Anxiety occurs in everyone occasionally. When it becomes a daily occurrence, however, and it stops a person from full, normal life functions, a doctor or psychiatrist may diagnosis it as generalized anxiety disorder, or GAD. Psychiatrists and doctors typically recommend psychotherapy combined with medications to help get GAD under control. However, MayoClinic.com indicates the condition may remain with a person for life.
Muscle Pain
Apart from the mental difficulties associated with generalized anxiety disorder, the person suffering from it may experience physical problems such as pain in the muscles, MayoClinic.com reports. This may occur as general aches and pains in various muscles or a general sense of muscle tension.
Tiredness
The constant worry and obsession over tiny things can take a toll on the person's body by causing the person to feel a general sense of fatigue or tiredness, MayoClinic.com states. Fatigue, or the physical sensation of tired muscles and moving difficulties, can occur because of the energy expended on worrying as well as for other reasons.
Trembling
The person with GAD feels nervous much of the time. This can manifest physically as a trembling or twitching sensation throughout the body. Jitteriness or the fear of surprise can cause the person's body to tremble.
Breathing Difficulties
The human fight or flight response brought about by fear and anxiety in the person suffering from GAD can cause physical changes such as rapid breathing or sensations of shortness of breath. Shortness of breath, or the feeling the person cannot get enough air into his lungs, can increase the anxiety, which in turn can increase the symptom.
Tachycardia
When a person participates in strenuous activity, it can boost the normal resting heart rate beyond the upper limit of 100 beats per minute. This condition, called tachycardia, also can occur in people suffering from GAD, MayoClinic.com indicates, even without the physical exertion. If tachycardia occurs over a long period, it can cause other health problems such as high blood pressure, strokes and heart attacks.
Nausea and Diarrhea
People often describe fear and anxiety as a feeling in the pit of their stomachs. In people with GAD, this can occur as the physical symptom of nausea, which may cause the person to vomit. It also can cause the person's bowels to act differently, causing loose stools or diarrhea.
