Obsessive compusive disorder in young people

How is Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Treated?
1. Behavioral Treatment for Compulsions:
Never discontinue these medications abruptly and Obsessive
One of the most effective psychological treatments is always consult a physician prior to decreasing them. exposure plus response prevention (ERP). Very 3. Rebuilding Confidence
Compulsive
basically, ERP involves exposure to the feared situation and then preventing the compulsive behavior. Having OCD leads to problems with school, friends, and family. Kids can feel pretty badly about Disorder
For children, this can be challenging. They often have themselves and their lives when OCD is running the Causes, Complications
trouble understanding why they need to cooperate with show. As they get better, they need extra help at and Cures in Young People
stopping the compulsive behavior. They become school, and some “coaching” to get back into their angry, upset, and desperate, and may even threaten to run away or hurt themselves or other people. Professionals trained in cognitive behavioral What are the Complications of OCD?
approaches (CBT) try to work with children to help them to understand that the OCD is like a monster that is running their lives and they have to fight back. If we ● Not sleeping or eating well due to worries can help them to team up with their parents to fight the OCD, everybody feels successful, and the OCD is brought under control. Sometimes children need to be brought into the hospital to do this, because it is so 2. Medications:
Related Problems:
There are half a dozen medicines that work for OCD. These things are found more commonly in people with The oldest and most effective is clomipramine (Anafranil). However, newer medicines such as OCD, or in other members of their families: fluoxetine (Prozac), fluvoxamine (Luvox), paroxetine (Paxil), citapratolam (Celexa) and sertraline (Zoloft) ● Other anxiety disorders such as panic disorder have the advantage of fewer nuisance side effects. Sometimes adding another medicine such as lithim, clonazepam (Klonapin) or pimozide (Orap) will boost www.anxietybc.com
Medicines work gradually over a period of weeks, and Does OCD Get Better?
often things continue to get better over a few months. The drug is continued for at least 6 months, and then It does, but it takes some teamwork. The child, family, can be cut down slowly to make sure that symptoms doctors and counselors need to work together to beat don’t flare up. Some people can come off the medicine, but many people need to take it for much What to do?
The medicines work well, but may not completely take Start with your family doctor or local Mental Health away the compulsive habits. The medicine may also Center for more information or to have the problem need to be continued for a long time, as the symptoms assessed. They may also suggest some books to read Adapted from Children’s Mood and Anxiety Disorders Clinic, which can help you understand panic disorder better. Children’s and Women’s Health Centre of British Columbia Obsessive Compulsive Disorder in Young People
Facts About OCD
Obsessive compulsive disorder can occur in people How Common is OCD?
Effects of These Symptoms:
of all ages, and often starts in childhood. It is a problem that tends to come and go over time. Often About 2 or 3 of every 100 people have OCD in Children or teens may be constantly upset or easily it starts gradually but sometimes it starts suddenly or their lifetime. Most of them keep it a secret, and irritated because they are so busy worrying about most do not get treatment because they either their obsessive thoughts that they can’t handle don’t think help is available, or they are too thinking about or doing anything else. They may The symptoms of OCD are obsessions (upsetting not want to go anywhere, may not be hungry and thoughts that keep coming back) or compulsions may stay in their room a lot of the time, trying to (habit patterns such as checking or washing over and What are the Symptoms?
sort out their thoughts. Children may ask for over) which happen so often that they interfere with Obsessions and/or compulsions that are severe constant reassurance from parents because they are enough to interfere with school or work, family Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is treatable. relationships or take up a lot of time (more than an Washing hands, counting or checking things may But first it has to be recognized. In children, it may take several hours a day. Sometimes children will look like unreasonable anxiety, temper tantrums, insist that other members of the family do these Common Obsessions:
stubborn habits, lack of cooperation or other things, too. For example, no one may be allowed behavioral problems. In teenagers, it may lead to These thoughts occur repeatedly in spite of the to touch the child’s plates, door or clothes because avoiding school or friends, and fighting with parents. People with OCD are very stressed and can be irritable, angry and withdrawn. Parents may be How Does This Affect Families?
frustrated and confused by the behaviors. Usually the whole family gets mixed up in the People are often very embarrassed about the kind of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. Parents may start obsessive thoughts they have because they don’t to do the checking for the child to try and save ● Fear of doing something wrong in the make sense or seem “crazy” to them. They try to time. Everyone has to go out the right door, or cover up their compulsive habits, because they know wait until the child has flicked a light switch ten they don’t make sense either. They end up feeling ● Fear of having already done something times when leaving the room. People tiptoe around this child to prevent their outbursts of rage and frustration when compulsions are not done Obsessive Compulsive Disorder is a medical problem that gets better, usually with a combination ● Need for things to be even/symmetrical of medicine and practicing some ways of changing What Causes OCD?
the obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviors. Common Compulsions:
OCD is one of the best researched childhood disorders, but it still is not fully explained. We Who Can Help?
Although OCD does run in families, what causes Start with your family doctor. Check the local ● Doing work over to get it “perfect” OCD is not known. There is likely a genetic Mental Health Centre for other resources. You may component that makes one vulnerable to OCD but be referred to a psychologist or psychiatrist for it often must be combined with events that occur in further assessment or treatment. With help, young ● Asking questions (getting reassurance) the child’s life for the OCD to be fully expressed. people and their families can free themselves from Like many other problems, it is the combination of

Source: http://www.anxietybc.ca/sites/default/files/OCDInYoungPeopleBrochure-New_000.pdf