OCD
Obsessive Complusive Disorder
Over the last 20 years it has been discovered that OCD can occur in children
and this disorder is treatable.
Child must have obsessions or compulsions or both that interferes significantly with noraml
activity.
Charateristics:
OCD is usually brought out by a crisis or by depression. It can involve embrassing
thoughts/complusions, making it a very private type of suffering. A child is not likely to admit
to a particular component of OCD that is embrassing. They will often ask to speak to a doctor (if they trust the doctor)
or they will admit to less embrassing episodes. The conclusion is that there are usually several different
obsessive/complusive components occuring. A child with OCD is typically teased by peers. Now
that doctors know more about OCD it is very treatable. Here is a brief description.
There are two components to OCD:
Obessions:
These are repetitive thoughts that occur throughout the day and are not realistic.
- These thoughts can be ideas, impulses, or images.
- These go beyond simple worry about "real" problems.
- The child will attempt to suppress, neutrilize, or ignore these thoughts.
- The child knows these thoughts are obsessive and are not hallucinations.
- There are usually related compulsions.
Some of the more common obsessions include:
- Numbers
- Counting
- Disease/ Illness
- Doubt
- Order/ Symmetry
- Religous (less common)
- "Did I do something wrong?"
Compulsions:
A repetitive behavior that the child feels "driven" to do in response to an
obsession. These are excessive and unrealistic acts that are done to
prevent a bad event/situation or to reduce stress.
Some common complusions are:
- Hoarding
- Repeating
- Perfection
- Doing/ Undoing
- Touching
- Checking
- Rituals (cleaning)
You can find good expamles here: OCD Pamphlet