Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, popularly known as obsession disease, is a psychological disorder classified in the category of anxiety disorders that clinical psychologists encounter quite frequently. OCD, which can cause serious problems in a person's life over time, can appear in adulthood or may first appear in childhood.
An individual who has developed obsessive thoughts and repetitive behaviors to relieve the distress caused by these thoughts should be consulted by a psychiatrist or specialist clinic. should be evaluated by a psychologist. Healthy individuals may also exhibit obsessive thoughts or behaviors from time to time, and the presence of every obsession (obsessive thought) or compulsion (obsessive behavior) may not require a diagnosis of this disease. For this reason, an expert should be consulted instead of self-diagnosis with information obtained from the internet or brochures on this subject.
What is OCD?
Obsession (Thought): a distinct thought that the person tries to suppress or prevent. These are repetitive, persistent thoughts or images that cause distress.
Compulsion (Behavior): These are repetitive behaviors or mental actions that the person thinks he cannot prevent, performed in order to reduce the distress caused by disturbing thoughts.
What differentiates children from adults in OCD diagnostic criteria is that the adult accepts that their obsessions or compulsions are excessive or meaningless, but children are not expected to accept this during the evaluation process.
What Are the Common Obsessions and Compulsions in OCD?
Obsessions
- Contamination (Dirt, Germs, Disease)
- Doubt
- Concerns about the safety of loved ones
- Sexual or recurrent thoughts of an aggressive action
- Thoughts of harming others
- Symmetry
- Religious obsessions
Compulsions p>
- Hand washing
- Washing,
- Cleaning,
- Avoiding the object thought to be contaminated
- Counting
- Checking
- Regulating
- Hoarding
Prevalence of OCD in Children and Adolescents
Ç Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, which begins in childhood, is seen in 1-2% of children and adolescents. The onset age of OCD, which is seen in childhood, is between 7-12 years. Although the rate of occurrence in boys during childhood was 1.5 times higher than in girls, this rate is equal in adolescence.
OCD Symptoms Should Not Be Confused with Repetitive Behaviors in Childhood. Childhood is a period when the world of imagination is rich, and there are some behaviors belonging to this period that contribute to the development of the child. These are different from the repetitive behaviors in OCD. For example; Behaviors such as being careful not to step on lines, having lucky numbers, and doing things in a certain order are normal behaviors that are included in children's daily functions, increase socialization and reduce anxiety.
Behaviors in OCD
As content; cleaning, stacking, checking, repeating. It takes up too much of the child/adolescent's time, creating dysfunction. It causes social isolation and causes a lot of discomfort.
OCD is a problem that varies according to developmental stages in children.
Compulsions that are not accompanied by obsessions can often be seen in childhood. Compulsive symptoms related to the motor system (finger licking, walking in circles) are more common in children diagnosed with OCD at an early age. In adolescents, this situation is in the nature of an excess of obsessions, that is, they are more distressing and less controllable than in children.
Causes of OCD in Children and Adolescents
Although the cause of OCD is not fully known. research in this field; It investigates the effects of genetic factors, predisposition to anxiety, dysfunctions in brain structures and environmental factors.
Common Thought Errors in OCD
Exaggerated Perception of Responsibility: They feel responsible not only for what they do but also for what they do not do.
Over-importance of thoughts: They attach excessive importance to their thoughts. They immediately take into consideration and question any thought that comes to their mind. They believe that something can come true just by thinking.
Control of Thought: thinking about something means that what is thought does not happen. They may think that it means wanting something, or they may believe that the person should control his own thoughts.
Exaggerated Threat Perception: The presence of negative events may increase this situation.
Intolerance of Uncertainty and the Unknown: tolerating uncertainties and unknowns. They cannot, they try to find definitive results. For this reason, they have difficulty in making decisions.
Perfectionism: They believe that what is done should be error-free. They may do it over and over again to make sure it's good enough. The perfectionist attitudes of the family increase the child's distress.
How Does OCD Affect the Child/Adolescent's Life?
OCD causes decreases in attention due to the distress it creates in the child/adolescent's school life. The child/adolescent may experience a decrease in academic success because he cannot spare time for lessons due to dealing with repetitive behaviors. He/she may also avoid going to school to avoid obsessive thoughts.
The repetitive behavior of the child/adolescent may also become a subject of ridicule among his/her friends. In addition, the child may stop communicating with his or her friends due to the distress caused by obsessive thoughts.
Children with OCD problems may cause anger in family members by asking the same questions over and over again, with their need for constant approval. They may not fulfill their responsibilities at home due to the intensity of repetitive behaviors. If the child/adolescent is constantly dealing with obsessive thoughts and behaviors, it may cause conflict with the family.
Physical Complaints
- Heart palpitations
- Sweating
- Frequent breathing
- Frequent urination
Emotional Complaints
- Anxiety
- Distress
- Irritability
- Fear of losing control
- Guilt
- Easily startled
Duties of Parents
Encountering this psychological problem is not the child's fault. Do not criticize your child or get angry at him for the behavior he feels obliged to do. The best help you can do for him is to motivate him to continue treatment. Ask your therapist to inform you about the disease during the treatment process. Share your child's problems Listen with interest, without judgment. In this way, you will prevent him from becoming withdrawn and establish a relationship with him. However, do not support their obsessions and compulsions while doing this. Finally, the symptoms of the disease may cause problems in your child's educational life. Rather than meeting this situation with anger, it is important to offer ways to help the child solve the problem.
Read: 0
