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Teenage daughter's OCD is worsening and affecting daily life
Summary
A 15-year-old girl's OCD has shifted between rituals and is increasingly disrupting school, reading and daily routines, the article reports. Experts cited recommend cognitive behavioural therapy that includes exposure and response prevention and say therapy should be experiential.
Content
My daughter is 15 and has lived with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) for some time. Her compulsions change and include counting, repeated actions such as flicking light switches, ordered showering and toothbrushing, and arranging items in her bedroom. Two courses of private therapy aimed at tackling rituals did not stop new compulsions from appearing, and the behaviour is increasingly interfering with school, reading and daily routines. The article quotes Prof Polly Waite of the University of Oxford, who says adolescence is a peak time for OCD and that feelings of responsibility and stress can contribute.
Key facts:
- The girl's compulsions shift among different rituals, which are reported to replace one another when one is addressed.
- Two private therapy courses focused on eliminating rituals but did not prevent new compulsions from emerging.
- The family reports practical impacts: she has stopped reading for pleasure, is often late in the morning, and struggles with class note-taking; the school provides extra time in class and exams.
- Prof Polly Waite describes recommended treatment as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) that includes exposure and response prevention (ERP) and says therapy should be experiential rather than only talk-based.
- The article notes that intrusive thoughts are common in the general population but that people with OCD may treat them as urgent dangers; OCD-UK and several CBT books for young people are mentioned as resources.
Summary:
The girl's OCD is causing growing disruption to schooling, hobbies and daily life. The article reports experts recommend CBT with exposure and response prevention and that a different therapist may be considered if ERP has not been effective. Undetermined at this time.
