The Real Root of OCD & Anxiety—And How to Break Free
May 07, 2025
The Real Root of OCD & Anxiety: Revealing the True Cause and the Path to Recovery
If you’ve ever struggled with OCD or anxiety, you might wonder: what’s really at the root of these issues? Most people assume the answer is simply “anxiety”—after all, without anxiety, there wouldn’t be anxiety disorders, right? But the real cause runs much deeper beneath the surface.
Welcome to the Restored Minds blog, where we delve into the deeper understanding of mental health struggles like OCD and anxiety, based on the insights shared by Matt Cottey, Licensed Clinical Social Worker and founder of Restored Minds.
What is the True Root of OCD and Anxiety?
While fear and anxiety are natural human emotions that everyone experiences, not everyone develops anxiety disorders or gets stuck in the OCD loop. So, what separates normal anxiety from disordered anxiety?
According to Matt Cottey, the real root of OCD and anxiety is not just the feeling of anxiety itself, but our beliefs, perceptions, and—most importantly—our resistance to these feelings and thoughts.
The Cycle: Beliefs, Perceptions, and Resistance
Many of us, especially those dealing with anxiety, fall into a loop. Here’s how it works:
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You feel anxious or have an intrusive thought.
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You resist that thought or feeling because, on some level, you believe it’s bad, dangerous, or unacceptable.
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This resistance builds tension and stress—it’s NOT the thought or feeling itself that creates the problem, but your resistance to it.
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The tension triggers a compulsion or safety behavior to relieve the pressure, forming the foundation of the OCD/anxiety loop.
Most of this plays out subconsciously, rooted in deep beliefs and assumptions about ourselves and the world. These are often unchallenged, making them “our reality”—even if they aren’t actually true.
Chemical Imbalance vs. The Power of Belief
There are many theories about the cause of anxiety and OCD: some focus on chemical imbalances in the brain, others on cognition, emotion, or even energy. But as Matt points out, the chemical imbalance theory raises a “chicken-and-egg” question: did the chemistry cause the problem, or did the experiences and beliefs change the chemistry?
What stands out in recovery is the role beliefs play—not just conscious beliefs, but the ingrained, subconscious patterns you’ve never questioned. These drive your perceptions and the resistance that keeps you stuck.
How Do You Break Free from the Anxiety Loop?
The transformation begins by:
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Learning to become non-resistant to thoughts and feelings.
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Changing how you relate to uncomfortable emotions, rather than simply trying to get rid of them.
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Directly addressing your underlying beliefs and identity structures.
The most effective methods, like Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), Acceptance Commitment Therapy (ACT), and Mindfulness-Based CBT, all focus on not engaging in behaviors that reinforce the anxiety cycle. But for long-term success, the real key is to reprogram the beliefs and identities that drive resistance in the first place.
Change Your Relationship with Anxiety
When you face your uncomfortable thoughts and feelings without resistance, and rewire your beliefs, you ultimately:
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Alleviate the stress and tension that fuel your symptoms
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Help your body return to a balanced, relaxed (parasympathetic) state
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Achieve deeper, lasting change—beyond just surface-level symptom management
As described in Dr. Bruce Lipton’s The Biology of Belief, and echoed by Matt, belief lies at the very foundation of change, even influencing biology and healing.
The Path Forward
In summary, the real root of OCD and anxiety lies in your beliefs, perceptions, and habitual resistance to thoughts and feelings—not the anxiety itself. By addressing these core issues and changing your relationship with your mind, you can create real, lasting transformation.
If you’re ready to start this journey, check out the free resources and new assessment available at www.restoredminds.com. Remember to subscribe for more insights, and take the first step in breaking the anxiety loop today.
Find more mental health resources and recovery tools at Restored Minds—where healing goes deeper than the surface.
