Anxiety, OCD & Me: The Energetic Shifts

Anxiety, OCD & Me: The Energetic Shifts

When we talk about anxiety and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), the conversation usually centres around the cognitive, emotional, and behavioural aspects of these conditions. We discuss the intrusive and irrational thoughts, the overwhelming worry or dread, the emotional turbulence - fear, anger, frustration, loneliness, despair - and the behaviours that attempt to soothe or control it all, such as compulsions or isolating ourselves.

But what we rarely discuss is the energetic side of anxiety and OCD - the subtle shifts and imbalances in our energy system that influence how we feel, think and behave.

For me personally, learning to understand and work with the energy dynamics behind my anxiety and OCD was a profound turning point. Once I began to recognise the patterns of energy that were driving my mind and body, I started to see real change unfolding. It was as if I’d finally found the missing piece of the puzzle.

Before I go any further, I want to make something very clear: I am pro the medical model and allopathic approaches. Medication and other evidence-based treatment approaches are often vital and can be life-changing. But when we focus solely on the physiological and cognitive aspects of mental health - as we might with physical ailments - we risk missing a deeper dimension of our healing potential: the energetic body.

UNDERSTANDING THE ENERGETIC COMPONENT

As therapists, we often talk about overwhelm - that point at which our emotions, thoughts or bodily sensations feel too much to manage. For many people living with anxiety or OCD, this sense of overwhelm is familiar territory.

The mind and body can become exhausted when the hypervigilant, over-analytical state becomes the normal state of being. It’s as though the system forgets how to rest - it feels unsafe to actually be safe. Imagine how that feels.

Many people with anxiety or OCD struggle to trust their mind and body when they are in a state of calm, so they unconsciously remain in alert mode. Trying to think your way out of anxiety only adds to the overload, because the mind is already overworking to keep control. 

For highly empathic or intuitive people, this can be even more intense. We may pick up on the emotions and energies of others, or simply feel everything more deeply, without the energetic grounding needed to process it all. Over time, the energetic body can become chaotic, searching for ways to lower the internal intensity. This is where many of us seek lower vibrational energies - sometimes in healthy ways, sometimes not. Quiet retreats, solitude, connection or time in nature are positive examples of grounding energy that can soothe the system and help rebalance the chakras. But sometimes, the instinct to self-soothe can lead to more destructive forms of behaviour - like alcohol or overeating - to try and dull the sensation of overwhelm without truly resolving it.

CHAKRAS AND ANXIETY: A SUBTLE ENERGY PERSPECTIVE

In energy-based traditions, the chakras are seen as spinning wheels or vortices of energy that correspond to different aspects of our physical, emotional, cognitive and spiritual well-being. The lower chakras - the Root, Sacral and Solar Plexus - mature first and provide the foundation for feeling safe and secure in the world:

• The Root Chakra (base of the spine) governs safety, stability and belonging.
• The Sacral Chakra (lower abdomen) governs creativity, pleasure and emotional flow.
• The Solar Plexus Chakra (upper abdomen) governs confidence, self-esteem and personal power.

During childhood, when these lower chakras are nurtured and balanced, they help us feel grounded, safe and capable of expressing ourselves authentically.

However, if our energy becomes directed too quickly into the higher chakras - particularly the Throat Chakra, pivotal for communication and self-expression, and the Third Eye Chakra, associated with intuition, insight and imagination - we can begin to live 'from the neck up.' This overactivation can flood the mind with information, perception and sensitivity before the lower chakras are ready to anchor that energy. When this happens, it’s as though the body can’t keep up with the mind. The result? We may feel ungrounded, anxious, hyper-aware and stuck in cycles of rumination or intrusive thought.

The energetic imbalance mirrors what many people with anxiety and OCD experience: a racing mind paired with a body that feels unsafe, tense or disconnected. An energetic overwhelm has occurred as the chakras haven’t fully matured, stabilised or developed proper flow, so the energy has become blocked, stagnant or erratic - leading to disconnection between the higher and lower centres, mental overactivity and emotional instability.

WHY GROUNDING IS ESSENTIAL

A BROADER VIEW OF HEALING

From this perspective, anxiety and OCD can be seen not only for their behavioural, mental or emotional patterns but also for their energetic patterns - signals that our energy is rising too high, too fast, without enough grounding support. It’s plausible that many who struggle with anxiety or OCD are unconsciously trying to reclaim their energetic space when they seek solitude or quiet. I’m introverted by nature, and this is actually a protective measure for me. I used to think of my instinct to withdraw as a flaw, a weakness. But it absolutely isn’t. It’s my energetic body’s way of saying, “I need to come back to myself now.” And that’s important for my healing. When I nurture the base of my energy system, the higher chakras can open in a more stable and integrated way - reducing the sense of overwhelm and supporting my emotional resilience.

The energetic perspective doesn’t replace the psychological or medical understanding of anxiety and OCD - but it could complement it. It invites us to see ourselves as whole beings, where mind, body and energy are all interconnected. For me, understanding the energy dynamics behind my anxiety and OCD has brought clarity, compassion and a new sense of control. By working with energy as well as thought, I’ve found not just symptom management, but genuine transformation.

A FINAL THOUGHT

If any of this resonates with you and you’d like to explore the energetic side of anxiety further - with someone who has personally lived it as well as worked with it professionally - please feel free to get in touch. Sometimes having a safe, grounded space to explore these deeper layers of your experience can be the first step toward a more balanced, peaceful way of being.