Abstract: Extensive studies were performed on highly irradiated ATLAS18 mini strip detectors to evaluate their annealing behaviour. Collected charge was measured after several steps of annealing at 60 degrees C. For detectors irradiated with neutrons or low energy protons the collected charge exhibited a beneficial effect of short-term annealing which was followed by a decrease in charge collection efficiency at longer annealing times. After irradiation with 23 GeV protons to fluences above Phi(eq) similar to 1.2 . 10(15) cm(-2), the collected charge remained unchanged or decreased after the first few tens of minutes of annealing. Edge-TCT measurements indicated that this unusual annealing behaviour is related to the double-peak electric field profile in the detector. Mixed irradiation with 23 GeV protons and neutrons to fluences matching the expected in the upgraded ATLAS experiment showed this unusual annealing effect will not impact the operation of the ITk strip detector.