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Decoding OCD
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder By Sue Marquette Poremba
Does your son follow a meticulous routine every morning on his walk to school and get irritated if there's any deviation? Is your daughter always running late because she must brush her hair with 100 strokes, and if she gets interrupted, must she restart from stroke one? Has one of your children developed anxiety attacks after a bout with the stomach bug, worried that she might start throwing up again at any moment?
These are all symptoms of obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). Approximately one out of every 200 school-aged kids has OCD, where the child obsesses over repetitive thoughts. The compulsive behavior helps to soothe the obsessions. Almost everybody has some kind of OCD-like habits, says Dr. Fred Penzel, a member of the Sciences Advisory Board of the Obsessive-Compulsive Foundation. Dr. Penzel says it is a problem when these habits control your child's life.
Constant checking, such as having a pencil for a test, for example, may result as a need for the child to feel safe. "The child usually has a reason why she has a particular compulsion," Dr. Kaufman says.
Obsessions are in the mind of the child. Compulsions are what the rest of the world sees. A child worries that he will do poorly in school. It is all he thinks about, so he creates a mechanism to eliminate the obsession, like counting the squares on the bathroom tile. As long as he can count the squares, he feels more confident about his upcoming day. If he can't count the squares, the obsessive thoughts return. It can be a vicious cycle.
Not all children have a clear-cut obsession or are able to articulate what the obsession is, says Dr. Dena Rabinowitz, a licensed psychologist. Parents need to be observant and not be afraid to investigate behavior that does not seem normal. Every child will show symptoms in an individual way. While one child may have a need for symmetry or order, another child may need constant reassuring or repeats questions. There are children who worry about contamination and constantly wash hands, take multiple showers a day or insist on excessive cleanliness. Other children can't stop a task until it is "just right." Other common symptoms include superstition, hoarding and saving and rigidity.