Child & Adolescent Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
Obsessions are those pesky, repetitive thoughts, images, or urges that pop up and bother us, causing a lot of distress.
Everyone gets intrusive thoughts now and then, but for people with OCD, these thoughts are a big deal. They can be really upsetting and keep coming back, making it hard to focus on anything else. These thoughts might even go against what a person believes in or values.
Common obsessions include worrying about contamination, hurting themselves or others, sexual concerns, feeling like things have to be perfect, or other random worries.
It's important to know that people with OCD might not talk about these thoughts, which can make it tough for parents to notice what's going on.
Compulsions are the things we do, either in our heads or with our actions, to try to make those intrusive thoughts go away and feel less anxious.
They might give us some relief at first, but in the long run, they just keep the cycle of OCD going and can really mess with our daily lives. They might take up a lot of time or stop us from doing things we enjoy.
Common compulsions include checking and seeking reassurance, doing rituals like handwashing, or trying to push the thoughts away or avoid them altogether.
