Teenage OCD Symptoms

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is an anxiety disorder in which the sufferer focuses obsessively upon a thought and subsequently develops compulsive behaviors in response to unwanted impulses and mental images. According to Patrick B. McGrath, author of the "OCD Answer Book," males tend to develop OCD before the age of fifteen, while females develop the disorder in their late teens or as young adults.

Obsessive Thoughts

• One of the earliest signs of OCD in teens may be the development of thoughts that worry the child unduly. Frequently, these thoughts will center on an actual cause and effect, such as exposure to germs and the development of the flu, but a teen with OCD may become obsessed with avoiding all germs to such an extent that he alters his lifestyle and activities so he won't be exposed.

Compulsive Behaviors

• When situations create abnormal anxiety in the teen, he may develop patterns of compulsive behavior in response. For instance, if he shakes hands with another person, he may go home and wash his hands five times with antibacterial soap. If he is able to wash his hands only four times, he may feel as though he couldn't complete the necessary cleansing and suffer anxiety over contracting a disease.

Ritualism

• In addition to obsessive fears of everyday occurrences, a teen with OCD may develop a series of rituals, without which he feels vulnerable. He may lay out his clothes in a special order before going to bed and insist upon completing a strange ritual, such as brushing his teeth and walking backwards out of the bathroom without touching the walls. Ritualism may appear in the order in which he eats his food or the path he takes home from school. Breaking a ritual can result in distress and anxiety.

Symmetry and Balance

• Teens with OCD may be uncomfortable if something appears out of balance in their bedrooms, their cars or other places where they spend a lot of time. They may hang similar pictures on either side of a mirror or do something with their left hand if they did something with their right hand. Dr. McGrath explains that the teen may feel his life will be out of balance if he fails to balance his environment or his actions.

Perfectionism

• While completing tasks to the best of one's ability is a virtue most of the time, in a teen with OCD it may engulf his life, making it difficult for him to turn in assignments and eventually result in a refusal to attend class for fear he will not be successful.

Additional

• Some teens with OCD may exhibit additional symptoms, including aggressive behavior, and they may develop possessiveness in intimate relationships, fearing a girlfriend will leave them and threatening or abusing her. Not all teens with OCD develop all the symptoms and an examination by a doctor is essential to rule out other mental or physical disorders.