OCD and Anxiety doubt

[Lilyrose941]

Apologies in advance, this is a long one- how do you know the difference between anxiety and OCD? I have looked into both and there seems to be so much cross over between the two with no particular distinction.

I am fairly certain I have (and have for most of my life) anxiety, people have also joked I have OCD in a fairly standard ignorant stereotype 'you like things so neat, you must be OCD! You are so particular' etc. so I always just dismissed it. I have been out of work recently and staying at home has given me more time in my own head, all the smaller issues I have always dealt with have become more prominent and have made me question a lot.

I have always avoided trying to get a diagnosis or medication because I felt like a fraud and that everyone felt like this. But no one I have ever talked to has felt like this, going to list it because writing it properly is a bit too hard.

-never feel clean, can have multiple showers and still feel dirty, feel unclean wearing clothes more than once, paranoid I smell, paranoid that everyone is watching me and judging what I am doing, unable to be around most ther people without breaking into a cold sweat, obsessive thoughts about a variety of things- hurting myself, hurting other people, sometimes sexually inappropriate, thoughts that make me cringe and that I would never do but can't stop from going through my head. Intrusive thoughts about me and the people around me being hurt or dying. I can brush my teeth or wash my hands repeatedly and still not feel like they are clean. I can not remember a day where I did not feel uncomfortable in my own skin. I am going to book a doctors appointment as I know I can't ignore it any longer but can anyone give any advice as to whether I should just ask for support for anxiety or whether I need to look more into OCD.

[aparente001]

They're like the chicken and the egg. Have you looked at the IOCD website? Also, would you do me a favor and print out your post and take it with you to see your primary medical provider (family doctor)?

[Lilyrose941 in reply to aparente001]

I hadn't heard if it but am going to look into it, so thank you.

I have booked an appointment with a doctor to discuss anxiety/OCD but the idea of taking all of that in for someone to see fills me with so much shame. Even posting it on here anonymously took me several hours to convince myself to post. But I will try to convince myself to do so. Thank you for replying

[helloworld22 in reply to Lilyrose941]

Speaking as someone who can see I’ve had OCD all my life, sounds like OCD to me.

OCD is caused by a chemical imbalance in your brain, or aspects of your brain wiring that make you susceptible to OC thought patterns, or a combination of the two. PET scans of the brain can show the overactivity in certain areas, and people either need medication to correct it, or professional therapy, or both. If you had a chemical imbalance caused by your liver, you wouldn’t be ashamed to use insulin. If you needed physical therapy for congenital joint problems, you wouldn’t be ashamed of that.

Please decide it’s ok to do something for yourself and discuss this with a psychiatrist or psychologist. If you need to start with a primary care physician, fine, but he needs to give you a referral to a psychiatrist or psychologist.

[nkotbjoeymc]

I thought they’re almost the same?

[Eli_E]

Hi, I had a similar experience. I was always relatively anxious (although I didn't really recognize it at the time), but then something shifted and things got really bad and I knew I needed to see someone. This did eventually lead to me getting an OCD diagnosis. I would absolutely bring OCD up with your doctor as the treatment for it is not the same as anxiety. With that said, my primary care doctor is definitely not familiar with OCD. Yours may be different, but if you find your practitioner isn't really knowledgeable on the subject, it may be worthwhile to reach out to an ocd-specific therapist (your doctor may be able to refer you to one). I know when I first reached out to the therapist I have now I literally said I don't know if I am dealing with anxiety or OCD but I would like to set up and intro chat with you just to start figuring things out. At the very least you will get some information.

And don't let the fears of being a fraud keep you from seeking help. You clearly can tell that something is off and you deserve to get the support you need. OCD isn't called the doubting dieting for nothing - I still deal with doubts about my diagnosis. Regardless, I'm happy I reached out and found someone knowledgeable about ocd and anxiety because though I still have work to do, I am doing much better.

I am so sorry you are going through this and I hope things get better for you soon!

[Lilyrose941 in reply to Eli_E]

Thank you for your reply, this was comforting to read. I have spent as long as I can remember feeling like there is something so deeply wrong with me, its nice to know I am not the only one doubting themselves.

I have never used this GP for mental health issues so I am not sure how knowledgeable they are, but will keep trying. Thank you

[10-12-1953]

Google NOCD online therapy. They do nothing but treat O.C.D. Also fees are very reasonable. Good luck. Take it day by day. Some days are better than others. If you are so inclined pray.