Is OCD An Anxiety Disorder? Learn if You Have OCD or Anxiety

How to Tell if You Have Anxiety or OCD

It can be hard to tell the difference between worry and OCD (Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder) since the two may have some things in common. But being aware of the differences can help you figure out what illness is hurting you. When trying to figure out if you have anxiety or OCD, here are some essential things to keep in mind:

1. Nature of Worries:
   • Anxiety: Anxiety often involves generalized worry about various aspects of life, such as health, work, relationships, or future uncertainties. These worries may be excessive, persistent, and disproportionate to the actual threat.
   • OCD: OCD is characterized by specific, intrusive, and distressing thoughts known as obsessions. These obsessions trigger intense anxiety and lead to compulsive behaviors or mental rituals aimed at alleviating that anxiety.
2. Compulsive Behaviors:
   • Anxiety: Individuals with anxiety may seek to avoid situations that trigger their anxiety or engage in safety behaviors like reassurance-seeking or avoiding certain places or people.
   • OCD: Compulsive behaviors, such as repeated handwashing, counting, checking, or organizing, are a hallmark of OCD. These rituals are performed in response to obsessions and are meant to reduce distress.
3. Impact on Daily Life:
   • Anxiety: While anxiety can be distressing and disruptive, it does not necessarily lead to the same level of interference in daily life as OCD.
   • OCD: OCD often significantly impairs daily functioning as individuals spend a considerable amount of time and effort performing compulsions.

The International OCD Foundation says that the best ways to treat OCD are through cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and medicine. Exposure and reaction prevention (ERP) therapy is a type of cognitive behavioral therapy.

A 2019 study says that ERP is the best way to treat OCD. The writers say that up to half of people with ERP will notice a big difference in their symptoms, whether they take medicine alone or with it. However, it doesn’t work for everyone.

When someone is in ERP, they work with a mental health professional to talk about their compulsions, the fears or anxieties that might be causing them, and how the two connect. Someone may also say they fear what will happen if they don’t do their excessive habits.

Then, someone will put different situations in order from least stressed to most stressful. Then, when similar problems arise, they will try to stop doing their routines or obsessive behaviors with the therapist’s help. These things can be done in real life and by planning them in your mind.

The goal of ERP is to teach a person that giving up the things or activities that bother them and not doing their repetitive behaviors won’t have the bad results they fear.

Best Medication For Anxiety And OCD

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 ten years and older.
• Fluoxetine (Prozac) for adults and children seven years and older.
• Fluvoxamine for adults and children eight years and older.
• Paroxetine (Paxil, Pexeva) for adults only.
• Sertraline (Zoloft) for adults and children six years and older.