4. Muscle Tension
You might think that anxiety disorder is difficult to diagnose because it is related to brain function and thoughts. Doctors agree and researchers are working on new objective testing protocols to test for anxiety-related psychological disorders.
One recent analysis of testing techniques utilized electro-myographic (EMG) readings to determine muscle activity and its relationship to anxiety[3]. In simple terms, if you are experiencing muscle tension, you might have an anxiety disorder.
5. Chronic Indigestion
Anxiety disorders can manifest themselves in a variety of physical symptoms. A study titled “Associations between anxiety disorders and physical illness” investigated the link. In addition to digestive problems, anxiety disorders are also correlated with cardiac problems and migraine[4].
Indigestion and migraine might be the easiest symptoms to pick up on, especially if they are occurring with any of the other symptoms mentioned here.
6. Stage Fright
Social phobia is actually a type of anxiety disorder and might point toward disorders beyond simple stage fright. Consider looking at an article published in the academic journal Archives of General Psychiatry that discusses social phobia as the “neglected anxiety disorder.”
The article acknowledges that social phobia is often lumped into generalized anxiety disorder—researchers argue that it should be considered its own type of disorder.
The truth is, however, that many people who have stage fright exhibit other symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder[5].
7. Perfectionism
The desire to be perfect has long been tied to generalized anxiety disorder along with obsessive-compulsive disorder. The best analysis of the link between OCD, perfectionism, and anxiety is a recent study published by the American Psychological Association that details four areas of anxiety disorder research and their link to anxiety[6].