Your Anxiety Might Actually Be OCD
Let’s talk about something that comes up in session a lot: someone walks in, saying they’ve been battling anxiety, can’t stop overthinking, constantly second-guessing decisions, and feeling mentally exhausted 24/7. But as we dig deeper, it becomes clear: this isn’t just anxiety. It’s Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) wearing an anxiety mask.
If that surprises you, you’re not alone. OCD is one of the most misunderstood mental health conditions out there.
Most people think of OCD as excessive hand-washing, needing things to be perfectly organized, or flipping light switches exactly ten times. And sure, OCD can look like that, but it often doesn’t.
Here’s the twist: OCD is more about intrusive thoughts and compulsions, which can be internal. That means no one around you even notices it’s happening. You might not either.
When Anxiety is More Than Just Anxiety
Here’s what I often see:
A client is stuck in loops of “What if?” thoughts.
They spend hours mentally reviewing conversations, afraid they might have said something wrong.
They need to feel 100% sure about a relationship, a decision, or even their own identity, and that certainty never quite comes.
They google symptoms or ask for reassurance... over and over again.
Sound familiar?
This isn’t “just” anxiety, it’s OCD that’s playing by a different set of rules.
The Invisible Compulsions
With classic OCD, compulsions are visible, like hand-washing. But with mental compulsion OCD, the compulsions are often internal: mental reviewing, reassurance seeking, trying to “neutralize” a thought by thinking a “good” thought. It’s exhausting. And because it doesn’t fit the stereotype, it often goes undiagnosed.
So someone might be told they just have generalized anxiety, when in fact, their brain is stuck in a pattern of intrusive thoughts and mental rituals. And treating it like typical anxiety, deep breathing, rationalizing, or “just letting it go,” doesn’t really work. In fact, it can make things worse.
So, What Can You Do?
If this is resonating, you’re not broken, and you’re not alone. The good news is OCD is very treatable. Therapies like ERP (Exposure and Response Prevention) are specifically designed to target those obsessive loops and help you live with more freedom and less fear.
The first step is recognizing that anxiety isn’t one-size-fits-all. If your anxiety feels more like an obsessive thought loop you can’t get out of, it might be time to explore whether OCD is part of the picture.
Talk to one of our therapists who really understands OCD, not just anxiety. The right diagnosis opens the door to the right tools. And that can make all the difference.
