Living With Childhood OCD
Living With Childhood OCD
The very mention of the term Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is often enough to trigger blind fear in the hearts and minds of parents. Yes, OCD is ser serious condition but childhood OCD is treatable and with the support of family and friends a child can overcome this condition and go on to live a normal and healthy life.
Treating childhood OCD normally begins with psychotherapy and medication. The psychotherapy consists of helping the child develop and internal strategy for living with and dealing with the OCD. Medication consists of prescribing Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors which begin to show effects after about 4 weeks of treatment. While external treatments like this are the basis of dealing with childhood OCD, a large part of the treatment consists of family support for the child to help him or her fight against and ultimately control this condition.
How Families Can Support Childhood OCD Patients
Those suffering from childhood OCD know that they have a psychological problem and are often ashamed and embarrassed by it. The support of the family and in particular the parents, can go a long way in helping a child deal with the problem. Here are some things parents with children suffering from childhood OCD need to do.
Learn about the condition. The more parents know, the better they are able to respond to the special needs of those suffering from childhood OCD.
Communicate with the child in an open and mature manner. Children usually have only a partial understanding of their condition and often fear that they are insane or something equally awful. Being able to communicate and discuss the issue places childhood OCD in perspective.
Always be kind and patient. A child suffering from OCD cannot control his or her behavior and getting angry about it or trying to punish the child will only cause the child to feel more distress which leads to even more withdrawal from society. No matter how much the child’s behavior upsets you, remember that the child is the one who is suffering the most.
It is difficult for a family, especially siblings to deal with childhood OCD. If this condition causes family tension and stress, the atmosphere will only make the patient feel worse. If need be consult a family therapist to help you deal with the situation.
It is up to the parents to represent a child with childhood OCD. They must make sure that the school understands the condition and that allowances are made for the child.
Find support groups to help you in dealing with the problem. Being able to share with other families dealing with childhood OCD will increase your insights into the problems and solutions and give you a large support base.
Keep the rest f your family’s life as normal as possible. Making martyrs of the rest of the family will only make the patient feel worse.
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