Disorders That Share the Anxiety Cycle

Not everyone with OCD fits neatly into a single category, and many people experience conditions that overlap or exist alongside OCD. These are known as related conditions, and they often share similar features: distressing thoughts or sensations, compulsive or avoidant behaviors, and a cycle of fear followed by temporary relief that only reinforces the symptoms.

Even when the content looks different, the underlying process is often the same. That’s why these conditions respond well to the same evidence-based treatment strategies used to treat OCD. We draw from a range of approaches under the Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) umbrella, depending on your individual needs.

What I Treat

Here are the related conditions I commonly treat in my practice:

• Panic Disorder: Recurring, unexpected panic attacks—intense episodes of fear that include physical symptoms like racing heart, chest tightness, or dizziness—often followed by fear of having another attack. This leads to avoidance of situations that might trigger panic.

• Social Anxiety: An intense fear of embarrassment, judgment, or rejection in social or performance situations. People with social anxiety often avoid conversations, eye contact, or speaking in groups, and may engage in mental review or rehearsing to reduce perceived risk.

• Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD): Persistent, excessive worry about a range of everyday issues like health, finances, relationships, or work. These worries are difficult to control and may feel constant, even when there is no clear threat.

• Specific Phobias: A strong, irrational fear of a specific object or situation—such as flying, heights, needles, or animals—that leads to avoidance and disproportionate anxiety.

• Emetophobia: An intense fear of vomiting, seeing someone vomit, or feeling nauseated. This often results in extreme avoidance of certain foods, situations, or people, and heightened bodily monitoring.

• Binge Eating: Recurrent episodes of eating large quantities of food in a short period, often accompanied by a feeling of loss of control and followed by guilt or distress. Unlike bulimia, there are no compensatory purging behaviors.

• Misophonia: Extreme emotional or physiological reactions to specific sounds, such as chewing, breathing, or tapping. These responses can lead to anger, anxiety, or disgust, and often interfere with daily life or relationships.

• Skin Picking (Excoriation Disorder): Repetitive picking at the skin, often in response to anxiety, boredom, or a perceived imperfection. This can lead to tissue damage, scarring, and distress.

• Hair Pulling (Trichotillomania): Compulsive pulling of one’s hair from the scalp, eyebrows, eyelashes, or other areas, often resulting in noticeable hair loss and feelings of shame or temporary relief.
  

Treatment Approach

Although each of these conditions presents in its own way, they are rooted in patterns that can be interrupted with the same evidence-based treatment approach used for OCD. These approaches fall under the umbrella of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and include several well-supported modalities that can be tailored to your specific needs.

We’ll work together to understand your symptoms, reduce avoidance and compulsive patterns, and build the flexibility and confidence needed to move forward.

Ready for a Different Way Forward?

You do not have to navigate this alone. I offer free consultations to help determine whether this approach is the right fit for you.