You experience anxiety because you’re human. It shows up to try to protect you—when a deadline is approaching, rent is due, or there’s an upcoming test you’re preparing for. In these moments, anxiety isn’t a flaw or a failure; it’s your nervous system doing its job by helping you stay alert and respond to what matters.

If you have lived experience with OCD, you may have noticed how often it’s misunderstood or portrayed in ways that don’t fully reflect your experience. You might even wonder why your symptoms look different from what you’ve seen or heard about, and this can quickly spiral into doubting whether you even have OCD at all.