I can also relate to noticing that my mania often co-occurs with anxiety. Sometimes the anxiety becomes so severe that it becomes actual paranoia, but more often than not, it is just anxiety. But there are periods where I am not experiencing an actual episode, but the anxiety is still present. Growing up, I was diagnosed with GAD from a School Psychologist, along with a mood disorder. I am just an anxious person overall and always have been. Both of my pdocs told me that the anxiety is secondary to the Bipolar, and my most recent pdoc didn't even make a formal diagnosis of an anxiety d/o, because she said it is so common for her patients with Bipolar to experience both. It is especially prevalent during mixed manic episodes for me. Therefore, you are not alone. Mindfulness is definitely a valuable tool.