obsessive compulsive disorder in child symptom
Symptoms Of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder In Children
Having obsessive compulsive disorder can be a harrowing experience not just for the child who has it but also for his or her parents and other family members. As a parent, the thought of seeing your child succumb to the behavioral irregularities is painful. What parent would want to watch his or her child suffer from a forced habit?
OCD is an affliction that does not just strike adults. Watching kids suffer from it is all the more painful because they do not have enough mental and physical capacity to fight the problem back. Thus, children with obsessive compulsive disorder are often seen banging their heads blankly against a hard surface, or doing the same thing over and over again until they are too tired to move. It doesn’t take a genius to know that this is not a pretty picture.
Children should be out there in the sun running around and playing, not washing their hands repeatedly until they’re raw, not hiding in dark corners in fear of being hit by sunlight, and not counting one to ten for hours on end.
Usual OCD attacks are not alone. They are commonly accompanies by ADHD, Tourette’s or some sort of depression, making it harder for its sufferers to cope. And since kids are not adequately equipped with the right emotional and mental training to deal with these obsessions and compulsions, the effect on them is much greater. And when a child has other accompanying disorders, OCD becomes a harder illness to address.
What can you do as a parent to help your child who has OCD? Be patient and understanding. OCD is a difficult illness to deal with for your child, so you must be steadfast and firm — you should not break down.
Be prepared to deal with the ignorance of most people who might find your child’s illness hilarious. They might make fun of him or her. They might harass. Though the thought of this might make you want to lash out at these people, you have to have enough inner strength to know that these people do not know any better. It is them that should be pitied, not your child or your family.
Since OCD struck your child at a young age, you should be thankful, because you have a lot of time to seek treatment. The good news, ultimately, is that OCD can be treated. If you suspect OCD symptoms in your kid, be comforted that there are ways to make it go away or control it.
There are a number of ways to treat OCD in children. There is behavior therapy, which is preferred to taking medications. Behavior therapy is a much more tedious process but you don’t have to worry about drug side effects. Medications for OCD could be too strong for your child that he or she misses out on activities kids his or her age are into. Besides, behavior therapy is a good way to bond with your child and assure him or her that the family is there for him or her all the way.
There are many books and articles about dealing with OCD in children, though none can tell you exactly what to do. This is because each OCD experience in families is unique. While the usual guidelines do work, there is no better cure than the love of a parent for the child to make all pains go away.
Source: http://www.bloggedadvice.com