You’re tired all the time. You struggle to remember little details. You’re experiencing headaches and tension in your jaw, neck, and shoulders. You’ve brought the issue up with your doctor and gone through the tests, but everything seems to keep coming back normal.

Sound familiar? If so, it could be that you’re dealing with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD).

When most people think about anxiety, they think about someone having panic attacks. GAD, however, often shows up in ways you may not expect or realize.

The Symptoms That Get Missed

GAD includes the more common signs, like persistent worry and anxious feelings, but it’s the hidden symptoms that can keep you from understanding and dealing with the issue in order to live your life to the fullest.

Your Body Keeps Score

Life experiences shape who you are and how you interact with the world around you. Even if you don’t realize that something is wrong or how much of an impact an event had on you, your body doesn’t lie. It can signal red flags that are worth paying attention to.

Do you ever feel like your shoulders are practically up to your ears? Chronic muscle tension is one of those trickier red flags. We naturally turn towards physical treatment of aches and pains, but we don’t often address the underlying anxiety that fuels them.

An upset stomach and nausea aren’t always the result of a bad lunch. Digestive issues can also be linked to anxiety. When your nervous system is consistently on high alert, it can wreak havoc on your GI system.

Annoying Mental Fog

Have you experienced a harder time focusing lately? Are tasks taking longer? Do you find yourself re-reading the same page of your book over again?

GAD can interfere with your concentration and decision-making abilities. When anxiety triggers your nervous system and sends you into fight-or-flight mode, it limits your ability to think clearly.

You may also notice:

Unusual forgetfulness
Mental exhaustion, even when you have no reason to be tired
Struggling to make simple decisions
Difficulty completing routine tasks

Your brain is working so hard to manage the underlying anxiety that it has to pull resources from other places.

Unexplained Sleep Issues

When you live with GAD, sleep disruptions are a common companion. Some days, you may be able to fall asleep easily, but then wake up constantly throughout the night, limiting sleep quality. Other nights, you may sleep for hours and wake up feeling like you didn’t sleep a wink.

Anxiety keeps your brain in a state of heightened alertness, making it difficult to stay asleep. Even when you do sleep, your brain remains in overdrive, causing constant exhaustion.

Irritability and Mood Swings

One thing that may be surprising to hear is that GAD can make you extremely short-tempered and moody. When your nervous system is already on high alert, you have less patience for everyday annoyances.

Simple questions become irritating. Forgotten errands feel overwhelming. Minor inconveniences make you irrationally upset. Your reactions are more than just having a bad attitude. It’s your nervous system signaling that there’s a larger problem.

Why the Hidden Symptoms Matter

GAD can be tricky since many of these symptoms can overlap with other medical conditions. The symptoms you experience with anxiety may gradually appear over time, making it easy to write them off as life wear and tear. But when they’re actually signs of GAD, treating the root cause can bring relief you didn’t know was possible.

If these symptoms sound familiar, you may want to consider generalized anxiety disorder counseling and talking with someone who understands the complexities of anxiety. Contact us to schedule your consultation and take the first step towards healing.

Uncovering the Surprising Symptoms of Generalized Anxiety Disorder