Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders: Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD): Symptoms, Causes, and Treatment Options

Diagnosis

It is important to be aware that not all habits or repetitive behaviors are synonymous with compulsions. Everyone has repeated thoughts or engages in double-checking things from time to time. To be diagnosed with OCD, their experience is characterised by:

• An inability to control their thoughts or behaviors, even when they recognize that they are excessive or irrational

• Spending an hour or more a day on these obsessions and compulsions

• Experiencing significant distress or problems and disruptions in daily life because of these thoughts and behaviors

OCD is a relatively common disorder that by some estimates about 2.3% of people over their lifetime. It is experienced equally by men and women and affects all races and cultures.

OCD usually begins around late adolescence/young adulthood, although young children and teenagers can also be affected. Parents and teachers often miss OCD in young children and teenagers, as they may go to great lengths to hide their symptoms.

Causes

The exact causes of OCD are not known, but there are a few factors that are believed to engage a role.

• Biological factors: Abnormal neural circuits in the brain are associated with OCD. If you have OCD, certain parts of your brain may have difficulty inhibiting and "turning off" obsessive thoughts and impulses to turn off. As a result, you may experience obsessions and/or compulsions. The breakdown of this system may be related to serotonin and other neurotransmitter abnormalities.​

• Family history: You may also be at greater risk if there is a family history of the disorder. Research has shown that if you, a parent, or a sibling have OCD, there is about a 25% chance that another first-degree family member will also have it.

• Genetics: While no specific "OCD gene" has been found, OCD may be connected to certain gene groups.

• Stress: Various stressors, such as unemployment, relationship issues, school problems, illness, or childbirth, can trigger OCD symptoms.

Individuals prone to OCD often feel a strong need to control their thoughts and may fear that their obsessive thoughts indicate they are losing control or going crazy. While many people experience recurring, odd thoughts under stress, those susceptible to OCD may find these thoughts hard to ignore. Because these thoughts appear threatening, they focus on them more, creating a vicious cycle.

Types

Obsessive-compulsive disorder can present in a few different ways. Some people experience only obsessions, more commonly people experience both obsessions and compulsions, even if the compulsive behavior is only mental. There are no official subtypes of OCD, but research suggests that the most common obsessions and compulsions tend to center on certain themes:

• Cleanliness or fear of contamination

• A need for order, symmetry, or perfection

• Taboo or forbidden thoughts

• Potential harm to oneself or others

Parents should be informed about a subtype of OCD in children that is triggered by certain infections like strep throat, where the child's immune system attacks the brain. Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders (PANDAS) linked to streptococcal infections may account for up to 25% of children with OCD, according to some estimates.

Unlike typical OCD, which develops gradually, PANDAS OCD appears rapidly and includes a range of additional symptoms.

Treatments for OCD may include psychotherapy, hypnotherapy or a combination of the two.

Psychotherapy

Psychological therapies are also highly effective treatments for reducing the frequency and intensity of OCD symptoms. Effective psychological treatments for OCD emphasize changes in behavior and/or thoughts.

When appropriate, psychotherapy can be done alone or combined with medication. The two main types of psychological therapies for OCD are cognitive behaviorial therapy (CBT) and exposure and response prevention (ERP) therapy. Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder – OCD – is a mental health condition characterised by disruption to the lives of those who suffer with it. An anxiety disorder causes intrusive or insistent thoughts which then translate into repetitive behavioural traits which can range from mild to extreme.

Common behaviours can include intrusive and recurrent thoughts, ideas or impulses and they can be worrying, repulsive, obscene or blasphemous. Compulsions are actions an individual feels compelled to perform to reduce the anxiety they feel from an obsession. They are repeated continuously and often carried out without conscious thought. Examples of compulsions include excessive washing and cleaning, counting and touching things, hoarding, incessant rechecking, repeating certain words or phrases and performing ritualistic behaviour. The cause may not be a single or specific event – it could be something as general as a perception that the environment or world isn’t safe in some way – and because the subconscious mind is our inner protector, it creates anxiety – in this case, OCD – to keep us safe.

Hypnotherapy - OCD Treatment

​​Hypnotherapy for OCD works by effectively resetting your anxiety level to ‘healthy’. It clears your subconscious of the negative and unhealthy beliefs that drive your OCD. With our tailored Hypnotherapy sessions, you will learn to respond to life without becoming anxious. You'll regulate your emotions more effectively so that you remain relaxed in situations that would typically trigger your OCD attacks. Hypnotherapy helps your mind relax and will help you regain confidence, enthusiasm, and motivation in your daily life.

​This experience helps the client to reflect calmly and positively and helps you understand the belief structures that support the OCD message. We access these beliefs by using hypnosis to weaken the intensity of OCD to enable them to free themselves from the condition by finding a healthy, balanced approach allows them to live their lives free from anxiety.