Do you do better when you're under pressure/ extreme amounts of stress?

Ever since I was a child I always work better when I'm sick/depressed/stressed out. Anytime I've ever been stressed out over an assignment or a test I did exceptional on it. Anytime I'm too relaxed I don't do as well. Last week I had a test the day after my ex boyfriend committed suicide and my psychiatrist begged me to let her write me a note to let me take the test on a different day because she said I was under too much stress to do any school work at all and that I would end up failing(of course I hate having special treatment so I said no). Got my test back today and I aced it. Weird how the mind works, huh?