OCD and GAD share similarities, including symptoms of anxiety, but is OCD an anxiety disorder?
The answer is no, but since there are some similarities between the two conditions, confusion can happen.
Its important to know the difference to get to receive a proper diagnosis and treatment.
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The fifth edition of the DSM, published in May 2013, separated these diagnoses into different chapters.
This remains the same in the edition currently in use, the DSM-5-TR.
People with OCD engage in compulsive behaviors to cope with anxiety, while people with GAD do not.
What Is a Compulsion?
A compulsion is a repetitive behavior or ritual that people feel compelled to perform in response to an obsession.
People with OCD userepetitive behaviorseither physical or mental rituals called compulsionsto relieve the stress sparked by an obsession.
In GAD, people tend to worry a lot and sometimes seek reassurance from others.
However, they don’t typically engage in compulsive, ritualistic behaviors to cope with their anxiety.
OCD vs. Anxiety: Thoughts
The thought patterns characteristic of GAD also distinguish it from OCD.
The primary difference is whether these thoughts can be characterized as worry or obsessions.
Worry
People with GAD tend to worry about real-life concerns.
And while these topics are appropriate to worry about, the degree of anxiety is clearly excessive.
Obsessions are the hallmark thought processes of OCD and are also difficult for people with OCD to control.
What Are Obsessions?
Obsessions are thoughts, ideas, or mental images that are persistent, unwanted, and extremely distressing.
Obsessive thinking is more unrealistic and sometimes even has a perceived magical quality.
Both conditions respond well tocognitive behavioral therapy(CBT).
The specific CBT techniques used to treat OCD may differ from those used to treat GAD, however.
They are often most effective when they are utilized in conjunction with CBT.
While the most commonly co-occurring problem isdepression, a subset of people struggles with co-occurring GAD and OCD.
Some research suggests that the co-occurrence of OCD and GAD is quite high in adults.
An estimated 30% of adults with OCD will also have GAD at some point during their life.
These statistics suggest that people with OCD may go on to develop GAD in some cases.
The co-occurrence of other anxiety conditions is also high.
Treatments for the two conditions are similar and often involve the use of psychotherapy and medications.
CBT and SSRIs can be effective, particularly when they are utilized together.
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