OCD treatment for Children, Adolescents and Adults

OCD or Obsessional Compulsive Disorder is one of the most misdiagnosed and underdiagnosed conditions that we can suffer from. OCD is also co-occurring with at least one other condition.  The result is functional impairment, disruption to developmental gains and chronicity. Over 40-75% of children may experience a chronic course, and early intervention is the key. There are over 18 different subtypes of OCD.

ERP, exposure response prevention, is the gold standard of treatment, and remission rates along with medication, 50% of children can experience remission. Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) therapy is a form of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) that was developed specifically to treat obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). The family unit can work together along with the therapist to help the child manage their distress and reduce the triggers that can exacerbate that distress.

OCD starts with obsessions: unwanted, intrusive thoughts, images, ideas, or urges. They can include doubts about one's identity, mental images about harm coming to loved ones, fears about one's health and a wide range of others. What they all have in common is that they create distress—anxiety, fear, doubt, or worry. Compulsions are physical and mental behaviors done to reduce their distress and help to provide short term relief; but these compulsions can make the obsessions worse and increase distress.

In the treatment of adults, research shows that ERP can experience over 80% success rate. The research shows that 25 to 67% of people report symptoms began after a stressful time in their life or after a specific traumatic event. Research also shows that the average person suffers about 14-17 years before they even receive a diagnosis so it is very important to connect with the right clinician’s that are trained in how to diagnose OCD and to help administer ERP in the proper way. Call us to find out more if you feel like you may have OCD symptoms. Let’s talk more about ways to help you reduce your OCD symptoms.