Understanding How OCD and Anxiety Are Linked
OCD and anxiety are two very different disorders. Someone with anxiety doesn’t necessarily have OCD and somone with OCD doesn’t automatically have anxiety. But, there are often some overlapping characteristics between the two.
If they are linked in your specific situation, it’s important to have a deeper understanding of that so each condition can be treated as effectively as possible. It’s also important to understand that link so you can receive a proper diagnosis. Maybe you’ve been struggling with severe OCD for a while but feel like something more is going on.
With that in mind, let’s take a closer look at how OCD and anxiety are linked, and what you can do about it if you’re worried you might have both.
A Common Symptom of OCD
One of the main reasons anxiety and OCD are often connected is that anxiety can be a symptom of obsessive-compulsive disorder.
Many people who experience OCD become so obsessed with certain behaviors that certain thoughts, images, and situations can cause them to become very anxious. They can get worried and fearful over something not going the right way or in the order it’s supposed to. That’s often what causes them to complete a compulsion. That action allows them to feel better, for the time being.
If you’re someone with OCD and find yourself feeling worried when you can’t complete a compulsion, you could also be struggling with anxiety. Keep in mind, however, that isn’t always the case. Some people with OCD don’t struggle with fear. Rather, they tend to feel guilty and ashamed over their obsessions. Because these reactions are so different, it’s often easy to discern who is experiencing anxiety with their OCD and who is not.
Understanding Treatment Options
When you’re dealing with anxiety, alone, a major part of treatment usually consists of learning management techniques to help you deal with your symptoms on your own. But, when you have both anxiety and OCD, the treatment needs to be a bit different.
OCD treatment often requires exposure and response therapy. This helps to target the things you obsess over, also known as your “triggers.” The uncomfortable part of this treatment is that it also requires you to sit with those triggers for a while without giving in to your compulsive urges. The second part of treatment, however, focuses on the elimination of compulsions. Over time, you’ll learn that you can handle the discomfort you’re feeling from the obsessions, and you can work through it without having to go through some kind of ritual.
Anxiety treatment isn’t extremely different.
It’s important to get to the underlying cause of your anxiety. That often requires looking at certain triggers and learning how to change your responses to those triggers. But, when you learn how to work through your obsessions, you’ll also learn how to manage and control your fears, and even recognize you don’t have to let your worries overtake you.
What’s the Difference Between These Conditions?
When you’re dealing with OCD, your worries typically stem from obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviors. General anxiety, on the other hand, doesn’t necessarily require compulsive actions or obsessive thoughts to occur. You might have a constant underlying worry without realizing why.
The best thing you can do is to receive a proper diagnosis. Whether you think you might have OCD, anxiety, or both, working with a therapist is a great way to take control of your mental health and take your life back from both of these conditions.
If you’re struggling, feel free to contact me for more information or to set up an appointment. Together, we’ll dig deeper into those struggles. Then, we can determine the best plan of action to give you the treatment you deserve.
Click here for more information on anxiety therapy.