Obsession with achievement fuels anxiety and depression. numerous medical studies link the drive to overachieve with anxiety and depression. Perfectionism is on the rise. According to PsyPost, young adults today are more perfectionist and report more pressure from their parents than previous generations. Young people internalize those expectations, and when they fail to meet them, they're critical of themselves for not matching up. To compensate, they strive to be perfect. High achiever syndrome.Psychology Today says the person who looks like they've got it all may be suffering in silence. High achievers can be overly critical of their performance, which can cause maladaptive perfectionism and lead to general unhappiness. This is known as High Achiever Syndrome. We are addicted to reward and achievement. Arthur C. Brooks of the Harvard Kennedy School and author of the #1 New York Times bestseller From Strength to Strengthsays our brains are wired to chase achievement, and it can negatively affect overall happiness. Psychologist, leadership coach, and author Dr. Audrey Tang says we're no longer taught to seek lifelong fulfillment, but rather "success"-namely, what is popular or praised at the moment. So often our efforts are not recognized until they place us at the top...or the bottom. Thus, we have the perfect storm for addiction to reward. Women experience more stress and anxiety than men. Because women juggle their career, domestic and caregiving duties, and emotional labor, there is a pervasive "stress gap" between women and men, according to the American Psychological Association.