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It would take 16-year-old Joseph Alterman four hours to go to bed. He says, “I would look in this corner three times, and then I would have to look in this corner ten times, and then I had to do it again while I was blinking, and then again while I was blinking and smiling.”
Joseph has OCD, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. He says, “I would go here, touch the book. I’d have to touch all the corners of the book, touch all the corners of the picture, touch all the corners of the lamp.” His mother, Marty Alterman says, “Here you see this perfect child turn into almost like a freak.”
Joseph knew he was acting strangely but he couldn’t help it. His father Richard says, “I told him over and over again…’Why are you doing this? Just stop doing it. If you suffer some anxiety because you are stopping these compulsions, so what?’”
The “so what” was more anxiety. Joseph describes what would happen if he didn’t act out his compulsions. “I would be feeling bad that I didn’t, so I’d say ‘OCD, I’m sorry’ over and over again. ‘I’m sorry. I’m sorry.’ And then I would have to have patterns for saying sorry. ‘I’m sorry, no I’m not, I’m sorry, no I’m not.’”
Psychologist Dr. Michael Gallo says, “You really have a conflict within one person’s mind, where the logical mind is saying, ‘This makes no sense. This is illogical, don’t do it.’ But the emotional mind is saying, ‘Forget about logic. It feels like there’s something wrong here. So you’d better do it.’”
It’s not easy, but with therapy, victims of OCD do get better. Dr. Gallo says, “It is possible to not do the compulsion, but the anxiety that is pushing you in that direction, is such a powerful motivating force, that it is very, very hard to resist giving in.” |
By Larry Eldridge
CWK Network, Inc.
OCD can be a big enough struggle by itself for parents and children, but there are a number of additional psychiatric conditions that may accompany the disorder, thus adding to the burden. Experts at the Obsessive-Compulsive Foundation encourage parents to be aware of the possibility of the following conditions that may affect children suffering from OCD:
- Additional anxiety disorders (such as panic disorder or social phobia)
- Depression or dysthymia
- Disruptive behavior disorders (such as oppositional defiant disorder or attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder)
- Learning disorders
- Tic disorders or Tourette’s syndrome
- Trichotillomania (hair pulling)
- Body dysmorphic disorder (imagined ugliness) Sometimes comorbid disorders can be treated with the same medication prescribed to treat the OCD. Depression, additional anxiety disorders, and trichotillomania may improve when a child takes anti-OCD medication.
It is important to be aware of the symptoms of OCD, and if they are present in your child, to provide him/her with an atmosphere of support and comfort. Dr. John M. Grohol, of Psych Central, has developed the following list of OCD warning signs:
Obsessions:
- Contamination – excessive concern over germs, disease, illness, contagion, etc.
- Harm to self or others – irrational fears such as causing a car crash, stabbing himself or herself or another person with a knife or other sharp object, etc.
- Symmetry – need to have possessions/surroundings arranged symmetrically and/or to move in symmetrical ways.
- Doubting – becoming convinced that he or she hasn’t done something he or she is supposed to do.
- Numbers – fixation on a particular number or series of numbers; performing tasks a certain number of times regardless of sense or convenience.
- Religiosity – preoccupation with religious concerns such as the afterlife, death or morality.
- Hoarding – stockpiling of useless or meaningless objects such as old newspapers or food.
- Sexual themes – obsessive thinking about sex; disturbing writing or doodling of a sexual nature.
Compulsions:
- Washing and cleaning – washing hands until they are red and chapped; brushing teeth until gums bleed.
- Checking – returning to check that the door is locked more than once.
- Symmetry – need to have socks at same height on each leg; cuffs of exactly equal width.
- Counting – counting of steps while walking; insistence on performing a task a specific number of times.
- Repeating/redoing – performing a mindless task repeatedly until it “feels right;” redoing a task that has already been acceptably completed, such as erasing letters on a page until the paper wears through.
- Hoarding – hiding food under the bed; refusing to throw away soda cans or gum wrappers, for instance.
- Praying – excessive, time-consuming repetition of protective prayers or chants.
If you believe your child is suffering from OCD, remember to avoid making him/her feel as if he/she is to blame. OCD is nobody’s fault. A medical specialist will be able to evaluate your child to determine if he/she has OCD and to decide what treatments are needed. OCD treatments generally include medications and/or behavioral therapy.
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