 According to the American Psychological Association, people with anxiety have a future-oriented fear, which leads them to avoiding anything that could potentially trigger a stress response. In 2017, the National Institute of Mental Health reported that approximately 40 million people worldwide suffer from anxiety. Anxiety disorders are highly treatable, but recent surveys show that only 36.9% of those suffering from it seek treatment. This might be because most people with anxiety worry about the judgment of others and how the stigma against mental illness might negatively affect their lives. Does this sound familiar to you? Do you worry you might be suffering from anxiety and just don't realize it? Here are 10 telltale signs of hidden anxiety to look out for. 1. You don't like talking to people face to face. You can easily keep a conversation going for hours when you're texting or chatting online with a friend. But talking to someone in person? No, that's an entirely different story. Even if you already know them well or have talked to them online, you still get tense and nervous talking to them in person. You have trouble making eye contact or finding the words to respond. And you want to end face-to-face conversations as soon as they begin. 2. You're always self-conscious. Do you walk into a room and immediately feel like everyone is staring at you, listening to you and judging your every move? Or perhaps you're overly conscious of the way you walk, the way you eat, the way you sit, the sound of your voice when you talk and so on? This could be a sign that you have hidden anxiety. 3. You're easily upset or irritated. Has anyone ever told you you're too sensitive? Do you find your feelings getting hurt easily? Are you quick to get angry or upset with others over the littlest things? This kind of emotional volatility may be a sign that you have high functioning anxiety. As anxiety can often make us easily overwhelmed and emotionally imbalanced. Frequent mood swings, temper tantrums and irritability can be expected when you're overly anxious. 4. You're panicky and easily startled. Anxiety makes you want to be as in control and vigilant as possible. An unexpected phone call, a random knock on the door, an email with no subject, or a forgotten task you can easily finish. Anything is enough to send you reeling with panic. You go into a tailspin whenever something catches you off guard, and you find it hard to relax even when the smallest things don't go exactly as planned. 5. You're indecisive. Do you have trouble making even the simplest of choices? Are you afraid of making up your mind about something because you're so sure that whatever decision you make is going to be the wrong one? Oftentimes, anxiety can manifest as perfectionist tendencies, fear of failure, or distrust in oneself. If you can't make your own choices without thinking about it for hours and hours first, or consulting with all your friends and family, you might be harboring some hidden anxiety. 6. You overthink past conversations. You have a tendency to get hung up on past conversations no matter how much time has passed since then. You analyze the other person's body language, facial expressions, choices of words, and even the tone of their voice. You can't help but think about what you should have done or said instead, and it drives you crazy and keeps you on edge every time you remember it. 7. You're always making yourself busy. It's common for people with anxiety to have a strong need to keep themselves busy. They like to occupy themselves with simple tasks and do as many things as possible in a day because sitting still and doing nothing for a long time can make them feel restless and on edge. 8. You talk yourself down all the time. Life isn't always kind to us, and self-love and a balanced lifestyle doesn't come easily. Living with anxiety, especially if it's hidden or suppressed, can make it hard for us to feel good about ourselves and let ourselves feel happy. It makes us believe that we don't deserve it and traps us in a vicious cycle of negative self-talk and constant pressure to be perfect. 9. You have a lot of negative thoughts. Are you a pessimist who's quick to find the downsides in every situation? You find yourself getting upset or stressing out over even the most minor inconveniences? Is every day a constant battle with yourself against the spiral of panicked and rational thoughts you have? In 1997, famed psychologist and cognitive therapist Aaron Beck termed this kind of thought pattern as catastrophic thinking, which he often observed in his patients who suffered from anxiety. 10. You experience physical symptoms. Sometimes anxiety can be entirely physical because while your conscious mind may not always be aware of your anxiety, it will definitely make itself known to your body. Things like erratic heartbeats, chest palpitations, muscle tension, a clenched jaw, shaky hands and refuse sweating are all indicative of anxiety. Your body may be trying to let your mind know that you're feeling anxious and stop it before it gets any worse. Do you relate to any of the problems listed here or do you do your best to seem okay and hide your symptoms because you feel embarrassed about your anxiety? The truth is, you're not alone and having mental health issues is nothing to be ashamed of, but what do you plan to do next? Let us know in the comments below and don't forget to like this video and subscribe to Psych2Go for more psychology content. Thanks for watching and we'll see you soon.