Obsessive movements and actions in children: what to do?

In almost half of cases, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) begins before the age of 13. At the same time, the vast majority of children, that is, 90% of cases, “grow out” of their obsessions. But for the remaining 10%, OCD becomes more severe with age.

How not to miss the moment? Clinical psychologist Valery Razuvaev says:

“It can be difficult to notice obsessive thoughts and rituals in a child in time, because children tend to hide them. And if parents do notice that their son or daughter is doing something strange – for example, blowing on his hands all the time or entering the room in a strictly defined way, they do not always attach special importance to this, considering it just “tomfoolery”. The child can even explain why he does it. And parents don’t really understand what’s wrong with that.

The child himself, all the more, does not perceive the obsessive state as a problem. On the contrary, he believes that he really needs the rituals, so the parents’ attempt to intervene only exacerbates the situation, causing him irritation, anger and aggression.

Only with age, when compulsive actions begin to interfere with his normal communication with peers or studies, parents seek qualified help. And it happens much later than it should.

The most common compulsions in children

Multiple repetitions of simple actions

• tapping;
• stroking;
• swiping;
• shifting objects;
• shaking off clothes before putting them on;
• tying and untying shoelaces;
• washing hands with or without reason;
• being in the shower for an hour or more;
• checking things, handles, locks, taps, doors.

strange movements

• walk so as not to hurt something insignificant;
• step over tiles or cracks in the pavement;
• for no apparent reason to return and pass the previous segment of the path again.

It is impossible to list all compulsive actions, as there are too many of them. Sometimes it is something ordinary and, at first glance, natural, and sometimes, on the contrary, unusual, incomprehensible and even absurd.

In any case, compulsion can be identified by its characteristic “symptoms”: if you distract a child from performing a repetitive action or try to prohibit it, then he will worry, be capricious and … still continue to do what he needs.

However, not all unusual behavior can be interpreted as compulsive – sometimes it is just a ritual with which the child calms himself. If he refuses the ritual or interrupts it, he will experience anxiety or severe discomfort. Ask your child why they do certain things. If he answers: “I don’t know, but I’m so calmer” or “So that something bad doesn’t happen,” then most likely this is the ritual.

Distinguishing a harmless ritual from a compulsion can be difficult, so it is not the parent himself who should classify the actions of the child, but the specialist.

Recommendations for parents

“If you suspect signs of OCD in a child, don’t be scared,” explains Valery Razuvaev. OCD has always been classified as a neurosis, which means that this disorder is reversible and can be treated. Moreover, I dare say that OCD in children is treated more effectively and faster than in adults. That is, the prognosis is very favorable if you did not self-medicate, but sought specialized help.

Before contacting a specialist, it is advisable not to interfere with the compulsive behavior of children and adolescents. If you forbid performing strange actions, scold or punish a child, this can only increase his sense of anxiety. He will be even more eager to perform the compulsion or will choose other repetitive activities.

Sometimes children may involve relatives in compulsive acts. For example, one 10-year-old girl demanded from her parents before going to bed to bring her to the bed, put her in front of the bed in a certain position, take her right elbow by the elbow and pull it 3 times. Only then did she go to bed. Another girl made a scandal if her mother, cleaning up on her table, laid out things the wrong way.

The child may require that before eating, plates and cutlery lie in a strictly defined order. Or refuse to wash your hands until the water pressure at the faucet is perfect.

Fulfilling his instructions, parents only support obsessions. To change the situation, it is necessary to sabotage the demands of the child, and in some cases, openly oppose them. But what exactly and how to do it should be determined by a specialist.

Hear the answer and calm down

Often, anxious and suspicious children try to get approval from their parents for their actions or the circumstances associated with them. And they do this with the help of questions: “Did I brush my teeth well enough ..?”, “Did I tie my shoelaces correctly ..?”, “But I won’t get poisoned by this food ..?”, “Do I see well ..? “,” Is my head in place ..?

It is far from always possible to consider such questions as a symptom of OCD, because the child may not really know the answer. They are caused precisely by an increased level of anxiety if:

• Relate to an object or action with which the child has already dealt with. For example, a dish that he had already eaten many times now suddenly seemed dangerous to him.
• You have already answered them, and the child continues to ask them. This means that the purpose of the request is not to obtain the necessary information, but to close the need for reassurance.

Any of your arguments that refute his doubts calm the child, but only for a short period, literally until the next attack of anxiety. The process of persuasion becomes constant and begins to annoy parents. How should one act in such a situation?

1. Return the question using the following construction: “What do you (yourself) think?”
2. In further dialogue, it is necessary to ensure that the child makes a decision himself, and you approve (or not). One way or another, it will be his attempt at an answer, not yours.
3. Do not enter into long discussions of doubt, do not try to explain the correctness or incorrectness of the child’s decision. This is a request for assurance, not for information. Your task is to restore the child’s ability to make decisions on his own, which will help him to be less anxious.