Oh Those Obsessions
''An eight-year-old girl says that bad things come to her mind and constantly asks her mother for approval regarding her homework or performance. The situation, which the mother initially expressed as "it's okay" or "good job", begins to dissatisfy her as time passes and she cannot calm her anxiety. The child, who cannot feel sufficient approval from his mother, develops the need to constantly apologize to his mother. She sees that if she doesn't make her mother repeat those words, something bad will happen to her mother, and she can't get this thought out of her mind. He states that in order to cope with this, he felt the urge to apologize frequently to his mother at first, and later to apologize out of the blue to his teachers and even to his friends.''
''A twelve-year-old boy believes he has a disease. Despite all his efforts, he could not convince himself that he was not sick. He searches on the internet, reads and says that there is no reason for him to be sick, but he still can't get this idea out of his mind. '', ''If I don't soap my hands 3 times, I will catch a disease or germ,'' how many times have we been hearing thoughts from children's mouths lately...
Unhealthy, disturbing thoughts, popularly known as "anxiety, obsession, delusion, obsession" etc. A morbid thought state that is considered to be repetitive and irrational is called obsession. Compulsions, on the other hand, are behaviors that occur to reduce the anxiety arising from obsessions or that are felt to be implemented according to strict rules.
So how should obsession be distinguished from realistic anxiety?
If your child collects his toys, his bed, and puts everything in its place when his room is messy, this is not an obsession, it is something that should happen. However, if your child spends the whole day arranging his room and experiences anxiety and stress even when the location of an item is changed, we can say that he has OCD. It is necessary to distinguish between our real responsibilities, as in the example I just gave, or the healthy feeling of anxiety, and OCD, that is, being obsessed.
In fact, it is an anxiety. OCD disease, which is a cognitive disorder, can often be seen at very young ages. Obsessive compulsive disorder, a disorder that has become very common in recent years, is related to certain deteriorations in brain chemistry and function.
Considering the high genetic transmission, OCD disease is actually a contagious disorder. . When we look at the history of the mother or father, we can often see that this disorder exists.
Increasing stress factors, traumatic and negative events, and all the negativities that life brings, continue to create the perception of "I must be perfect" in children and young people. By appreciating the rapid progress of young children, families actually support their ability to achieve perfection. With statements such as "My beyond-wonderful son", "My daughter is at the top of my class", "My son will be the head of the state when he grows up", etc., he creates the perception in our children that "I will only be worthy of being loved if I am successful". Children who grow up like this are constantly looking for approval in later years, and when they are not approved, they enter into a negative thought, attitude or emotion. However, the child will feel safer when our failures are appreciated and we have a process-oriented-effort-oriented appreciation approach instead of being only result-oriented.
Mothers and fathers; If your children do not do anything related to cleanliness and order and cannot focus on another task, do not reinforce this behavior. With complimentary words such as "My daughter is very meticulous and extremely organized", we actually increase the existing anxiety of our children even more. What we need to do is first look at our own parental roles and question ourselves about whether we are meticulous or not. Then, instead of supporting our children's attitudes related to excessive order or cleanliness, we should admit to ourselves that this is a problem.
Treatment of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder in Children
We should consider the treatment of obsessive compulsive disorder in children from several aspects. must. First of all, the family and the child should be explained that this disease will be long-term, and an agreement should be made with them about good follow-up and adaptation. From time to time It should be noted that obsessions and related compulsions may change. It is worth mentioning that if there is no treatment, it will continue into adulthood and the symptoms may become more life-affecting. It is important for the family and the child to participate in the treatment. Especially if the child involves the family in his/her compulsions or if the behavior within the family increases the disease, it is essential that the family takes an active part in the treatment. Apart from this, medication may be required for the child's individual treatment for his/her obsessions. Medicines are important because biological factors play an important role in the causes of this disease. Medicines also help eliminate additional problems that may occur. Supportive therapies for the child and, if he is at an age where he can perceive it, behavioral treatments are also important parts of solving the problem. It should not be forgotten that our children may also have obsessions, that they need to be treated, and that the problem may grow if left untreated.
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