Disclosure: In any review for a product or service, products or compensation may have been provided to me to help facilitate my review. All opinions are my own and honest. I am disclosing this in accordance with FTC Guidelines. Please see “Disclose” and "Terms of Use" tabs for more information.

Anxiety disorder is one of the most common mental health problems and our awareness of it is growing. People that never would have been diagnosed in the past are getting the help that they need because they know how to spot the signs. If you are constantly worried for no real reason, it’s likely that you have an anxiety disorder.

However, there are still a lot of people that are not getting the right treatment for anxiety because their disorder displays in different ways. Anxious thoughts are not the only sign to look out for and the disorder can impact you in ways that might surprise you. These are some of the unexpected symptoms of anxiety disorder. 

Muscle Pain 

The muscle tension that you feel when you are under stress is well known. We all experience it, but for anxious people, this feeling never goes away. The constant tension can lead to severe pain and sore muscles that just won’t go away. There are, of course, a lot of different reasons for muscle pain. However, if you find that you often have pain around the neck and shoulders, this could be because you are very anxious and you are holding all of that tension in your muscles. If you can find ways to manage your mental health, you should notice a big change in your muscle tension.

Skin Problems 

Anxiety and stress are closely related, which is why skin problems are common in people with anxiety. When you are stressed and anxious, the body releases cortisol and adrenaline, and these hormones can cause acne and an irritated scalp. If you find that you have a lot of pimples or different skin problems for no reason, your anxiety might be the cause.

Heavy Drinking 

People that are stressed out often rely on alcohol to alleviate their symptoms. They drink because it’s a depressant and it makes them forget about the stress for a few hours. People with social anxiety may also drink heavily to make themselves feel more relaxed in certain situations. This is a dangerous habit to get into and if you find yourself drinking a lot on a regular basis, you should consider rehab for alcohol before the problem gets out of control. Having a few drinks with friends doesn’t mean you have an anxiety disorder but if you regularly abuse alcohol, you should consider what the underlying cause might be. 

Chest Pains and Breathing Issues 

Having anxiety and panic attacks is not easy on the body. The constant worry, high blood pressure, and rapid heartbeat can all lead to chest pains that are quite similar to heart attack symptoms. This feeling often leads concerned anxious people to go see a doctor because they are worried that they might be having a heart attack. However, these pains are caused by something different – anxiety disorder. Quite often, people with panic disorders develop breathing problems. They may have shortness of breath or chronic hyperventilation which also causes pain in the area around the heart. If you notice these symptoms, you should get it checked out because it may be something more serious. However, it is often caused by anxiety.

Anxiety doesn’t just cause nervous thoughts, it causes a range of different symptoms that you should watch out for, including these unexpected ones.