Help Dealing With Children With OCD

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is an anxiety disorder characterized by compulsive, persistent thoughts or behaviors that create serious disruptions in daily routines and activities. The condition typically manifests in adolescence or early adulthood, and affects roughly 1 in every 200 children, according to the American Academy of Child Adolescent Psychiatry. Dealing with a child with OCD requires a multifaceted approach that combines family support, education, therapy and appropriate use of medications.

Education and Support

• If your child suffers from signs of OCD, it is important to remember that these symptoms will commonly make his everyday life quite complicated and stressful. According to the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, many children with the disorder worry that they are mentally ill, and feel significant embarrassment or shame regarding their condition. You can help ease this stress by educating yourself thoroughly about OCD and communicating with your child in a way that shows support and understanding.

  However, it is almost certain that your everyday fulfillment of parental duties will conflict with your child's desire to perform rituals of OCD-related thought or action. Times of common difficulty include mornings, when you are likely to hurry your child to prepare for the day ahead, and evenings, when your child's ritualistic behaviors may conflict with assigned schoolwork and bedtimes. These situations, and others throughout the day, may generate considerable anger and tension on both parts. Do what you can do defuse these conflicts while still respecting your child's circumstances and challenges.

Therapy

• Appropriate therapy is extremely important to helping your child. According to the Mayo Clinic, the most effective method for reaching OCD sufferers is called cognitive behavior therapy. In this approach, a psychiatrist, psychologist or counselor (known collectively as therapists) will help your child gradually retrain OCD-related thoughts and behaviors and render them unnecessary.

  Typically, your child will attend therapy sessions once a week. After spending some time becoming acquainted with your child, the therapist will begin introducing situations or topics that trigger your child's OCD reactions. Rather than allowing your child to freely express these reactions, the therapist will explain and demonstrate other methods of coping with OCD-related anxiety. Eventually, the therapist will ask your child to begin practicing these new coping techniques outside of regular sessions. Gradually, the number of therapy sessions will be reduced as your child strengthens his coping abilities.

Medications

• Therapy is frequently combined with medications designed to help control your child's OCD symptoms. Common indications for use of medications include substantial OCD-related stress or psychological impairment, partial effectiveness of therapy or lack of adequate therapy resources. Your child's doctor will tailor the type and dosage of medication to his particular situation, and will typically use the least amount necessary to adequately control symptoms. Common options include a class of antidepressants called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), which act by altering your child's brain chemistry. Be aware that the effects of a prescribed treatment might not be obvious for a number of weeks. In addition, it is common to experiment with several drugs before finding the one that is most effective.