OCD Behavior in Children – How to Tell If It's More Than Luck

OCD behavior in children shows itself in worries that simply won't quit. Whether the symptoms are related to other illnesses or not, OCD behavior in children may take on the following forms:

The worry or fear of:

1. Getting lost
2. Something happening to a parent or both parents
3. Getting sick
4. Being injured or hurting someone
5. Dying
6. Burglars
7. Earthquakes, fires, floods, etc.
8. Unlucky words, numbers, objects, etc.
9. Not being confident or making mistakes
10. Thinking of or doing a bad thing
11. Dirt and germs
12. Something being uneven or not perfectly straight

The intensity (how strong), frequency (how often), and occurrence (when) these worries or fears occur will determine whether they're to be expected given the things a child went through or whether they could mean something else.

A mental health professional should be able to determine whether OCD behavior in children is a separate condition or symptoms of another disorder.

OCD Behavior in Children – What Forms Does It Take?

OCD behavior in children also shows itself in compulsive rituals. The aim of these rituals is to shut down fear and worry. After the ritual is done, the child feels he/she just stopped something bad from happening.

Giving in to compulsive OCD behavior in children enables them to keep bad thoughts or feelings away for a while.

However, many rituals that may seem very important aren't really signs of OCD behavior in children. For instance:

• Tapping a pencil five time before answering an exam
• Always choosing a lucky number or color
• Using a lucky pair of socks during a game
• Singing a song or humming a tune before jumping off a high-dive

Notice that all these are connected with superstition or luck. These may perhaps be perceptions a parent should adjust based on the family's belief and value system, but they're not, by themselves, signs of OCD behavior in children.

OCD Behavior in Children – Superstition or Disorder?

Here are some signs that can tell you if OCD behavior in children has moved from the realm of superstition into a clinical disorder.

1. The child believes that the only way to be protected from "unlucky" events is to do the ritual.
2. The child doesn't really want to do the ritual (sometimes even hates it!) but feels pushed to do it.
3. The child sees the ritual as the only hope to stop fears and worries.
4. The child spends too much time on these rituals that it seriously affects his/her everyday life.
5. The child feels severe anxiety, distress, or panic when a grownup tries to stop him/her from doing the ritual.