Anxiety and OCD: What It Is, Symptoms, and Treatment Options
Living with anxiety or obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) can feel overwhelming. Persistent worry, racing thoughts, or repetitive behaviors can interfere with work, relationships, and overall quality of life. Many people try to push through silently, but untreated anxiety and OCD can become increasingly disruptive.
At Journey to Wellness in Bismarck, North Dakota, we provide compassionate, evidence-based care led by Jacqueline Materi, APRN, CRNA, PMHNP-BC. Our integrative approach combines modern psychiatric treatment with advanced options like Exomind and ketamine therapy to help you find relief and restore balance.
If you are ready to take the first step toward better mental health, we invite you to schedule a consultation today.
Understanding Anxiety
What Is Anxiety?
Anxiety is more than occasional worry. It is an ongoing state of tension or nervousness that can interfere with daily living and even cause physical symptoms. Anxiety disorders affect millions of people and come in many forms, such as generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), panic disorder, and social anxiety. Common symptoms of anxiety include:
Constant worry or rumination
Difficulty concentrating
Restlessness or feeling “on edge”
Panic attacks
Muscle tension, headaches, high blood pressure, and digestive discomfort
Sleep problems or insomnia
Racing heartbeat, heart palpitations, or shortness of breath during panic episodes
When left untreated, anxiety can make even simple tasks feel exhausting and limit a person’s ability to enjoy life.
Types of Anxiety Disorders
Anxiety shows up in different ways for different people. Some of the most common anxiety disorders include:
Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD): Ongoing worry about many areas of life, often without a clear reason.
Panic Disorder: Sudden, intense episodes of fear or panic attacks, often with physical symptoms like chest pain or shortness of breath.
Social Anxiety Disorder: Strong fear of being judged or embarrassed in social settings.
Specific Phobias: Extreme fear of certain objects or situations, such as heights, flying, or spiders.
Separation Anxiety Disorder: Intense worry about being apart from loved ones, more common in children but also seen in adults.
Each type has unique features, but all can be treated with the right support and care.
What Is OCD?
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a mental health condition in which unwanted thoughts (obsessions) lead to repetitive behaviors (compulsions). These rituals may temporarily relieve anxiety, but they often become time-consuming and distressing. Some common themes of OCD include:
Contamination and Cleaning: Fear of germs, illness, or dirt leading to repetitive washing or cleaning.
Checking: Repeatedly verifying that doors are locked, appliances are off, or tasks are completed.
Symmetry and Ordering: Feeling driven to arrange objects until they look “just right.”
Intrusive Thoughts: Distressing, unwanted mental images or fears (often violent, sexual, or religious in nature).
Hoarding: Difficulty discarding items, which leads to clutter and distress (though hoarding disorder is now its own diagnosis, it often overlaps with OCD).
What Causes Anxiety and OCD?
While anxiety and OCD are distinct conditions, they are closely connected. Both involve disruptions in how the brain processes fear, safety, and control. It is not uncommon for people to experience overlapping symptoms.
Both conditions arise from a mix of biological, psychological, and environmental influences. Some of the most common factors include:
Brain chemistry: Imbalances in neurotransmitters such as serotonin, dopamine, norepinephrine, and glutamate can affect mood regulation and repetitive thought patterns.
Genetics: Family history plays a strong role in vulnerability to both anxiety and OCD.
Stress and trauma: Difficult life events, ongoing stress, or post-traumatic stress disorder often trigger or worsen symptoms.
Personality traits: Perfectionism, high sensitivity, or a tendency toward worry can make people more prone to these conditions.
Medical or lifestyle influences: Sleep deprivation, substance use, hormonal changes, or chronic illness may contribute.
Understanding these root causes helps guide effective, individualized treatment.
How Exomind Addresses Anxiety and OCD
At Journey to Wellness, we offer Exomind, an advanced form of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). Exomind uses noninvasive magnetic pulses to stimulate areas of the brain involved in mood, focus, and regulation of intrusive thoughts.
This technology is FDA-cleared for major depressive disorder and has been shown in clinical studies to benefit anxiety, OCD, and related conditions. In other countries, it has received approvals for additional uses, including anxiety and binge eating disorder.
Unlike medications, which affect the entire body, Exomind directly targets the brain circuits involved in anxiety and compulsive behavior. Sessions are completed in our office while you sit comfortably in a chair, fully awake and alert. There is no anesthesia, no downtime, and minimal side effects.
Benefits of Exomind
Reduces excessive worry and repetitive thoughts
Improves emotional balance and resilience
Eases compulsive behaviors over time
Enhances focus and cognitive clarity
Noninvasive, drug-free, and well-tolerated
Allows patients to continue daily activities immediately after sessions
Many patients report improvements in both function and emotional well-being, finding it easier to participate fully in work, relationships, and hobbies again.
Why Choose Journey to Wellness?
At Journey to Wellness, we believe healing happens best when treatment addresses the whole person. Led by Jacqueline Materi, APRN, CRNA, PMHNP-BC, our team brings advanced training in psychiatric care together with a compassionate, individualized approach.
We understand that anxiety and OCD can feel isolating, and we are here to provide both expertise and support. Patients across Bismarck and the surrounding North Dakota communities trust us for:
Integrative treatment plans combining therapy, medications, and innovative options like Exomind
Patient-centered care that listens to your goals and respects your preferences
Comfortable, welcoming environment designed to put you at ease
Commitment to innovation with advanced tools to improve outcomes
Our mission is to help you move from surviving to thriving.
Other Treatment Options to Explore
While Exomind is an excellent option for many patients, it can be safely combined with other interventions for the most effective results:
Psychotherapy: Approaches like talk therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), and exposure therapy are highly effective for both anxiety and OCD.
Medication management: Beta blockers, antidepressants such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), benzodiazepines, and other psychiatric medications may help balance brain chemistry and reduce physical symptoms of anxiety.
Lifestyle support: Sleep hygiene, stress reduction and relaxation techniques, exercise, and nutrition all play a role in mental health.
Mind-body therapies: Practices like mindfulness, yoga, or meditation can reduce stress and improve coping.
By layering these supports, patients often see stronger, longer-lasting results.
Take the Next Step
Anxiety and OCD do not have to control your life. With the right treatment and help from a qualified mental health professional, it is possible to regain balance, reduce intrusive thoughts, and feel more confident in daily life.
At Journey to Wellness, we are here to walk with you on this path. Whether you are exploring treatment for the first time or seeking support after other options have not worked, we can help.
Contact us in Bismarck, North Dakota to schedule your consultation today. Relief and recovery are possible, and you deserve to feel better.
