How to Recognize the Signs of Childhood OCD (and Get Help)

You may have noticed that your child engages in repetitive behaviors or has excessive safety concerns and are wondering if this is more than just a personality trait. Because obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) can begin in childhood, it is important to know its signs.

Experts estimate that about 1 in 200 children suffer from OCD. OCD can appear at any age, but symptoms usually begin to occur between the ages of eight and 12, or between late adolescence and young adulthood.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “Children may experience obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) when unwanted thoughts and the actions they feel they should do because of those thoughts occur frequently and occupy their minds.” a lot of time. time (more than an hour a day), interfere with their activities or become very frustrating. The thoughts are called obsessions. These behaviors are called compulsions.”

Symptoms of OCD in childhood

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Child Mind Institute say there are common ways OCD manifests itself in children .

Common obsessions

• Unwanted thoughts, impulses, or images that occur repeatedly, causing anxiety or stress.

• Fear of contamination from germs, waste, vomit, chemicals, etc.

• The need to make things even or symmetrical

• Extreme concern about safety, such as possible accidents, fires, or injuries.

• I’m afraid they might do something cruel or terrible.

Common compulsive behaviors

• Frequent hand washing (in addition to normal hygiene to prevent the spread of germs)

• Locking doors or checking switches a certain number of times.

• Aligning objects or touching body parts symmetrically, such as scratching both ears or clenching both fists.

• Counting a certain number of times or mentally repeating something

• Repeating actions according to certain rules, thinking that if they do them “right” the obsession will go away or they will be safe.

• Repeated requests for reassurance that nothing bad will happen.

Clinical psychologist Dr Jenny Yip began struggling with her obsessive-compulsive disorder as a child. She now helps others living with OCD and anxiety.

“OCD can occur at any age. Most often it appears between the ages of 8 and 12 years. However, in my practice there have been children much, much younger, 3 or 4 years old, with full-blown OCD,” Yip said. “Tantrums are more likely to appear in younger children, while as children get older, signs of OCD may include argumentative or oppositional behavior and aggression.”

“Look for any type of repetitive behavior or compulsion. Asking the same questions a million different ways to get reassurance that everything will be okay or safe. This could be because your child is afraid of harm, terrible consequences from strangers, or anything that is unfamiliar to them,” Yip said. “If they have certain rules that seem completely unnecessary or excessive, they require things to happen a certain way or to certain people. And also hysterics. If you see a lot of tantrums, it’s not because you’re not buying them candy, but because certain idiosyncratic rules aren’t being followed.”

What is normal and what is a cause for concern?

Most children go through phases of mild idiosyncrasy as they develop. Temporary quirks, behaviors or concerns may not be cause for concern.

“If things drag on and get worse, it’s time to seek professional help. Any time a behavior is debilitating or interferes with functioning, whether social, academic, athletic or family, it is time to seek professional attention,” Yip said.

Impact and problems of childhood OCD

OCD can affect a child’s social interactions and school performance. “Your child’s attention is consumed by obsessive thoughts, leaving you unable to concentrate on any task at hand,” Yip said.

According to Ip, OCD can be centered around certain people, places or situations, causing the child to avoid the trigger. “For example, if OCD symptoms involve peers, your child will want to avoid school, teachers and peers. If it’s fear of infection, then that could be it. If he’s checking and your child is constantly checking his shoelaces, buttons, pencils, or schoolwork, it will interfere with any task that requires that behavior.”

Children with OCD may also have tics (such as Tourette’s syndrome), anxiety, depression, or disruptive behavior. Raising a child with OCD comes with its own challenges.

“Our natural inclination is to nurture and comfort our children. However, when it comes to OCD, there is a fine line between supporting your child and not supporting OCD,” Yip said. “It’s the opposite of our natural inclination, and that’s the biggest struggle.”

How to get help

Childhood OCD can be treated with cognitive behavioral therapy and sometimes medication. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says it is important for both families and schools to engage in a therapeutic process to help children cope with stress and provide support without unintentionally exacerbating obsessions and compulsions.

“Make sure you find a therapist who has successful experience treating OCD using an evidence-based treatment method, which is exposure therapy. Also, when it comes to working with young children, make sure your therapist takes an approach that includes all family members involved in the treatment,” Yip said. “When it comes to children, OCD doesn’t just affect the child. OCD affects the entire family, and therefore the entire family must be involved in treatment.”

If you think your child is showing signs of OCD, find a therapist who can teach you both how to manage the symptoms. The CDC recommends the following resources:

• Search for a psychologist (practice organization service of the American Psychological Association).

• Finding a Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist (American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry).

• Find a cognitive behavioral therapist (the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapy search tool).

• FindTreatment.gov (a resource for finding treatment facilities).

“Your job as a parent is to prepare your child for the real world, and a lot of that means helping your child develop the tolerance and resilience to face difficult challenges, like overcoming obsessive-compulsive disorder,” Yip said. “As a parent, it is very difficult to see your child suffer, but if you soothe your child, you are not soothing your child, you are soothing their OCD, which will only make the OCD worse, not your child.”

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