# Women Misdiagnosed With Anxiety For Decades

> Women often misdiagnosed with anxiety for decades before correct TOC diagnosis.
- Title: Women Misdiagnosed With Anxiety For Decades · Psychologies
- Summary: Women often misdiagnosed with anxiety for decades before correct TOC diagnosis. Women frequently experience anxiety symptoms for years before being correctly…
- Keywords: ocd, anxiety, women, misdiagnosis, nims, toe, psychology, mental health, Misdiagnosed, Decades, Psychologies
- Source: Psychologies — https://psychologies.com/bien-etre/sante/De-nombreuses-femmes-pensent-souffrir-danxiete-pendant-des-annees-avant-de-decouvrir-quil-sagit-en-realite-dautre-chose-643057
- Author: Nina Parage
- Published: 2026-10-11T12:04:30+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: ocd, anxiety, women, misdiagnosis, nims, toe, psychology, mental health
## Women Misdiagnosed With Anxiety
Women often misdiagnosed with anxiety for decades before correct TOC diagnosis.
## Emily Stetzer's Story
Emily Stetzer, 31, thought she had generalized anxiety since childhood but was diagnosed with OCD after 12 years.
## OCD Prevalence Among Women
1.8% of women in the US have OCD, compared to 0.5% of men, according to NIMH data.
## Misdiagnosis Delay
Patients experience 12.8 years between first symptoms and diagnosis, with 1.45 years before treatment begins.
## Why Misdiagnosis Happens
Healthcare providers often misdiagnose OCD due to its taboo nature and less typical presentations.
## Key takeaway

Women frequently experience anxiety symptoms for years before being correctly diagnosed with OCD, a condition that affects 1.8% of women but is often misdiagnosed as anxiety.