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Understanding OCD
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is more than being organized, particular, or liking things a certain way. OCD involves unwanted thoughts, images, fears, sensations, or doubts that can become difficult to let go of, along with behaviors or mental rituals used to reduce the anxiety or uncertainty they create.
For some people, OCD is easy to recognize. For others, it can be harder to identify. OCD may show up as repeated reassurance seeking, checking, perfectionism, avoidance, confessing, reviewing conversations, or constantly questioning whether something is “okay” or whether something bad might happen.
OCD can affect children, teens, and adults, and symptoms can look very different from one person to another.
What Can OCD Look Like?
Contamination & Health Fears
Fear of germs, illness, contamination, chemicals, bodily fluids, or becoming sick. Compulsions may include excessive washing, cleaning, avoiding certain objects or places, or repeatedly seeking reassurance about health or safety.
Checking & Fear of Making a Mistake
Repeatedly checking locks, appliances, schoolwork, messages, or other tasks because of persistent doubt that something was forgotten, done incorrectly, or could cause harm.
Harm & Unwanted Intrusive Thoughts
Disturbing thoughts or images about harming yourself or someone else, losing control, or something terrible happening. These thoughts can be especially frightening because they are unwanted and inconsistent with what the person actually wants or values.
Just Right Symmetry & Perfection
A need for things to feel even, complete, exact, or “just right.” Someone may repeat actions, rewrite work, arrange objects, count, or start something over until it feels correct.
Moral, Religious, & Relationship Doubts
Persistent uncertainty about whether you have done something wrong, are a good person, believe the “right” thing, or truly feel the way you should about someone. This can lead to confessing, analyzing, checking feelings, or repeatedly asking others for reassurance.
Mental Rituals & Reassurance Seeking
Not all compulsions can be seen. Replaying conversations, reviewing memories, silently repeating words, replacing “bad” thoughts with “good” ones, researching online, or repeatedly asking others for reassurance can all become part of the OCD cycle.
OCD Treatment for Children & Teens
OCD can be particularly confusing in children and teens because they may have difficulty explaining why they need to do something or may not recognize that their fears and rituals are excessive.
Parents may notice repeated reassurance seeking, lengthy bedtime routines, checking schoolwork over and over, avoiding certain people or places, frequent confessing, or becoming extremely upset when something cannot be done in a particular way.
Children may also begin asking parents to participate in their rituals. A parent might be asked to answer the same question repeatedly, check something for the child, follow specific routines, avoid certain words or objects, or provide reassurance that nothing bad will happen.
It is natural for parents to want to reduce their child's distress. However, repeatedly accommodating OCD can unintentionally strengthen the cycle.
Treatment can help children and teens learn to respond differently to OCD while helping parents support their child without reinforcing compulsions or avoidance.
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