There are so many things we want to control in our lives. None of us want to die, get sick, get rejected, get judged, get hurt. None of us want to be overwhelmed with feelings of hurt, harm, embarrassment or disgust. None of us want to second guess our actions, behaviors or future.
It is so tempting to try and rationalize with our child’s OCD. It’s a knee jerk reaction that most of us do at some point. We might try to problem-solve their OCD issues away. We might try to bombard them with facts. We might try to convince them that their compulsive behavior won’t do what OCD says it will do.
How often do we hear from family, friends, and even doctors that we should “wait and see” if it gets worse. We should wait and see if the anxiety or OCD grows bigger. We should wait and see if anxiety or OCD becomes debilitating. We should wait and see if it is truly an issue.
OCD is tricky. It can seem easy to outsmart. Maybe if I just argue with it, I can crush it with facts. Maybe if I just take preventative measures, it will leave me alone. Maybe if I just do what it wants, it will finally go away.
Why Rationalizing with OCD Makes it Worse This episode is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace the guidance of a qualified professional. OCD thoughts and behaviors can be wildly irrational. It can make our kids wash and re-wash, even though intellectually they know they are clean. It can make them check and re-check, even though they know what they saw. It […]
OCD can be stigmatizing enough, but when you add sexual themes it can add another layer of guilt and shame. It can also make parents and even therapists uncomfortable! How are you supposed to deal with a sexual intrusive thought that makes you squirm? What if your child’s lack of motivation is due to the embarrassment over the content of their thoughts?
There is nothing worse than finally getting rid of one OCD theme, only to have a brand new one take its place. Often this is the time when kids and even parents start to lose hope. Even though this can be so disappointing, it isn’t necessary that anyone give up hope. In fact, having new themes pop up is no indication that the skills and tools aren’t working. Believe it or not, sometimes it is a sign they are working well
There is an important player in the battle with anxiety or OCD – and that is ourselves. How our kids talk to themselves about their anxiety or OCD struggles can be key to their long-term success.
There are many things that can put a strain on marriages. Once the honeymoon is over it can be a struggle to agree on finances, household chores and parenting. When anxiety or OCD is in the mix it can make a hard situation even harder.
Dealing with anxiety or OCD can be an uphill battle. But with the right ingredients, kids can flourish and overcome many of their struggles.
Helping Kids with “Pure O” and Mental Compulsions Many kids have what some people call “pure O” or purely obsessional thoughts. But more often than not those obsessional thoughts are quieted by a menu of mental compulsions that go along with it. So what is a parent to do if their child is doing unseen mental compulsions? I explore “Pure O” and mental compulsions in […]
As parents, we all struggle with our children’s tech use. It seems like most kids have their heads buried in their phone, computer or game console. But what if it goes deeper? What if they are using technology to avoid their anxiety or OCD? What if they are using tech to do compulsions? Or what if tech is part of what is actually growing their anxiety?
OCD is often like whack a mole. Just when you get one OCD theme under control, BOOM, another one creeps up to take its place.
Helping Kids with OCD Who have to Read and Reread OCD can impact so much of our children’s lives, including their ability to read. Often this is missed completely or misdiagnosed as a learning issue. OCD can make people feel that they might not have “fully” understood what they are reading. Or perhaps it makes them feel like they didn’t really read a sentence and […]
How the Inhibitory Learning Model Changes OCD Treatment OCD approaches are constantly evolving and changing. This is in part due to the wonderful, ongoing research around OCD. In recent years we’ve seen a growing number of OCD therapists incorporate ACT, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, into OCD therapy. We’ve also seen more clinicians embrace the Inhibitory Learning Model approach and have seen practitioners adapt ERP (Exposure […]
