Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is more than just liking things neat and tidy. It’s a mental health condition that can impact your child and family’s daily life. It can be upsetting for you as a parent when your child is struggling with OCD, but with the right knowledge and tools you can support your child and help them to manage their condition.
To find out what OCD is and how you can support your child if they have it, we spoke to GP Dr Punam Krishan and mental health charity YoungMinds.
Dr Punam Krishan: Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, or OCD, is more than just liking things neat and tidy. It’s a mental health condition, that can impact a child and their family’s daily life.
Children with OCD can experience persistent, intrusive thoughts called ‘obsessions’, like a fear of germs or harming someone.
To ease their worries, they perform repetitive behaviours or compulsions, like excessive hand-washing, checking or counting.
OCD isn’t about being fussy or being a perfectionist.
These behaviours are not a choice, and disrupting them can cause distress. Left untreated, OCD can interfere with school, friendships and family routines.
There are plenty of great role models who have OCD. Musician George Ezra says that since learning about OCD, he has sought therapy and that the experience has influenced his songwriting. If you think that your child has OCD, you should seek professional help from your GP.
There are also a few practical things that you can try.
Tip one: First, create a supportive environment at home. Encourage your child to share their thoughts and feelings without fear of judgement. It might be out on a walk or at the dinner table.
Tip two: Consider asking your GP for a referral to CAMHS. The waiting list can be long, so it’s helpful to get on the pathway early.
Therapy like Cognitive Behavioural Therapy or CBT, can be effective in helping children develop coping strategies to face their fears and obsessive thoughts without putting them right through compulsions.
Medication may also help by altering the balance of chemicals in the brain.
Tip three: Finally, focus on stress reduction. Structured routines, can provide a sense of control and mindfulness techniques like deep breathing or grounding exercises can help ease anxiety during those tough moments.
Remember, small steps can make a big difference. Focus on open communication to make your child feel heard.
Seek professional support to develop effective treatment plans and use stress management techniques like routines and mindfulness.
With your support, your child can learn to manage their symptoms and thrive unlocking their full potential.
What is OCD?
“These behaviours are not a choice, and disrupting them can cause distress.” – Dr Punam Krishan
OCD is a mental health condition where children, and adults, can experience persistent intrusive thoughts called obsessions, such as a fear of germs or being harmed in some way. To ease their worries, they perform repetitive behaviours or compulsions, such as excessive hand-washing, checking doors and windows are locked or counting. These behaviours are not a choice, so it helps to try and understand them and get treatment for your child.
Can you treat OCD?
There are some treatments which can help reduce the impact OCD has on you and your child, including:
- Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and other talking therapies
- Antidepressant medicines such as Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs).
If you suspect your child has OCD, seek professional help from your GP. They can refer you to your local mental health service or CAMHS (Children and Adolescent Mental Health Services). The waiting lists can be long, so it’s helpful to get on the pathway early. Therapy like CBT can be effective in helping children to develop coping strategies to face their fears and obsessive thoughts without them trying to make them ‘right’ through compulsions. You can also refer your child yourself to CAMHS or pay for private therapy services, though there can be significant costs involved.
Four tips for managing your child’s OCD
As well as seeking help from your GP, there are a few practical things you can try:
- Create a supportive environment at home – encourage your child to share their thoughts and feelings without fear of judgement.
- Be curious about their condition. Lucy Foley, Helpline Services Manager at YoungMinds, advised that you should try to listen, in order to create safe spaces for your child to talk. Lucy stressed that it's important to have an openness to learning about your child’s specific obsessions and compulsions and that you should avoid being impatient and putting a stop to the compulsions. Instead try to stay curious, open minded and listen to your child’s experiences.
- Focus on stress reduction. Structured routines can provide a sense of control, and mindfulness techniques like deep breathing or grounding exercises can help ease anxiety during those tough moments.
- Show your child you’re there for them. Lucy Foley said you should find out from your child what support they'd like from you when they’re struggling. She added that sometimes this could be offering a distraction like going for a walk or doing something creative together. But at other times, it might be listening and providing emotional support. Lucy said it's important for your child to know someone is there for them and listening can help reassure a young person and prevent them feeling alone with their mental health.
Lucy adds: “Some of your child’s thoughts and behaviours might be very challenging for you to deal with. It might feel like they’re negatively affecting your relationship with your child, or your wider family life and routines." Lucy advised to try to remember that this cycle is exhausting for your child too, as they cannot choose to turn off their thoughts or stop doing the compulsions.
"Learning to manage OCD will be a gradual process and things won’t get fixed straightaway. But with the right support, it can get so much better." - YoungMinds
Further reading
Charities OCD Action and OCD-UK both offer information and support to people with OCD, including parents.
The NHS has information about OCD here.
There are more explainers from Dr Punam Krishan here:
What is epilepsy and what happens if my child is epileptic?
What is dyslexia and is my child dyslexic?
The language and guidance given in this content was based on advice from the NHS (and a GP) so is informed by the medical model of disability. It is, however, important to learn about the difference between the medical model and the social model of disability to have a broader awareness of how society understands and responds to disability.
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