Is OCD An Anxiety Disorder? Here’s The link

By We Level Up FL Treatment Center | Editor Yamilla Francese | Clinically Reviewed By Lauren Barry, LMFT, MCAP, QS, Director of Quality Assurance | Editorial Policy | Research Policy | Last Updated: January 18, 2023

Types of Depression

• Persistent depressive disorder (also called dysthymia): is a depressed mood that lasts for at least two years. A person diagnosed with persistent depressive disorder may have episodes of major Depression along with periods of less severe symptoms, but symptoms must last for two years to be considered a persistent depressive disorder.
• Psychotic Depression: occurs when a person has severe depression plus some form of psychosis, such as having disturbing false fixed beliefs (delusions) or hearing or seeing upsetting things that others cannot hear or see (hallucinations). The psychotic symptoms typically have a depressive “theme,” such as delusions of guilt, poverty, or illness.
• Bipolar disorder: is different from Depression, but it is included in this list because someone with bipolar disorder experiences episodes of extremely low moods that meet the criteria for major Depression (called “Bipolar Depression”). But a person with bipolar disorder also experiences extreme high – euphoric or irritable – moods called “mania” or a less severe form called “hypomania.”
• Postpartum Depression: is much more serious than the “baby blues” (relatively mild depressive and anxiety symptoms that typically clear within two weeks after delivery) that many women experience after giving birth. Women with postpartum Depression experience full-blown major Depression during pregnancy or after delivery (postpartum depression). The feelings of extreme sadness, anxiety, and exhaustion that accompany postpartum depression may make it difficult for these new mothers to complete daily care activities for themselves and/or their babies.
• Seasonal affective disorder: is characterized by the onset of Depression during the winter months, when there is less natural sunlight. This Depression generally lifts during spring and summer. Winter Depression, typically accompanied by social withdrawal, increased sleep, and weight gain, predictably returns every year in seasonal affective disorder.
• SAD Seasonal Depression (Depressed SAD): A form of depression known as seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is triggered by the changing of the seasons; it starts and ends about at the same periods each year. If you have SAD like the majority of people do, your symptoms begin in the fall and last through the winter, draining your energy and making you cranky. Typically, these symptoms go away in the spring and summer. SAD less frequently results in depression in the spring or early summer and clears up in the fall or winter. SAD treatment options include medications, psychotherapy, and light therapy (phototherapy).

Anxiety Statistics

It’s critical to understand the distinction between anxiety and depression. Anxiety, in its most basic form, is an excessive feeling of worry, whereas depression, in its most basic form, is an excessive feeling of worthlessness and hopelessness. It is conceivable for someone to experience depression and anxiety simultaneously.

---

---

OCD And Anxiety: OCD And Anxiety Treatment Center

OCD Vs Anxiety: Anxiety OCD

Anxiety and OCD can coexist, OCD is an anxiety disorder. They are distinct mental health issues, though. OCD is categorized as an anxiety disorder in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, Text Revision (DSM-IV-TR).

OCD is categorized as a separate mental health disorder under the Disorder Class “Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders” in the most recent edition, the DSM-5-TR. In addition, there are descriptions of body dysmorphic disorder, hoarding disorder, and trichotillomania in this section.

Separate from OCD, a variety of anxiety disorders exist, including the following:

• Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD): In GAD, people have chronic anxiety that can last for months or years. There may be no particular cause for their anxiety.
• Panic disorder: People with this type of anxiety have frequent panic attacks they do not expect.
• Social anxiety disorder: This involves intense fear of social situations in which a person may be watched or judged.
• Phobia-related disorders: Phobias relate to fear and aversion to specific objects and situations.

Do I Have Ocd Or Anxiety? OCD Anxiety Disorder: Anxiety Vs OCD

According to a 2022 review of anxiety, it is a “future-oriented” mood state, which means people with anxiety disorders frequently engage in psychological and behavioral preparation for potential threats in the future.

Persons with OCD are more impacted by recurring ideas, pictures, or behavioral urges that make them anxious, even if people with OCD and anxiety might experience strong terror about specific circumstances or objects.

They will routinely carry out routines like handwashing or placing orders in response to these persistent urges or ideas. Compulsions may be difficult for an OCD sufferer to resist, and they may not even be enjoyable for them. Usually, people with anxiety problems won’t feel the urge to engage in these compulsions.

OCD Health Anxiety Causes – Health Anxiety Ocd

OCD has no known etiology as of yet. However, the following are listed as potential causes by the British mental health charity Mind:

• Personal experiences: Children who experienced trauma, abuse, or bullying as children or who had parents or caregivers who exhibited similar compulsive tendencies may develop OCD as a taught behavior.
• Personality traits: Children who experienced trauma, abuse, or bullying as children or who had parents or caregivers who exhibited similar compulsive tendencies may develop OCD as a taught behavior.
• Genetics: There is some evidence that people can inherit OCD from their parents. Studies do, however, frequently have limitations. Overall, more study is required.

The causes of anxiety are diverse and may include:

• Past experiences: Anxiety can be brought on by stressful situations such as abuse, violence, a protracted sickness, and the loss of a loved one. Anxiety can also be brought on by adolescent or childhood experiences with challenging circumstances. This can involve racial discrimination, social exclusion, bullying, and neglect.
• Stress: Long-term stress can lead to anxiety. This can be due to stress from a job or school, problems with money or housing, or being in the midst of a huge shift or uncertain phase.
• Health conditions: Anxiety might arise from having major and persistent health issues. Anxiety might also be brought on by other mental health issues.
• Medication side effects: Anxiety may be listed as a side effect of some medications, particularly psychiatric drugs.

Anxiety Or OCD? OCD Anxiety Symptoms

The symptoms of OCD include a combination of obsessions and compulsions.

Obsessions include:

• Recurring intrusive and distressing thoughts urges, and images a person cannot control
• The urge to stop intrusive thoughts, urges, and images with another thought or action

Compulsions include:

• Responding to obsessions with repetitive behavior or mental patterns
• Performing repetitive behaviors or mental patterns to reduce anxiety or prevent a perceived threat or negative consequence

Compulsions might not necessarily be directly related to the undesirable outcome a person is attempting to avoid, and the behavior might appear excessive to others. They can consume a lot of time from an individual.

Fears of contamination, aggressiveness, damage, sex, religion, and maintaining their surroundings exactly as they want it are common sources of compulsions. One compulsive activity is all that is required for a diagnosis. Compulsive behaviors include, for instance:

• Repeatedly checking things, such as ensuring their door is locked
• Frequent, excessive handwashing
• Counting or tapping objects
• Engaging in rituals such as prayer or repeating specific phrases

2019 and 2022 research state that OCD and anxiety can put a person at higher risk of suicide.

OCD Anxiety And Depression (OCD Anxiety Depression)

OCD and anxiety disorders share the same primary symptom in that they are both anxiety-based conditions. However, how do OCD or anxiety connect to depression?

Someone with OCD or anxiety may experience hopelessness, sadness, or an inability to enjoy life—all signs of depression. This is one very obvious connection between both these anxiety-centric groups and depression. As a result, long-term exposure to either of these diseases may eventually lead to the development of depression.

Second, members of all three disorder families frequently co-occur. As a result, there is a high level of comorbidity between depression, anxiety, and OCD, and the likelihood of having two or more of these simultaneously is much higher than by chance. Comorbidity, unfortunately, reduces the likelihood of a symptom-free recovery as compared to those battling single disorders, which is bad news for people dealing with multiple of these conditions at once.

The link between these three illnesses also appears to be influenced by genetics. The link appears to be neuroticism, a personality trait that generates acute, unfavorable responses to both internal and external stimuli, leading to emotions such as grief, guilt, and rage. Researchers studying this trait have proposed that neuroticism serves as a mediator between anxiety, depression, and OCD because it has been demonstrated to be both highly heritable and a risk factor for these disorders.

Finally, brain architecture also seems to be involved in the co-development of depression, OCD, and anxiety. Particularly, it has been demonstrated that the emergence of these three illnesses is related to the amygdala and its function in emotion processing. This is especially true with regard to classical conditioning, which can link a physical or psychological reaction (such as sweating or a feeling of worry) to a particular stimulus (the presence of a dog) after a bond is established connecting the two to each other (a traumatic event such as being bitten by a dog).

Indeed, it has been demonstrated that injury to the amygdala alters how we interpret dangerous stimuli and emotions of delight, which can cause the emergence of depressive, anxious, and OCD-related symptoms.

OCD And Social Anxiety: OCD Social Anxiety

Obsessive-compulsive disorder and social anxiety disorder are chronic diseases that may have crippling effects. There are two distinct diagnoses here.

Though it is conceivable for OCD and social anxiety symptoms to coexist. You would then have to contend with two different conditions. In fact, research reveals that the most common co-occurring condition for those with OCD is a social anxiety disorder. But it’s also feasible for someone with OCD to have persistent obsessions about social rejection without being diagnosed with social anxiety.

You would need to satisfy the diagnostic requirements for both conditions in order to be given both diagnoses. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, a guidebook utilized by the majority of U.S. mental health professionals, establishes the diagnostic criteria.

OCD Anxiety Disorders: Can a Person Have Both?

OCD and an anxiety disorder are both possible in certain persons. For instance, 33.56% of the 867 individuals in a study from 2021 had both OCD and GAD. According to this study, those who have OCD or GAD are more prone to exhibit the following signs:

• Severe anxiety
• Avoidant behavior
• Panic disorder
• Social phobias
• Specific phobias
• Type II bipolar disorder

A person with OCD and GAD will typically have OCD symptoms and anxiety symptoms, such as:

• Chronic anxiety with no identifiable cause
• Feeling physically anxious
• Muscle tension
• Insomnia
• Fatigue
• Feeling irritable due to anxiety

A person may also suffer from anxiety illnesses like social anxiety disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). A patient should consult a physician to talk about their symptoms and determine whether they might be suffering from OCD, an anxiety illness, or both.

Treatment For OCD And Anxiety: The OCD & Anxiety Treatment Center

Then, a person will rank various circumstances in order of least to most stressful. With the help of the clinician, they will then face similar circumstances and attempt to refrain from doing their rituals or obsessive behaviors. This is accomplished both in actual situations and through imaginative preparation.

The purpose of ERP is to teach a person that participating in the activities or tasks that discomfort them and abstaining from their obsessive behaviors won’t have the negative effects they dread.

Best Medication For Anxiety And OCD: Medication For OCD And Anxiety

Certain psychiatric medications can help control the obsessions and compulsions of OCD. Most commonly, antidepressants are tried first.

Antidepressants approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat OCD include:

• Clomipramine (Anafranil) for adults and children 10 years and older
• Fluoxetine (Prozac) for adults and children 7 years and older
• Fluvoxamine for adults and children 8 years and older
• Paroxetine (Paxil, Pexeva) for adults only
• Sertraline (Zoloft) for adults and children 6 years and older

However, your doctor may prescribe other antidepressants and psychiatric medications.

Best Medication For OCD And Anxiety: What to consider

Discuss the following points with your doctor when choosing an OCD medication:

• Best Medicine For Anxiety And OCD: Selecting a treatment. Generally speaking, the objective is to minimize dosage while still efficiently controlling symptoms. It’s common to try a number of medications before settling on one that works well. To successfully treat your symptoms, your doctor may suggest taking many medications. After using a drug for a while, symptoms may not start to get better for weeks or even months.
• Best Medicine For OCD And Anxiety: Adverse consequences. All psychiatric drugs may cause negative effects. When using psychiatric medications, discuss any potential side effects and the need for health monitoring with your doctor. Also, let your doctor know if any unsettling side symptoms occur.
• Best Meds For Anxiety And OCD: Suicide danger. Although the FDA mandates that all antidepressants include black box warnings, the toughest cautions for prescriptions, the majority of antidepressants are largely safe. In certain situations, taking antidepressants can lead to an increase in suicidal thoughts or actions in children, teenagers, and young people under the age of 25, particularly in the first few weeks or when the dose is altered. If you have suicidal thoughts, call your doctor right away or seek emergency assistance. Remember that antidepressants are more likely to decrease the risk of suicide over time through elevating mood.
• Anxiety OCD Medication: Interactions between different chemicals. Inform your doctor if you take any other prescription or OTC drugs, herbal supplements, or other dietary supplements while taking an antidepressant. When coupled with specific drugs or herbal supplements, some antidepressants can reduce the efficacy of other medications and have potentially harmful side effects.
• Medications For OCD And Anxiety: Stopping antidepressants. Although physical dependence—a separate condition from addiction—can occasionally happen with antidepressants, they are not thought to be addictive. Therefore, suddenly ceasing medication or skipping several doses might result in discontinuation syndrome, which is also known as withdrawal-like symptoms. Even if you feel better, don’t stop taking your medicine without first consulting your doctor. Otherwise, you risk experiencing a resurgence of OCD symptoms. To safely and gradually reduce your dosage, consult your doctor.

CBD For Anxiety And OCD

A 2019 review found that, despite the fact that the field of study is very young, the evidence so far suggests that cannabinoids can help OCD sufferers with symptoms like worry, dread, and some repetitive behaviors. The authors urge more investigation into CBD’s potential as an alternate OCD treatment.

CBD Gummies For Anxiety And OCD

These gummies are designed to promote relaxation and reduce tension and anxiety, which may be helpful for those who have OCD. Each serving contains 10 mg of full-spectrum hemp extract, which also contains the plant’s other terpenes and cannabinoids.

CBD Oil For Anxiety And OCD

OCD cannot be cured at this time, however, there are medications that can help with the symptoms. Some OCD sufferers receive relief from drugs like selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). CBT may also be advantageous for others (CBT).

Additionally, some OCD sufferers claim that taking CBD oil reduces their symptoms. A cannabinoid, or substance found in cannabis plants, is what CBD is. CBD does not have the same intoxicating effects as marijuana’s THC. This implies that you won’t get high from it.

Trintellix For Anxiety And OCD

OCD and anxiety are not currently approved conditions to be treated with Trintellix (OCD). However, Trintellix may be used to address these issues off-label. (Use of a drug for a condition for which it has not been approved is known as utilizing it off-label.)

Best SSRI For OCD And Anxiety

Medicine for OCD and anxiety: An SSRI known as paroxetine (Paxil) is used to treat OCD as well as depression, panic disorder, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). It can be taken once daily and is approved for those who are at least 18 years old.

We Level Up Dual Diagnosis Treatment – The OCD And Anxiety Treatment Center

Anxiety and OCD center: The definition of dual diagnosis (also referred to as co-occurring disorders) can differ between institutions. However, it is generally described as the specific treatment of someone who has been diagnosed with a substance use disorder and a mental health disorder at the same time. Treating dual-diagnosis clients is a critical aspect of our inpatient treatment experience because co-occurring disorders are strongly correlated with instances of substance abuse.

Anxiety and OCD treatment center: Creating a treatment plan that addresses the physical aspects of withdrawal, the psychological connection with drug use, and managing underlying mental health disorders is part of setting clients up for success.  A thorough mental health analysis identifies possibilities for treatment.  Meeting with mental health counselors and medical care providers means access to behavioral therapy and medication treatment. At our dual diagnosis treatment center, We Level Up can implement the highest quality of care. 

Center for OCD and anxiety: We recognize the fragile complexities of how mental and substance abuse disorders can influence others and sometimes result in a vicious cycle of addiction.  That’s why we offer specialized treatment in dual-diagnosis cases to provide the most excellent chance of true healing and long-lasting recovery.

The OCD and anxiety center: It can be challenging to accept that you may be living with a mental illness, but once it is properly diagnosed and treated, treating the presenting case of substance abuse can be magnitudes easier. Only a properly trained medical professional can diagnose these underlying conditions.  If you believe you are suffering from a disorder alongside addiction, we urge you to seek a qualified treatment center to begin your journey to recovery. Call We Level Up today.

Anxiety and OCD FAQs