Anxiety manifests itself in numerous different ways, including physical symptoms, emotional stresses, mental processes, and behaviors.

Very often, anxious people can behave in a way that might be considered rude, but it is actually their own defense mechanism that helps them cope with their inner fight.

The following list might help you understand anxious people better and recognize that someone close of you actually suffers from an anxiety disorder:

Short temper

These people usually respond in a harsh tone and can adopt a snappy attitude and seem inconsiderate. Yet, they do not mean to be rude, but can often explode easily even when something seems small on the surface. 

Canceling plans

Anxious people might agree to do something or even schedule a meeting at the moment, and as the event is approaching, they start thinking of all the possible outcomes of the situation, and cancel it in order to prevent things from going wrong.

Using the cell phone a lot

Anxious people do not know what to do when in the company of more people, and they habitually check their phones, and look at them, since it provides a short relief in an anxious situation.

Avoid relationships

Anxious people feel better when alone, and do not focus much on building strong relationships. They need encouragements to step out of their shells, as they are afraid of being disappointed.

Avoid people they know

The insecurities of anxious people often make them avoid people they know from the past since those meetings can trigger anxiety.

Sarcasm as a defense

Anxious people are often sarcastic and use cutting words to avoid criticism and to push other people away.

Interrupting people

Anxious people often fail to control their impulses and know that they would not recall what they wanted to say afterward, so they interrupt others in the middle of a conversation.

Lack of Eye Contact

Anxious people struggle with their busy mind all the time, and this struggle is so intense, that they usually avoid eye contact and look at their hands, the floor, or the ceiling.

David Rettew M.D. explains that it is common that anxious people often act as mean or arrogant, but in reality, they simply having a hard time knowing what to say in the moment.  Many young people start their stories saying that they did not like someone at the beginning, but after some time they spend together, they became friends.

Therefore, he advises that if you are making an effort to talk to someone and that person is not engaging in an easy and reciprocal way, you should consider the fact that the driving force behind that less than flowing interaction is anxiety. The other person may indeed want to talk and get to know you better, but suffers from nervousness and faces a difficulty with how to respond. 

Even though someone might perceive you as a pest, hanging in there a little longer or making a second effort to reach out to that person might lead to some friendships that otherwise might not happen.

Sources:
inspiretochange.org
www.psychologytoday.com