What’s the difference between OCD and general anxiety?
You’re brushing your teeth, trying to get out the door, and suddenly your brain drops in with a thought like:
What if I left the stove on and the whole house burns down?
Or maybe it’s not that dramatic. Maybe it’s just this constant hum in the background, like your brain is always holding a clipboard, double-checking everything you do:
Did I say the wrong thing in that conversation? Am I making the right choices? Should I feel more certain by now?
If you’ve been living with this kind of mental noise, you might be wondering:
Is this just anxiety, or is it OCD?
This is a question that I hear from most of my anxiety clients — and it’s an important one. Anxiety and OCD can look similar on the surface, but they operate differently underneath. And understanding how they work can be the first step in getting unstuck.
Let’s break it down.
First, What Is General Anxiety?
Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is what we tend to think of as everyday anxiety that’s turned up to an unmanageable level. It’s often future-oriented: What if something bad happens? What if I make the wrong choice? What if I can’t handle it?
The worry can feel constant, and it's usually about real-life stuff: health, work, relationships, money, decisions. You might feel like you can’t shut your brain off. Even when things are technically fine, there’s still this low hum of unease—like you're waiting for the other shoe to drop.
People with GAD often describe it like having a brain that just won't let go of worst-case scenarios. The thoughts can shift from topic to topic, but the sense of “what if?” stays.
And so then what is ocd?
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder works differently.
With OCD, the brain latches onto a specific intrusive thought (or image, or fear), and it feels deeply disturbing. These aren’t your run-of-the-mill worries—these are thoughts that feel unwanted, scary, even shameful.
And then comes the compulsion: a mental or physical action you feel like you have to do to make the distress go away. That might look like:
Checking something over and over
Repeating phrases in your head
Mentally reviewing a situation to make sure you didn’t do something wrong
Avoiding situations that could “trigger” the fear
Reassurance-seeking (“Are you sure I didn’t offend them?”)
The relief from the compulsion is always short-lived. Then the fear pops back up—and the cycle starts again.
Key Differences to Look For
1. Is it a vague worry, or a “stuck” thought?
General anxiety tends to shift. OCD gets stuck on one theme (like contamination, harm, relationships, identity, etc.) and keeps coming back to it.
2. Are you trying to figure it out over and over?
That mental reviewing—trying to make 100% sure nothing bad will happen or that you’re a good person—is a big red flag for OCD.
3. Is there a specific “what if” that feels especially threatening, even irrational?
OCD fears often don’t make sense to outsiders—and even the person having them knows they’re unlikely, but they still feel terrifying.
4. Are you doing something to neutralize the thought or make the feeling go away?
With OCD, there’s usually a compulsion involved, even if it’s invisible (like mentally replaying conversations or avoiding triggers).
Why It Matters
Knowing whether it’s OCD or general anxiety changes how we treat it.
If it’s GAD, we often work on calming the nervous system, shifting thinking patterns, and building tolerance for uncertainty.
If it’s OCD, the goal is different: we don’t try to make the fear go away or prove it wrong. Instead, we teach the brain that it can tolerate the discomfort without needing to perform compulsions. This is where Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) comes in—a gold-standard treatment for OCD.
Final Thoughts
Sometimes, anxiety and OCD overlap—and that’s okay. You don’t have to diagnose yourself perfectly before reaching out for help.
What matters most is that you’re noticing something feels off, and you want to understand it better. That’s brave. Whether it’s anxiety, OCD, or a mix of both, therapy can help you make sense of your experience and give you the tools to find some peace again.
If this post resonates, and you’re curious whether what you’re experiencing might be OCD or anxiety—or both—I’d be honored to talk with you about it. You don’t have to untangle it alone.
