By Eirian Hallinan
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder is an anxiety disorder and is
characterised by repetitive and unwanted thoughts. These obsessions create
actions made by the sufferer as they try to eradicate the anxious thoughts which
are compulsions. OCD cases vary from mild to severe and manifest in different
ways. With children suffering from OCD their obsessive thoughts can cause high
levels of distress and anxiety often dominating their time and ability to focus
and hold their attention on things. Research carried out estimates that 1.9% to
3% of children have OCD so out of 1000 children in a school 19 to 30 of them
will probably have this disorder. OCD does not discriminate between ethnicities
or social groups.
If you are concerned about your child there are symptoms to
look out for although only a medical professional can make a qualified
diagnosis of OCD. There are a plethora of ‘themes’ in OCD cases but common
indicators that may encourage you to seek medical advice could be some or all
of the following:
- Wanting their toys and nick-nacks perfectly aligned and their bedrooms kept tidy in a particular way
- Excessively worrying about their handwriting being neat enough
- Prolonged and repetitive washing of hands
- Repetitively having showers and baths
- Excessive worrying about becoming ill or catching a disease
- Worrying about something bad happening to loved ones
- Taking extreme and repetitive measures to protect the home by constantly checking locks, taps and plugs
- When they are carrying out certain tasks they feel they have to count and sometimes this in multiples of a particular number
- Holding onto and refusing to throw away old items that are useless and not needed
If you do think that your young child is suffering from OCD
the first thing you should do is get advice from your doctor. If your child is
older or a teenager you may find that your child would like to talk to their
doctor alone. It is important that you encourage them to do this.
Awareness of OCD is increasing but unfortunately not all
doctors are sufficiently knowledgeable at the moment. You can get help online.
In the UK
there is something called a GP ‘Ice Breaker’ which patients can print off and
take to their GP. It explains what OCD is and that your child may need to be
diagnosed and offered CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy).
Research has proven that OCD if identified and treated early
has a much better chance of recovery so early intervention is essential.
Eirian Hallinan has written numerous articles in the parenting field. She believes in
healing naturally, first, especially when it comes to infant reflux.
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