OCD or obsessive compulsive disorder does not only affects the adults but also the innocent children, regardless or age. It manifests itself in a way that is difficult to distinguish from the normal naughty and innocent behavior of a child. This is the reason why it is not easy to spot OCD in children. However they are observations which can be made that may be used by a parent as basis for OCD diagnosis, some of which are listed below:
1. Too much worry about being in unfamiliar places and being afraid of the possibilities of being lost
2. Worrying too much that one of the parents or both parent will have problems and they be be endangered
3. Worrying about being ill and sick
4. Worrying about having hurt someone or being hurt by someone
5. Dying
6. Fear of burglar and robber attacks each night
7. Too much fear of natural calamities such as storms and earthquakes
8. Failing to meet expectations and committing mistakes
9. Being not able to control a bad thought from being thought of
10. Dirt or germs
11. Restlessness over everything that is not balance and even
While it is also possible that a child experiencing the above mentioned worries does not necessarily have OCD and that the worries are just caused by experiences in the past or of specific emotions, still, it is advisable that once the child exhibits any of the above mentioned worries, parents should immediately seek for professional help: better be ready than late.
Once the suspicions about the child condition is made by the parents, that is the time that they submit the child to an OCD diagnosis clinic wherein a mental health professional will personally assess whether the child is really an OCD sufferer. Parent must be ready to answer the questions of the mental health expert. He or she will be interested to know if the child follows a specific ritual or tradition, such as:
o Pencil tip chewing during exams
o Always referring to lucky number and colors when making decisions, even the dependence to lucky socks or items
o Repeating the same gesture before entering or leaving a room
o Not failing to sing a favorite song before conversing with other people
While the above rituals may be closely related to parental influence of familiar tradition and may not necessary lead to any conclusion with connection to OCD, still, when these rituals are observed, it is best that parents allow a professional to assess if indeed the child has OCD or not.
Children as volatile and sensitive, so when in the end it is found out that they do have OCD, support from family members would be very important. They should make sure that the child does not feel alone and left out.
1. Too much worry about being in unfamiliar places and being afraid of the possibilities of being lost
2. Worrying too much that one of the parents or both parent will have problems and they be be endangered
3. Worrying about being ill and sick
4. Worrying about having hurt someone or being hurt by someone
5. Dying
6. Fear of burglar and robber attacks each night
7. Too much fear of natural calamities such as storms and earthquakes
8. Failing to meet expectations and committing mistakes
9. Being not able to control a bad thought from being thought of
10. Dirt or germs
11. Restlessness over everything that is not balance and even
While it is also possible that a child experiencing the above mentioned worries does not necessarily have OCD and that the worries are just caused by experiences in the past or of specific emotions, still, it is advisable that once the child exhibits any of the above mentioned worries, parents should immediately seek for professional help: better be ready than late.
Once the suspicions about the child condition is made by the parents, that is the time that they submit the child to an OCD diagnosis clinic wherein a mental health professional will personally assess whether the child is really an OCD sufferer. Parent must be ready to answer the questions of the mental health expert. He or she will be interested to know if the child follows a specific ritual or tradition, such as:
o Pencil tip chewing during exams
o Always referring to lucky number and colors when making decisions, even the dependence to lucky socks or items
o Repeating the same gesture before entering or leaving a room
o Not failing to sing a favorite song before conversing with other people
While the above rituals may be closely related to parental influence of familiar tradition and may not necessary lead to any conclusion with connection to OCD, still, when these rituals are observed, it is best that parents allow a professional to assess if indeed the child has OCD or not.
Children as volatile and sensitive, so when in the end it is found out that they do have OCD, support from family members would be very important. They should make sure that the child does not feel alone and left out.
About the Author:
Michelle Anders is an active member of various OCD support groups which seek to help OCD sufferers by studying their OCD behavior and finding ways to understand them.
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