Everyone worries sometimes; it’s a natural part of being a human. But what happens when your thoughts don’t just come and go? When they loop over and over, causing distress and disrupting your day? If this sounds familiar, you may be wondering if what you’re experiencing is more than general anxiety. It could be a sign of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), a mental health condition that is often misunderstood. 

Understanding the difference between anxiety and OCD can help you feel more in control and supported. 

6 signs your intrusive thoughts may be more than just worry

Here are some signs your intrusive thoughts may be moving beyond general anxiety and into OCD territory:

• Your thoughts feel intense, scary or wrong.

Everyone has random, odd thoughts now and then. If you’re dealing with OCD, these thoughts can feel incredibly upsetting. They may go completely against your values, like harming someone you love, making a moral mistake or being contaminated somehow. These thoughts don’t reflect who you are, but they can feel so real that they leave you feeling unsettled. The more you try to push them away, the louder they get. 

With anxiety, thoughts are often tied to real-life stressors like work, relationships or finances. OCD thoughts, on the other hand, tend to feel intrusive and irrational, even when you know they don’t make logical sense. 

• You feel the need to undo or neutralize your thoughts.

A major sign of OCD is feeling like you have to do something to make a thought go away or prevent something bad from happening. These are called compulsions. They can be physical, like washing your hands or checking the stove, or mental, like repeating a phrase in your head or reviewing a situation to make sure nothing went wrong. 

With anxiety, you may feel nervous or on edge, but you don’t usually feel like you have to do any rituals to calm the fear. In OCD, the urge to act can feel impossible to ignore, even when you know it’s not truly helping. 

• You spend a lot of time trying to figure out your thoughts. 

People with OCD often try to solve their intrusive thoughts by thinking through every detail, over and over. It may look like asking yourself:

• “What does it mean that I thought that?”
• “Am I a bad person for thinking this?”
• “Did I do something wrong and not realize it?”

This constant mental review is called rumination. While anxiety can also cause overthinking, OCD rumination tends to be more about figuring out your thoughts or trying to feel certain that something bad won’t happen. 

• You avoid things that may trigger the thoughts.

Avoidance is common in both anxiety and OCD, but it plays out a bit differently. If you have OCD, you may avoid places, people or even words that you think could trigger a certain type of thought. For example, someone with contamination OCD may avoid touching doorknobs, while someone with harm OCD may avoid holding knives around others, even if they have no intention of using them. 

This level of avoidance can shrink your world over time. You may find yourself rearranging your life just to keep the discomfort of those thoughts from returning. 

• You feel ashamed or scared to talk about it. 

Because OCD thoughts can be intense, taboo or completely opposite of what you believe in, people often feel too embarrassed to open up about them. You may think, “What if someone thinks I’m dangerous?” or “What if I’m actually losing control?” These fears are common, but they also keep people from getting the help they need and deserve. 

If you’re keeping your thoughts secret because of guilt or fear of judgment, that’s a red flag that what you’re experiencing could be OCD rather than general anxiety.

• Your thoughts and behaviors are getting in the way of your daily life. 

Anxiety can be draining, but it usually doesn’t completely take over your routine. OCD, however, often causes serious disruptions. You may struggle to get out the door in the morning because you’re stuck in a loop of checking or repeating things. You may avoid people or situations because of fear or guilt. No matter how hard you try, the thoughts keep coming back. 

If your day is regularly being hijacked by intrusive thoughts or compulsive behaviors, it may be time to consider that OCD is part of the picture. 

What can you do if you think you have OCD?

First of all, take a breath. Having OCD doesn’t mean you’re broken, dangerous or bad. It means your brain is stuck in a loop that it doesn’t know how to get out of. With the right support, however, there is a way forward. OCD can be very treatable, often with a combination of therapy and sometimes medication. The most important step is reaching out to a mental health professional who understands what you’re going through. 

Lightfully can help you break the cycle and find your way back to inner peace

At Lightfully, we understand how overwhelming OCD can feel, especially when your thoughts make you question everything about yourself. Our approach is compassionate, evidence-based and personalized to what you need for whole-person-centered care. We offer levels of care that meet you where you are, from outpatient support to Residential Treatment. 

You don’t have to keep navigating this alone. Whether you’re still figuring things out or ready to take the next step, we’re here to walk with you every step of the way.

Change is possible. When you’re ready to take the first step, contact us. We’ll take the next steps together, toward the fullest, brightest version of you.