychologist with over 20 years of clinical experience. He is presently a partner at Hay- maker and Haymaker Psychological Services, a private practice setting where your confi- dentiality is assured, in Bridgewater, NJ. He attended college at Brown University and graduate school at the University of Florida in Gainesville, FL. Areas of specialization include relationship issues, coping with transitions such as loss and divorce, and the assessment and treatment of AD/HD, anxiety, depression and PTSD. He also performs psychological, neuropsychological and educational evaluations. Douglas Haymaker, Ph.D Stephanie Haymaker, Ph.D “Spot It” and send your answer with your name, town & phone number to: spotthefake@theconnectionsnj.com Subject Line: FAKE Somewhere in the magazine is a theconnectionsnj.com