Obsessive-Compulsive Behavior (OCD)

The teen and young adult years are often filled with tremendous change. And with change quite often comes stress. If your child has OCD, this stress can be extremely challenging to manage. 

If your teen or young adult struggles with OCD, they likely have difficulty controlling their thoughts and behaviors. They will also probably spend time each day succumbing to their “need” to perform compulsions and rituals that they really don’t enjoy. While they may provide temporary relief, they won’t help their OCD thoughts go away for good. 

Common symptoms of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder include:

• fear of germs or contamination

• unwanted repetitive thoughts

• aggressive thinking

• the need for everything to be symmetrical or in perfect order

• excessive cleaning or hand washing

• arranging things specifically

• constantly rechecking things like locked doors or that appliances are turned off

• counting objects