OCD is not always about a fear, sometimes it is about a feeling. Kids with OCD can have intrusive feelings around disgust. They can have issues where things don’t feel just right. They can be hyper focused on bodily sensations like their breathing, blinking, heart rhythm and bladder. In this week’s AT Parenting Survival Podcast I explore how these types of OCD themes show up and how to do ERP (exposure with response prevention) with this type of issue.
Anxiety is like playing checkers, but OCD is like playing chess. You can try to rationalize with anxiety. You can problem-solve and try to talk yourself out of anxiety. It may not be easy, but with skills, you can make some headway. But OCD is a different game entirely. OCD will easily outsmart you if you don’t know the rules of the game.
OCD will often make our kids feel like they are a bad person. When they struggle with OCD subtypes like moral OCD or harm OCD they might have compulsions that make them repeatedly say they are sorry. Often OCD will want them to say they are sorry several times to make sure the person heard them or to get a response that makes it all okay. Or OCD might be satisfied if they just say it out loud. Regardless of what type of compulsions they have to do, saying sorry for OCD only serves to grow OCD bigger. In this week’s Youtube video I talk to kids and teens about why saying sorry is a common compulsion and how to outsmart OCD and not do what it wants.
We are only one piece of the puzzle in our child’s long term success with anxiety or OCD, but our attitude is something we have full control over. How we show up to our child’s struggles can have a big impact. In this week’s AT Parenting Survival Podcast I talk about our parental attitudes and how to shift them while having self-compassion.
Often our kids with anxiety or OCD have BIG emotions. These emotions can be exhausting or overwhelming for us to handle. In this week’s AT Parenting Survival Podcast I talk about how to shift our perspective when these big emotions show up and how to turn a dark moment into an opportunity for growth.
There are two ways to approach OCD. The first is to align with OCD and appease, negotiate and listen to the rules it dictates. The world outside of OCD is the problem. The second is to recognize that OCD is not a friend, confidante or protector. It does not dictate rational rules to keep you safe or comfortable. It is the discomfort maker. In this week’s Youtube I am talking to kids and teens about this and asking them, which way do they want to see OCD?
Agoraphobia can prevent our kids from being able to leave the house, be in crowds, go to the movies or travel – just to name a few. It can be a debilitating and life altering disorder and often the signs and symptoms can start in childhood.
Anxiety and OCD can rob us of the things we love the most. It can also be a powerful tool to motivate our kids to work on their anxiety or OCD. In this Youtube video I talk to kids and teens about what anxiety or OCD is taking away from them and what things they want to take back
You finally found help for your child with anxiety or OCD but they don’t want to work on it. Now what? That can be beyond frustrating! Especially if it took you a long time to connect with the right resources or help.
OCD is so sneaky! I often say it is like playing chess with a chess master. The minute your child starts to make progress, OCD can make some head dizzying countermoves. But don’t get too unsteady, in this week’s Youtube video I’m going to break down some of the common countermoves so OCD doesn’t throw your child or teen off track!
OCD comes in many different shapes and flavors. One way it shows up is through the concept of “contamination.” Contamination means something different for each person who suffers from OCD, but they all have two things in common:
Something/someone cannot be touched and should be avoided
Contamination can spread from object to object, person to person (and even place to place)
It is hard not to want to control our child’s anxiety or OCD journey. It is hard not to have expectations for how it should turn out. It’s human nature to want to do everything in our power to help our kids. But sometimes the best thing we can do for ourselves and our children is to recognize what areas we do not control. Sometimes we can make the most progress when we learn to let go of expectations and perceived control.
What’s holding your child back from working on OCD? The answer can be different for each person. Perhaps talking about it feels too scary or embarrassing. Maybe not listening to OCD seems too hard or too risky. For some, it might seem like too much work with not enough payoff. Whatever it might be for your child it is helpful to address those barriers head-on.
OCD is sneaky! It hides in the questions our children ask. It disguises itself with curiosity, constant checking or over apologetic responses. OCD is a family affair and it often gets us as parents to inadvertently grow it on a daily basis.
This is the million-dollar question that people with OCD want to know. Will OCD go away? And the common follow-up question is… When will OCD go away? Ironically these questions are part of what keeps OCD around.
