If i have a lot of the symptoms of ocd and i already take medicine for anxiety does that mean i could have ocd and the medicine is just helping?

Yes: Although OCD is considered an anxiety disorder, it's typically treated differently than regular anxiety. Usual medicines for anxiety are tranquilizers (valium, ativan, etc) or buspar (buspirone). Usual medicines for OCD are ssris (prozac, zoloft, etc). "anxiety" meds may dull the feelings associated with OCD without decreasing obsessive thinking or compulsive actions. Ask your doc whether you have ocd.

Psychotherapy: The best treatment for OCD is insight-oriented psychotherapy, although medication can help. Given your concern and the mixture of symptoms a consultation with a psychiatrist or psychologist would be a good idea to find a treatment plan that will look at all the issues.

Professional Opinion: It can take years for someone diagnosed w/ ocd 2get appropriate treatment. So 1st get properly assessed. Then a) educate urself about what ocd is/isn't: & b) what form(s) ocd takes. (try http://bit.Ly/y0lvsh .) cognitive-behavioral therapy (cbt) that specifically includes exposure & response prevention (erp) has proven very effective as have certain medications. For some, erp/cbt + meds indicated.