Existential Anxiety and the Gifted Adults

Existential anxiety is a crisis that arises when one confronts issues such as the meaning of life, isolation, death, and one’s place in the world. That may mean something different when you are an innately intense, sensitive or gifted person.

 

What is existential anxiety? Who has existential anxiety?

Existential anxiety is if you see and feel what most others don’t;

If you have high expectations of yourself and others;

If ideas and interpersonal conflicts keep you up at night;

If you are passionate about upholding fairness and justice;

If you are immensely curious and get obsessed with what you love;

If you can’t stand hypocrisy and have to speak the truth, even though others don’t like it;

If you are strong-willed, have an independent mind, crave autonomy and freedom;

If you can’t bear arbitrary instructions, routine activities and explanations that make no sense;

If you are bothered by the gap between what could be and what is – both in yourself, others and the wider world.

You might be a trailblazer; and for years you have wondered why despite your capacity for deep joy and connection, you also struggle with an inferiority complex, self-doubt, chronic guilt, bouts of intense anxiety, rumination, and sometimes existential anxiety and fear.

Existential anxiety is a type of anxiety that is often associated with giftedness. This type of anxiety can be caused by feelings of isolation, intense awareness, and sensitivity to the absurdity of life. People who suffer from existential anxiety feel a constant undercurrent of worry and fear about the world, and they can’t find a way to settle their nervous system. They may feel isolated and alone, and they may be plagued by anxious rumination about their own purpose in life.

Some people may be genetically predisposed to existential anxiety, while others may develop it as a result of feeling out of place in the world. Being a neuro-atypical person can often lead to feelings of isolation, since most people are not intellectually or emotionally capable of understanding what they are experiencing.

“Perhaps many things inside you have been transformed; perhaps somewhere, someplace deep inside your being, you have undergone important changes while you were sad.”
Rainer Maria Rilke ~  

 

Existential Anxiety ‘Symptoms’ Checklist

This is not an official ‘existential anxiety test’, nor does it aim to diagnose. But if you identify with some of the following symptoms, you may want to consider the possibility that you are experiencing existential anxiety.

• Persistent worry that your actions lack meaning or purpose, no matter how hard you try

• Obsessive fear that you are inadequate or lack the qualities needed to make a real difference

• Restlessness and agitation, feeling trapped in what seems like a pointless existence

• Deep loneliness that cannot be soothed by normal social contact or friendships

• Consuming fear of death and mortality, haunted by thoughts of running out of time

• Inability to be present or relax, constant mental agitation even during activities you once enjoyed

• Loss of direction despite objectively having work, roles, and projects in place

• Overwhelmed by the suffering in the world, plagued by anxious thoughts about tragedy and injustice

• Heightened anxiety in social situations, feeling more on edge around people who do not understand your concerns

• Difficulty calming your nervous system, stuck in a state of hypervigilance and worry

• Panic that you are wasting your potential, obsessive worry about whether you are living the right life

 

Existential Anxiety in Gifted People and Intense People

In a 2012 paper published in European Psychiatry, scholar Seubert found that for a specific population, the traditional idea of depression and the common therapy methods to treat it are not effective. Instead, depression for that specific population should be understood from the framework of, and be offered treatment based on, the Theory of Positive Disintegration (TPD) — a concept of personality development devised by psychiatrist Kazimierz Dabrowski (1902 – 1980). TPD explains the relationship between existential distress and gifted people specifically. TPD views psychological distress not as illness, but as existential crisis and also an indicator of a person’s creative potential. While Seubert’s research focused on depression, the same framework applies to existential anxiety in this population. 

This specific group of individuals, likely gifted and intense, where the traditional understanding of depression or anxiety does not apply, possess the following two traits:

1. An inner autonomous drive to develop one’s personality — Driven by a dissatisfaction with the status quo and a passion for knowledge, they are continually learning and growing. They push the arbitrary limits imposed by traditions or social confines. Their idealism often manifests as anxiety, perfectionism and existential anxiety.
2. Overexcitabilities — Overexcitability is a term coined by Dabrowski to describe a way of being in the world characterised by intensity and aliveness. Physiologically, these individuals have a heightened, reactive nervous system and hyperaroused response to stimuli. More than average, they are highly attuned, intuitive, perceptive, and sensitive to their surroundings. Some manifestations of overexcitability include sound sensitivity, having physical allergies; surplus nervous energy, restlessness, an extremely active and imaginative mind, a need for intellectual rigour, intense feelings, being highly empathic and emotionally sensitive.

For this group of highly intense and intelligent individuals, a ‘normal’ understanding of anxiety does not suffice. What they are experiencing is likely to be existential anxiety. Existential anxiety is anxiety that arises when one confronts issues such as the meaning of life, isolation, death, and one’s place in the world. Because they are idealists who can envision the possibility of how things could be better, they also worry intensely about how the world, people, institutions and systems fall short of their ideals. As children, if they share their concerns with others, they are met with blankness, puzzlement, and sometimes criticism. From a young age, they learn to silence themselves to fit in with others. As they grow older, they cannot help but feel anxious and agitated by the hypocrisy, arbitrariness, and dysfunction in the world. On realising that there is a limit to their ability to make changes, they experience overwhelming fear, restlessness, and frustration, which ultimately leads to chronic worry, existential anxiety and dread.

While existential anxiety has philosophical and developmental dimensions, this does not make it any less real or any less debilitating. When anxiety reaches the point where it disrupts your daily functioning, causes panic attacks, or leaves you unable to sleep or work, actual mental health support has its place.  Anti-anxiety medications, therapy, and mental health interventions can be tools that stabilize you enough to engage with the profound questions your psyche is asking.

Existential Anxiety And The Theory Of Positive Disintegration

The traditional definition of mental health is based on how well a person can adapt to social norms. This notion does not take diversity — both cultural and biological (how we are wired) — into consideration. It neglects the fact that as human beings, beyond our basic needs we also have to express our idiosyncratic nature — what makes you uniquely yourself, which might include your strengths, your quirks and your intensity. This is what Dabrowski called your ‘true essence’, or what Winnicott considered your ‘true self’.

Our society has come to the point at which material gains and political power define success; this culture fosters a ‘dog-eat-dog’ mentality and radical individualism. However, to Dabrowski, contorting oneself to fit into a world that is so ‘primitive and confused’ (1970, p.118; cited in Mendaglio, 2008) is in itself dysfunctional. In a world where most people passively accept socialisation, he believed those who rebel are endowed with extraordinary potential. However, this certainly does not lead to a glamorous or comfortable life. It is likely that the non-conformist would experience, more than the average person, inner conflict and existential anxiety.

In TPD’s idea of existential anxiety, growth is when one moves past subservient and conforming behaviour, and steps into authenticity, even if it means one has to first go through an existential crisis. We can only make the transition from lower levels of mental functioning to higher levels by experiencing productive conflicts — existential anxiety in disguise — that could look like mental disorders. In ‘Psychoneurosis Is not an Illness’ (1972), Dabrowski made this point clear: “Without passing through challenging experiences and even something like psychoneurosis… we cannot realise our multidimensional and multilevel development to higher levels.”

To walk from the old to the new, we must first loosen our previous structure of beliefs, values and behaviours; this is unsettling, and might thrust us into an existential crisis — where we worry obsessively about whether our life has meaning, purpose, or value. During this time, many of the explanations for the way things are, that we learned through our family, education and from the social order, no longer withstand our questioning. More and more, what seemed ‘normal’ looks hypocritical, insufficient, or unethical. However, a part of us still believes it was ourselves who werewrong, or assumes that we do not fit in due to some inherent defectiveness. With the voice of an inner critic, we harshly question and scrutinise ourselves.

Eckhart Tolle, the renowned spiritual teacher, describes the chaos of his personal experience of existential anxiety as follows: “You are meant to arrive at a place of conceptual meaninglessness…where things lose the meaning that you had given them, which was all conditioned and cultural and so on….It looks of course as if you no longer understand anything. That’s why it’s so scary when it happens to you’.

The process of getting through existential anxiety could be likened to that of a psychic death and rebirth. Again quoting Eckhart Tolle: ‘They awaken into something deeper… a deeper sense of purpose or connectedness with a greater life that is not dependent on explanations or anything conceptual any longer. It’s a kind of re-birth. The dark night of the soul is a kind of death that you die. What dies is the egoic sense of self. Of course, death is always painful, but nothing real has actually died there – only an illusory identity… Often it is part of the awakening process, the death of the old self and the birth of the true self.’

Despite having to go through a period of confusion and fear, the result of your existential anxiety is a renewed sense of independence and integrity. Once you reach a higher level of functioning, you become an original thinker, with your own approach to solving problems and to creativity. You are also much more able to manifest your gifts and talents through words, art, meaningful endeavours or social action.

All his leaves
Fall’n at length,
Look, he stands,
Trunk and bough
Naked strength.

– By Alfred Lord Tennyson

 

How to Deal with Existential Depression

Existential anxiety is a form of anxiety that can occur in gifted people. It is characterized by a feeling of restlessness and agitation, combined with obsessive worry that life is meaningless. Intense and gifted people may be more prone to existential anxiety because of their heightened awareness and sensitivity and their ability to question the meaning of life.

If you are affected by existential anxiety, there are things you can do to help yourself. There is not much “official” psychological literature on the subject, but if you look around forums and less official sources, you will find that many gifted people plagued by existential worry discuss how to deal with existential anxiety. You may find comfort in the knowledge that you are not alone.

To deal with existential anxiety, it is important to understand that your feelings are valid and real. You are not crazy or defective for feeling this way. Even though most people do not understand your experience, try not to bottle all your feelings up inside. Expressing yourself through writing, art, or music can be very helpful in managing these emotions. 

At the same time, do not let the existential nature of your depression prevent you from seeking medical help when you need it. If your anxiety manifests as panic attacks, insomnia, inability to function, or physical symptoms like heart palpitations and digestive issues, working with a psychiatrist or therapist trained in anxiety disorders can provide crucial support. Medication and therapy are not about “fixing” your existential questions – they are about giving your nervous system the regulation it needs so you can actually engage with those questions without being overwhelmed.

Then, learning about the relationship between existential anxiety and the cycles of crisis and renewal may be helpful.

In your life, there might not be just one, but several cycles of crisis and renewal. These are what your existential anxiety actually represents.

You are an ever-growing, truth-seeking person, so you will always be looking for the next best version of yourself. You test limits and stretch yourself all the time; even if you are not aware this is what you are doing, or that there is a healthy drive behind your inability to compromise.

Perhaps a period of chaos and confusion is a rite of passage for the natural non-conformist.

Suffering, aloneness, self-doubt, sadness, inner conflict are all symptoms of expanding consciousness. Your existential anxiety is not something that tries to ruin you, but an opportunity for growth.

Within you is unbounded developmental potential; it is something that you ought to bring out, or it will rot and swallow you from the inside.

Existential anxiety might be a recurring theme in your life. But this does not mean you are unhappy or always in turmoil.

Each time you come through a dark patch, you emerge from the chaos with a new order, new insight, and a new way of being.

Each time, you come out feeling more deeply alive, come closer to your ideal self, and to achieving your full potential.

Accurately seeing the origin of your inner conflicts will help you to reframe the meaning of your struggles.

Rather than wishing you were someone else, you learn to reconcile with your unique life path.

In this process, you will realise the most profound pain comes not from being outside of the herd, but from disowning your true self.

Existential anxiety can be a very difficult experience, but it can also be a catalyst for growth. Dealing with existential anxiety proactively can help us to explore our values and beliefs, and to find meaning in our lives. If you are experiencing existential anxiety, it is important to seek support from people, community and literature who may have nuanced understanding, beyond the ‘obvious’, of what you are going through. There is hope for recovery and growth, even in the face of darkness.

 

Existential Therapy and Coaching: Finding Meaning in a Meaningless World

“Your Shedding Pain”

Intense people are ever-growing creatures.

You reflect on almost everything- every situation, interaction, and encounter.

You have an insatiable hunger for knowledge and insight.

You can quickly feel stuck and a need for expansive intellectual, geographical, and emotional adventure.

You grow so fast others can hardly keep up.

You expand so vastly you lose the sense of where your roots lie.

You are continually outgrowing not only projects, ideas, subjects and vocations, but also people and places.

It is difficult to define who you are, as you are always evolving into the next version of your best self.

While others are in awe of your worldly achievements and ever-expanding footprints, they may not see the pain you carry:

The loneliness of not fitting in anywhere.

The fear of not knowing what lies ahead.

The attacks you endure when walking away from the herd.

The split between what you ‘should’ do and your soul’s cries.

The distance from your heart to your mind, from emotion to logic.

The rawness of having to peel off layer after layer of ego defences.

The shakiness of facing up to vulnerabilities and showing up to life.

The guilt of outgrowing loved ones, letting friends go, leaving families and communities behind.

If you are currently going through a rough patch, experiencing a seemingly never-ending inner turmoil, having chaos inside and around you… fear not. You might be going through a positive transformation. The old way of being, alongside the beliefs, behaviours and defences that have expired are dropping away. What you are experiencing are growing pains.

You tell the truth because you have to, even though you know most people cannot handle the truth.

After a lifetime of biting your tongue for the sake of job security, or domestic tranquillity, you can’t do it any longer.

Stepping into your bigness requires releasing your old identifications, beliefs, ways of being in the world, and, often most painfully, relationships.

You may be plagued by waves of complex feelings— from grief, fear, to remorse.

You may have bad dreams, intense nostalgia, unexplainable physical symptoms, or even bouts of shame.

But march on, my courageous soul.

Like the caterpillar that needs to shed her cocoon, you are breaking through.

You are doing the necessary shedding, so some pain is inevitable.

After all, your shield has been with you for a very long time.

The shedding pain is your growing pain.

Much like the ache that comes from breaking down the old muscle tissue so it can rebuild, or a dose of bitter but potent medicine,

the shedding pain rebuilds you to be a fuller human.

Cry if you have to, but know it is for a worthy goal.

You are doing something uncommon, profoundly important.

Honouring your true self is the harder, but more honourable path.

It is by doing what others don’t that will get you to where others don’t go.

Trust me, the chaos will pass, and liberation and deep joy are on the other end.

Your scar is a sign of your courage, and marks you as the glorious phoenix that you are.

Embrace the shedding pain;

It is a sign that says things ARE heading in the right direction.

Keep going.

Do not let the opinion of anyone hold you back.

Keep shedding.

Promise yourself that you will no longer do anything out of fear or guilt.

Let go of the demand on yourself to be ‘happy’, but rather, run with the complexity of your rich, ever-expanding world, where joy and sadness, excitement and pain can all happen at the same time.

It is tender; it is wild.