Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a type of anxiety disorder that occurs when children are unable to get their mind off of intrusive thoughts. These excessive and intrusive worries cause them to spend extreme amounts of time thinking about certain fears (obsessions), or doing unusual things to relieve their worries (compulsions). When something has gone from being a normal part of a child’s life to something that overwhelms their thoughts, or when you see your child behaving as if they are forced to do something repeatedly, please see us.
Common obsessions can include:
- Germs or dirt
- Illness or injury (personal or of a loved one)
- Need for perfection, organizing a certain way
- Making mistakes
- Thinking or acting on a bad thought
- Unlucky words or numbers
- Needing to have things “just so”
- Counting things
Common compulsions can include:
- Excessive hand washing
- Counting over and over
- Checking something over and over
- Arranging things in a particular way
- Re-reading, erasing, rewriting
- Touching (e.g. touching every single crack in the sidewalk)
- Doing things a certain number of times
- Becoming extremely upset when ritualistic behavior is interrupted