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Decoding OCD
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder By Sue Marquette Poremba
Behavior therapy is a family affair. The child and her parents are educated about the disorder and how the therapy works. Family members are asked to help with the "homework" the child is instructed to do between sessions. The idea in therapy is to get the child to understand the obsession, thinking all the steps through, and then essentially making the child bored or overly familiar with it. Parents are encouraged to not ask the child questions about the anxiety, because this helps to feed the thoughts.
In treatment, "we're looking for the story behind the compulsion," Dr. Kaufman says. "Kids are amazing at keeping secrets and act out through the compulsions." As part of her therapy treatment, Dr. Kaufman uses relaxation techniques to help her patients through their anxiety. "You can't be anxious and relaxed at the same time," she says. But most important, like other therapists, her goal is finding out what's causing the obsessive thoughts.
"If you take the deepest fear, then you can figure out what is causing it," she says. At that point, the child with OCD can begin living a calmer life.
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