I have times, usually when I am not in an episode, that if asked how I am feeling I will say anxious, although in a day or two I clearly was hypomanic. Generally if my therapist or pdoc are the ones I'm telling I am anxious they ask enough questions (and know the reality) and I'll realize my speech and thoughts are fast, I can't sit still, I can't focus, I'm agitated, irritable, bouncing from one thing to another, etc but without help I do not always have the ability to differentiate in the very early part of hypomania without help. Maybe I'm lying to myself when that happens and am just hoping it is anxiety instead but whatever the cause I do occasionally have it seem very similar to me, whether it does to anyone looking at me or not. I will say that never lasts more than a day if that long. But "I thought I was anxious but..." has definitely been said more than once by me.