OCD Vs. Anxiety: What Are The Differences?

You know that something is off. You’re not quite sure what it is. All you know is that you’re constantly and consistently worried.

No matter if it’s related to work or your personal life, something is always troubling you. You’ve done the research, and you’ve narrowed your signs and symptoms down to two different diagnoses: obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) or anxiety.

A lot of conditions overlap with one another, so you’re having a difficult time pinpointing which condition may be affecting you. Don’t worry, we’re here to help.

Let’s learn more about OCD, anxiety, and the differences between the two.

What is OCD?

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a disorder where a person has uncontrollable, intrusive, and unwanted thoughts or obsessions. When these obsessions occur, the person feels the need to complete repetitive behaviors or compulsions as a way to cope with the obsessions.

What is Anxiety?

Anxiety is the feeling of worry or fear. While anxiety is a normal human emotion, more serious cases of anxiety can have a negative impact on someone’s daily life and routine. Anxiety disorders involve signs and symptoms that don’t go away on their own and can even worsen over time.

The Similarities

The signs and symptoms of anxiety and OCD are actually pretty similar to one another. Both OCD and anxiety involve fears or worries. Individuals try to cope with OCD or anxiety by trying to suppress or reduce the intrusive thoughts that they’re experiencing.

The Differences

While OCD may be a type of anxiety disorder, there are several differences between the two that can help determine which disorder you may be struggling with.

Behaviors

The behaviors of someone with OCD and someone with anxiety are very different from one another. Someone with anxiety experiences fears or worries, but they won’t feel the need to perform any compulsions to cope or better manage their anxiety. On the other hand, someone with OCD will be obligated to perform repetitive behaviors or compulsions in order to try to get rid of the obsessions, fears, or worries that they have.

Compulsions

One of the main differences between OCD and anxiety deals with the unwanted and intrusive thoughts from OCD. For example, if someone with anxiety is worried about getting sick, they may experience feelings of uneasiness thinking about contracting a sickness or disease. For someone with OCD, it isn’t so simple. Individuals with OCD who are obsessive about getting sick may perform compulsions like heavily cleaning their homes or washing their hands repeatedly to try to feel better about the thoughts and feelings they’re experiencing.

Thoughts

The thought patterns of OCD and anxiety are also vastly different. Anxiety brings on thoughts that tend to be probable and realistic. OCD could be both realistic and unrealistic thoughts and obsessions. Most of the time, the obsessions are related to thoughts that tend to be near impossible or unrealistic.

Next Steps

Whether you’re struggling with obsessive-compulsive disorder or one of the various types of anxiety, you’re not expected to have all of the answers. If you suspect that you or a loved one is struggling with either of these disorders, one of the best things that you can do is to seek help from an outside third party. A licensed and trained mental health provider will be able to work with you to get to the root cause of your anxiety or those intrusive thoughts. They’ll be able to help you navigate life with any signs or symptoms you’re struggling with. Healing is possible. We’re here to help you get there. Reach out to us today to set up a consultation for either OCD or anxiety treatment.