Differences Between Panic Disorder and OCD

It's not uncommon for a person to be diagnosed with both panic disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), which are each marked by excessive worry and fear. However, OCD is a distinct disorder with its own set of symptoms and treatment.

What Is OCD?

As the name implies, OCD is characterized by obsessions in thinking and compulsions in behavior. The DSM-5 describes obsessions as recurrent and persistent thoughts, urges, or images that are unsettling, intrusive, and unwanted. Someone with OCD will try to disregard them altogether or counteract them with different thoughts or behaviors.

Compulsions are identified as repetitive behaviors or mental acts that someone feels obligated to do in order to reduce anxiety or prevent a feared incident or circumstance from occurring. These physical or mental actions are either excessive or not logically connected to what they are meant to avoid.

A person with OCD will often remain preoccupied with these obsessions and compulsions, spending a large amount of time thinking about the obsessions and acting out the compulsions to the point that their social- and work-related activities are negatively affected.

Disorders That Co-Exist With OCD

It's very common for people with OCD to also be diagnosed with another disorder (known as "comorbid" disorders).

Panic disorder is classified as an anxiety disorder in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), the manual mental health professionals use to guide them as they make a diagnosis. Panic disorder principally causes symptoms that include recurring panic attacks.

These attacks are often described as intense fear accompanied by a variety of cognitive and physical symptoms such as trembling, difficulty breathing, and sweating. Out of fear of experiencing another attack, many panic disorder sufferers will avoid certain situations and events. This fear and avoidance can lead to agoraphobia, a fear of places, or situations that the person feels that escape or help would be difficult if they developed a panic attack.

Treatment and How to Cope

There are effective treatment options and coping techniques for alleviating the symptoms of OCD and panic disorder, and they frequently overlap. For instance, both disorders are commonly treated with a class of antidepressants called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, which target a neurotransmitter called serotonin that helps decrease anxiety.

Likewise, cognitive behavioral therapy, a form of psychotherapy that helps change a person’s faulty or negative thinking and assists in shifting unhealthy behaviors, is a recognized treatment for OCD and panic disorder. A trained mental health professional can diagnose and provide appropriate treatment for both conditions.