Anxiety and OCD

Anxiety is a natural human response to stress or uncertainty. It’s normal to feel nervous before an interview, a major life change, or when facing challenges related to relationships, finances, or work. In healthy amounts, anxiety can help us stay alert, plan ahead and respond effectively to situations needing our attention. But when worry becomes overwhelming, excessive, or difficult to control, it may begin to interfere with daily life. You might notice racing thoughts, muscle tension, fatigue, irritability, or trouble sleeping, and find that your reactions are out of proportion to the situation. Other forms of anxiety may result from specific situations or triggers, such as social anxiety, health-related anxiety, phobias, or anxiety related to life transitions.

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is characterized by unwanted intrusive thoughts, images, or urges (obsessions) that create distress or a sense of threat. To cope, people often engage in compulsions, which may be visible behaviors like checking or repeating, or more subtle mental rituals such as over-analyzing, reviewing, or seeking reassurance. These behaviors can bring brief relief from distress, but research shows they ultimately reinforce fear, and strengthen the OCD cycles, leaving you feeling stuck between anxiety and relief. 

Anxiety and OCD both involve heightened worry, fear, or uncertainty that can take up mental and emotional space. They share patterns of overthinking, self-doubt, and physical tension that make it hard to feel at ease. However, OCD is distinct from general anxiety because it involves the specific cycle of obsessions and compulsions. Anxiety alone does not include this pattern.

Whether you are struggling with anxiety, OCD, or a combination of both, therapy offers a structured space to understand your symptoms and begin creating meaningful change. Through gaining insight, consistent therapeutic support, and your own engagement in the process, these patterns can be addressed directly. Over time, your brain can learn to tolerate uncertainty and reduce fear-driven responses, allowing you the opportunity to move through life with a renewed sense of freedom. 

Together, you and your therapist can develop strategies to help you manage your symptoms and strengthen coping skills. Using approaches such as cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and mindfulness-based methods, you can learn skills that help restore calm, clarity, and a greater sense of control.

Each therapist brings their own expertise and approach, ensuring that care is customized to your individual situation, goals, and needs.