All children have thoughts or worries that bother them at times – but usually these worries pass with time, or are resolved with the reassurance of a parent or teacher. However, for children who have OCD, these troubling thoughts do not go away despite efforts to ignore or forget them. Sometimes these thoughts can be repetitive and intrusive to the point where they turn into obsessions. In order to try to dull the ‘loudness’ of these thoughts, children with OCD will carry out a particular behaviour, and these behaviours used to make the individual feel better are needed so often that they become compulsions. This is called Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, or OCD.
In young children, OCD can be harder to identify, as they will often find it difficult to put the thought that is bothering them into words. Children and teenagers can also feel ashamed of their compulsions and try to hide them. Therefore, their compulsions may also not be as obvious. They may instead start to change their behaviour in other ways such as appearing more irritable or fearful, having trouble concentrating, finding it difficult to make decisions, taking a long time to do certain things, refusing to do certain things, or aggressively insisting that things get done in a certain way.
For children, OCD often begins as a fear that develops and worsens over time. Fears which may turn into obsessive thoughts include:
However, the specific content of obsessions can relate to almost anything. What is common to all obsessions is that a large proportion of the day will often be spent thinking about or acting upon them. So, how do you know whether your child is experiencing a normal fear or preoccupation that will pass with time, or whether they are at risk of developing OCD and require professional support? If you are unsure but recognise the signs above, it may be beneficial to seek the advice of a psychologist to determine the answer and obtain support for your child.
In coming to see a VCPS practitioner yourself, you could get a professional opinion on whether your child’s behaviour is problematic and if so, what you can do to help them.
Our VCPS practitioners can also assist your child by: