Username: opossumfan

Date posted: 2y ago

Differentiating OCD from something like GAD?

So I read one of the NOCD Blog’s new posts about differentiating GAD vs OCD and it made me worried a bit. The first psych I saw said that I had GAD and unspecified OCD which may/may not change, and when I asked them a few weeks later, they said that if they HAD to say, they said I probably have it. When I started therapy here, I was further diagnosed with OCD and GAD. Because of the shiftiness, I’ve often wondered if I don’t actually have OCD and an misinterpreting normal behaviors/anxiety behaviors to be compulsions. I have discussed this with my therapist of course, but I also wanted to see if anyone on here has been diagnosed with OCD that later turned out to be wrong? Are there any resources that could help me further differentiate so that I’m not doing/treating the wrong thing? I’m also aware of the irony that asking this question in and of itself may be more aligned with OCD, but I feel like people with anxiety disorders may do the same so I’m not sure anymore lol.

Username: NicaNica

Date posted: 2y ago

I have both but they’re still under the anxiety bubble, so I don’t pay them any special attention. I don’t give into ANY of my mental illnesses. If you’ve been diagnosed by a professional, then that’s the end of it. So, I wouldn’t be starting up a new theme about if you do/don’t have OCD if you’ve been diagnosed. If you haven’t, then I suggest getting the help you need to overcome these issues ❤️

Username: AnonymousAnonymous

Date posted: 2y ago

@Nica Good points, but I would add that a diagnosis definitely doesn’t mean the end of it. After all, how many of us have been misdiagnosed for years before finally getting diagnosed with OCD? Hell I was diagnosed with GAD and if it hadn’t been for my own initiative I’d still be receiving incorrect therapy.

Username: NicaNica

Date posted: 2y ago

@Anonymous And where did I say it was the end of it?

Username: AnonymousAnonymous

Date posted: 2y ago

@Nica “If you’ve been diagnosed by a professional, then that’s the end of it.”

Username: AnonymousAnonymous

Date posted: 2y ago

@Nica Top of second paragraph, see it now?

Username: NicaNica

Date posted: 2y ago

@Anonymous You didn’t read my paragraph properly then. If you have been diagnosed by a professional as having OCD, GAD, or whatever it is, then that’s what you have and obsessing over not having it doesn’t do you any good; it just makes things worse in the long run. Please read comprehensively next time.

Username: AnonymousAnonymous

Date posted: 2y ago

@Nica I did read comprehensively, you literally were saying “that’s the end of it”, and I responded with not always because we as OCD sufferers are often misdiagnosed. As I shared, I was diagnosed with OCD by a psychologist , and thank my lucky stars I did my own research. After bringing up what I had found my diagnosis was changed, and then I began the correct ERP therapy. You really don’t like someone disagreeing with you, do you? There is no need to be rude, I simply responded to what you literally said in your comment.

Username: iheartcactiiheartcacti

Date posted: 2y ago

I have both OCD and GAD, and I regularly have to determine which one is causing me distress. I know the difference between them well because OCD involves doing a compulsion and I feel distressed if I can't do it. Compulsions also include ruminating over something in my mind over and over again, but that also feels like a compulsion as well.

Username: peekaboohimepeekaboohime

Date posted: 2y ago

Im on the same boat. I was diagnoised with GAD but I feel like I resinate more with having OCD. I feel like the lines that blur between the two are hard to distinguished sometimes. Still waiting to see a therapist on here.

Username: jrocco2022!jrocco2022!

Date posted: 2y ago

I’m not certain but I felt this way a while back too. I feel like though, that if OCD is involved, it can cause symptoms that mimic GAD. However, if GAD is involved on its own, it’s symptoms wouldn’t mimic GAD. Just spitballing here.

Username: jrocco2022!jrocco2022!

Date posted: 2y ago

@jrocco2022! Sorry I meant wouldn’t mimic OCD in that last sentence there.

Username: Clint RossClint Ross

User type: Therapist

Date posted: 2y ago

https://beyondocd.org/information-for-individuals/clinical-definition-of-ocd#:~:text=Recurrent%20and%20persistent%20thoughts%2C%20urges,cause%20marked%20anxiety%20or%20distress. Here is the DSM 5 criteria for OCD. Obviously, you cannot diagnose yourself due not having the clinical expertise perhaps or the advantage of an outside observing professional to pick up on symptoms you may or may not have. I would suggest continuing therapy and know that ERP works just as well for GAD as OCD.

Username: opossumfan opossumfan

Date posted: 2y ago

@NOCD Therapist - Clint R. So, it looks like in the dsm and I’ve often read that ocd can partly be differentiated from gad by compulsions. But it makes me wonder, how do people with GAD not do compulsions/repetitive behaviors aimed to reduce anxiety?

Username: opossumfan opossumfan

Date posted: 2y ago

@NOCD Therapist - Clint R. I was also comparing the dsm-4 to the dsm-5 and see that the clause, “The thoughts, impulses, or images are not simply excessive worries about real-life problems”, was dropped, but couldn’t find out online why. It freaks me out a bit because I don’t fully understand what “real life problems” means and how that doesn’t apply to ocd sometimes 😅

Username: iheartcactiiheartcacti

Date posted: 2y ago

@opossumfan I'm not a therapist, just someone that has both GAD and OCD. I can tell you that I don't really do compulsions in response to my GAD acting up. I usually engage in some kind of good or bad coping mechanism (which I suppose could be considered a repetitive behavior but that's different than a compulsion)compulsions, OR I will have a full blown panic attack followed by exhaustion. When I suffer from OCD, I seem to think that doing a compulsion will make the pain go away. For example, checking locks 3 times. Counting things. Touching my phone 3 times. Unlocking my phone and opening apps. That sort of thing. It's distressing if I don't follow through with it. It's like an itch. GAD is more like...I need to watch TV and play a phone game and distract myself from having a thought because I have a sense of dread. But actually turning on the TV or playing a phone game isn't a compulsions, it's just a habit to distract myself. Does that make sense?

Username: iheartcactiiheartcacti

Date posted: 2y ago

@iheartcacti Oops autocorrect keeps messing up my grammar sorry!

Username: Clint RossClint Ross

User type: Therapist

Date posted: 2y ago

@opossumfan It was dropped correct. So a person can be OCD about anything real or imagined, everyday problems or unusual events.

Username: BeingMEwithOCDBeingMEwithOCD

User type: OCD Conqueror

Date posted: 2y ago

I am totally in the same boat!

Username: LiviejLiviej

Date posted: 2y ago

Following!

Username: AnonymousAnonymous

Date posted: 2y ago

*diagnosed with GAD

Username: crazyfeelings

Date posted: 5y ago

So I saw something online called excessive worrying anxiety. It’s almost the same as ocd. The website said people with generalized anxiety disorder feel extremely worried or feel nervous about things even when there is little or no reason to worry about them. People with GAD find it difficult to control their anxiety and stay focused on daily tasks. So basically it’s the same thing as ocd but you don’t do compulsions. I’m not sure what I have because I can’t really pinpoint my compulsions. Maybe because my ocd is pure o? Idk but.... I know it’s some type of anxiety because if I actually was this way I wouldn’t worry like this. I was at volleyball and I saw the girl who triggered my hocd thoughts and I just can’t stand her now. I don’t even want to look at her. I used to be best friends with her? Ugh now I hate her. I didn’t want her to make the volleyball team how mean. Now that I think of it though this might be a compulsion. Avoiding looking at her, talking to her, doing anything with her.... wait so do I have ocd? Don’t answer that? That’s reassurance. Welp I guess I figured it out myself??

Username: BlueGemini

Date posted: 3y ago

When and how did you first discover you may have OCD? I'm beginning to think OCD is one of the most understudied, misunderstood mental health issues ever. I was diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder about 6 years ago after I started suffering from panic attacks, but only just recently discovered my condition could be much more specific than that. I've been suffering from intrusive thoughts and complusions since I was a teenager with a variety of themes. And honestly this app and amazing community has opened my eyes to it. I'm curious if anyone else has had an experience like mine where they were just thrown into the general diagnosis category of just having anxiety and/or depression and is only just now coming to terms with having OCD? What has been your experience with the therapists on this app? I'm using another popular, pricey app for talk therapy at the moment, but so far 4 therapists have ghosted me on it so my confidence is feeling pretty shot. Has talk therapy and working with a therapist on here been successful for you?

Username: Skwidbox

Date posted: 2y ago

Worried OCD might be on to something

I'm trying hard not to ask for reassurance here, but I'm in need of some advice. I know that I've been diagnosed with OCD, and I'm fairly confident that I've dealt with it consistently over my life. The theme has changed over time, and my current theme is being concerned that I may have narcissistic personality disorder. While I know that this obsession with NPD is a product of OCD, I also can't help but feel that I match so many of the symptom critera that it may be something worth looking into and working on. As you might expect though, this is kind of a huge conundrum, because searching for an actual diagnosis or talking to a psychotherapist might make my OCD about the topic even worse, or even if I get through ERP and then look for a diagnosis, it may cause me to relapse. I guess I'm just wondering what I should do about this. Should I just live with the doubt forever? If I do, would I be putting others at risk? What if there are actual things I need to work on, and by not seeking NPD specific treatment, I'll never get better? Should I work through ERP first and only then start thinking about this stuff? Or should I just not seek these answers out period? Again, trying not to ask for reassurance. I guess I'm wondering what y'all would do if you were in this situation.

Be a part of the largest OCD Community

Share your thoughts so the Community can respond

Differentiating OCD from something like GAD?

Related posts

Be a part of the largest OCD Community

Be a part of the largest OCD Community