Excessive worrying about something terrible happening.An extreme need to know or remember things that may be very trivial.Troubled by thoughts that are against personal religious beliefs.Persistent thoughts of performing repugnant sexual acts or forbidden, taboo behaviors.Preoccupation with order, symmetry, or exactness.Spending long periods of time touching things, counting, thinking about numbers and sequences.Obtrusive thoughts about violence, hurting, killing someone, or harming self.Repeated doubts (for example, whether or not the door is locked).An extreme preoccupation with dirt, germs, or contamination.However, each child may experience symptoms differently. The following are the most common symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder. Current estimates suggest one to three percent of the U.S. While symptoms of OCD do occur in children, it is recognized as a common mental health disorder in adolescents. Incidence of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Some evidence suggests a genetic component however, OCD may also develop without a family history of OCD. Twenty percent of children and adolescents with OCD also have another family member with OCD. Evidence suggests that people with OCD have a deficiency of a chemical in the brain called serotonin. Research indicates that OCD is a neurological brain disorder. When OCD is present, obsessive thoughts cause distress and compulsive rituals can become so frequent or intense that they interfere with activities of daily living (ADLs) and normal developmental activities. Older children and teens begin to collect objects and develop hobbies.Īn individual with OCD has obsessive thoughts that are unwanted and related to fears (such as a fear of touching dirty objects) and uses compulsive rituals to control the fears (such as excessive hand washing). School-aged children normally develop group rituals as they learn to play games, team sports and recite rhymes. Preschool children often use rituals and routines around mealtimes, bath and bedtime to help them stabilize their expectations and understanding of their world. Problems arise as the behaviors interfere with daily life functioning, school or job performance and managing personal relationships.ĭuring the normal growth and developmental process of children and adolescents, rituals and obsessive thoughts normally occur with a purpose and focus based on age. Frequently occurring disturbing thoughts or images are called obsessions, and the repeated rituals performed to try to prevent or dispel them are called compulsions. Obsessive-compulsive disorder is an anxiety disorder in which a person has an unreasonable thought, fear, or worry that he or she may try to manage by performing a ritual activity to reduce the anxiety.
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