Are Those Rigid Personality Quirks Actually Anxiety?
Is It Me Or My Anxiety Talking?
This week I was interviewed by Women’s Magazine, Bustle, about how a person’s “personality quirks” can sometimes mask an underlying anxiety disorder.
Clients often say that they’ve “dealt” with these quirks for as long as they could remember. Oftentimes, they see these traits as positive and can point out ways that these traits have helped them in their lives. They didn’t correlate it with anxiety until they were specifically asked about the symptoms or MORE COMMONLY until the symptoms became worse.
These “quirks” are things like:
- Perfectionism
- Obsessive Thoughts
- Unrelenting Drive
- Competitiveness
- Fear of Failure
- Extreme Planning
- Over-Awareness to Body Signals (heartbeat, digestion, sounds, startle reflex)
Personality traits generally exist on a continuum. Like the saying goes, “It’s only a problem when it becomes a problem.” The good news is, by learning techniques to “dial back” rigid and uncompromising thoughts, a person can reduce anxiety and capitalize on these strengths without sacrificing their mental health.
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