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 can make them think and re-think, even though they know how they feel.

This is the nature of OCD. This is why it is often called the doubting disease. Our kids get caught in a cycle of “but what if…” and that uncertainty feeds the vicious cycle of compulsive behaviors.

Unfortunately many kids will mentally argue with their intrusive thoughts thinking they can beat OCD with logic. Sadly, that only grows the OCD. Logic and rational thinking don’t have any impact on OCD, in fact when kids debate their thoughts, it only serves to grow those thoughts bigger.

In this week’s Youtube video I talk to kids and teens about how rationalizing with OCD makes their OCD bigger and what to do instead.

Stay tuned for a podcast episode for parents on this same topic! When we try to rationalize OCD thoughts with our kids, we take the risk of shutting them down and making them feel more shame and guilt.

More on that in a few weeks!

You can subscribe to the AT Parenting Survival Podcast here so you don’t miss it when it comes out.

Click below to watch the Youtube video:

Don’t have time? Click here to subscribe to my Youtube channel on anxiety/OCD and watch later.