Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder and Childhood: How to Detect and Treat It Early?

 

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is not a condition limited to adults; it can also appear in childhood, causing anxiety and distress for the child and their family. Early recognition of its symptoms and understanding how to cope with it helps reduce its negative impact on the child's psychological and social development, preventing the condition from worsening and becoming ingrained, making it more difficult to treat as they grow older and more complex.

What is OCD in children?

OCD in children is a psychological disorder characterized by intrusive and repetitive thoughts (obsessions) that drive the child to engage in repetitive behaviors (compulsions) in order to alleviate the anxiety caused by those thoughts. If you notice repetitive behaviors in your child, it may be due to recurring compulsive thoughts that lead them to behave inappropriately. In this case, you should pay attention and give the matter the importance it deserves to address it.

How do we detect OCD in children?

To detect OCD early, some signs can be observed, including:

Repetitive compulsive behaviors: such as excessive hand washing, constant checking of things, or overly arranging toys.

Recurring illogical thoughts: such as an exaggerated fear of dirt or germs.

Difficulty concentrating: due to the child being preoccupied with obsessive thoughts. You can recognize that it is due to obsessions by observing your child's behaviors if they exhibit repetitive and illogical actions.

Decline in academic performance: due to the long time the child spends performing compulsive rituals, as obsessions affect the child and their academic output. Therefore, it is essential to address them quickly to prevent them from impacting their future.

Anxiety or distress when preventing the child from performing these rituals. If you stop them from repeating those behaviors and notice their tension, understand that those thoughts dominate their mind, which is why they manifest as behaviors.

Causes of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder in Children

Genetic Factors: A child may be prone to the disorder if there is a family history of it.

Environmental Factors: Such as exposure to severe psychological stress or trauma, so I advise parents to be gentle with their children as they are in a learning phase and to be supportive if they make mistakes or face problems.

Disruptions in Brain Chemistry: Especially in serotonin levels.

How to Treat It Early?

1. Awareness and Early Intervention

Understanding the condition without reprimanding the child or forcing them to stop their behaviors.

Talking to the child in simple language to understand their fears and motivations, then explaining the matter in a simplified way, connecting their heart to God Almighty, and providing additional information about the thing they are obsessing over, as a lack of information leads to obsession.

2. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Considered one of the most successful treatments for children with obsessive-compulsive disorder.

It helps the child recognize obsessive thoughts and gradually resist compulsive behaviors. It is a psychological therapeutic approach aimed at helping individuals identify negative or irrational thought patterns that affect their feelings and behaviors, and then modify them.

3. Family Support

Providing a supportive environment free of criticism, as it weakens the child's personality and makes them susceptible to obsession.

Encouraging the child to talk about their fears without feeling shame or embarrassment.

4. Medical Treatment (When Necessary)

In severe cases, a psychiatrist may prescribe medications to alleviate symptoms, such as antidepressants.

5. Enhancing the Spiritual Aspect

Instilling reassurance and reliance on God through reading supplications and the Quran.

Teaching the child that obsessions are not from themselves and that they can be resisted through prayer and remembrance.

Also, the legal incantation (ruqyah) is an effective remedy for this condition if the cause of the obsession is due to the influence of a demonic touch on your child's body, such as the entry of a jinn or devil into the child's body.

How can parents provide support?

Listening to the child without judgment.

Participating in activities that help reduce anxiety, such as sports or drawing.

Encouraging the child to achieve a balance between fulfilling their duties and gradually eliminating compulsive rituals.

Thus, early detection of obsessive-compulsive disorder in children opens the door to effective treatment and reduces its negative impact on the child's life and future. Through cooperation between the family, school, and specialized doctors, the child can successfully overcome this phase and live a normal life, with a priority given to the religious aspect and connecting the child to their Creator, which makes them strong in their personality against all obsessions and teaches them how to protect themselves day and night so that God preserves them from the whispers of the devil.