Differentiating anxiety from obsessive-compulsive disorder will allow us to correctly manage a possible crisis.
All people experience different emotions, some are more pleasant than others, such as happiness, and others not so much; However, none of them are bad, they are all useful and necessary, as they allow us to adjust and respond to the different situations we face on a daily basis.
Even those emotions that bring physical effects that can be somewhat uncomfortable are necessary; For this reason, in psychology we never seek to eliminate them, but rather to help people get to know them better and learn how to handle them without them becoming a problematic situation.
A perfect example is anxiety, a very important emotion because it helps us prepare to respond to different stressful situations and overcome themalthough it can generate moments of discomfort and, if poorly managed, It can evolve and become a disorder.
In a similar way, we can all have worries, there are even moments when our mind is flooded with thoughts of all kinds that, at times, are annoying, but not all of us have necessarily had obsessions.
Maybe you’re wondering why am I telling you all this? Very simple, to understand both obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and anxiety, we must start from separate the emotions and thoughts that we can all experience from the overly intense emotions and intrusive thoughts that characterize these disorders.
Now that we have this clear, let’s talk in detail about OCD and anxiety. Although these two conditions are closely related, as there is an important basis of anxiety in obsessive-compulsive disorder, this is a completely different diagnosis and, for this reason, it should be treated differently from anxiety.
Anxiety is a broad category in which we find different diagnoses; even, OCD was once included in this group; however, Research on the topic has led to it being understood as something different that must be understood and attended to separately from anxiety.
It may interest you:
OCD is a condition in which a person experiences unwanted thoughts or impulses that are intrusive and insistent (obsessions) and lead them to perform repeated or ritualistic actions (compulsions) in an attempt to reduce the distress that these thoughts entail.
Some symptoms of OCD are:
- Unwanted but very insistent thoughts, images or impulses.
- Attempts to control thoughts with actions and rituals.
- Need to dedicate significant time during the day to rituals, as well as avoiding thoughts, images and impulses.
- Discomfort due to thoughts.
Although insistent worries often occur in anxiety, these worries are not the same as obsessions and; besides, A person with anxiety does not have the need to act as a result of their worries. On the other hand, generalized anxiety disorder is usually characterized by physical symptoms of anxiety such as hyperventilation, while physical symptoms are not a requirement for the diagnosis of OCD.
Differences in treatment
For these reasons, both conditions can be treated with psychotherapy taking into account that the objective of each process is different, since in OCD should be focused on the management of obsessions and the prevention of obsessive behaviorsWhile for Anxiety focuses on identifying what generates the worries and getting the person to increase their tolerance for that object or situation..
We recommend you read:
If you, or someone you know, may have any of these conditions, our recommendation is to consult with a professional, since to define exactly what it is and how it should be managed, an evaluation by a psychologist or psychiatrist is necessary. If you require psychological first aid you can call us or write to us at 3330333588. Our services are free, 24/7.