Here Is How You Can Treat OCD In Children

As a child, you may have just run around, kicked some dust, made a mess of your room, never folded sheets, and not bothered about your belongings! Shift the scene to your child who is so organized and clean and particular that if you put his toy car to the left side of the desk, he loses his temper or just runs to put it back on the right side! A behavioral disorder with a neurological basis, OCD compels an individual to do a particular action in a certain way (1). People with OCD spend significant time on their obsessive behavior. The obsessions are involuntary, which means that the person does not do them intentionally.

It is normal for kids to have fears or worries. But kids with OCD are unable to deal with their fears or worries and cannot get them out of their mind, no matter how hard they try.

# Exposure and response prevention therapy, which is a type of cognitive behavioral therapy, is the most effective treatment for OCD in children. The treatment helps modify the child’s compulsive behavior, by targeting the obsessive thoughts.

# Medication for OCD in children becomes necessary when therapy is not a feasible option. Doctors usually prescribe Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) to reduce the anxiety, which can make the kid receptive to behavioral therapy.

# Make OCD less overwhelming by giving it a nickname because children may be confused, and worry excessively if you tell them it is a medical problem. Nicknaming the condition such as Mr Bossy or the Bully can make it less threatening.

# Do not criticize the child for his compulsive behavior as it is merely a symptom of the medical condition, not a flaw in his personality.

# Talk to the siblings of the child about OCD. Educating them about it and setting expectations about what they can do can reduce their guilt. Also, try and make time for them, and explain that you may not be able to spend as much time for a while. This will handle the resentment issues, if any.