Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) Symptoms
It is said that not all people with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) behaves the same way. The most prevalent symptom of a person having an obsessive-compulsive disorder is the fear of germs. For school-children, that mostly means an inability to touch erasers, papers, chalks and even pens; However, most children with obsessive-compulsive disorder perform well in school. These children oftentimes are never satisfied with their work and may even insist on doing it over and over until perfection and sometimes a child may stay up all night doing a simple assignments.
Other symptoms range from mild to severe, forcing children to endlessly wash hands, kiss doorknobs, walk on the sides of their feet, insist that the window blinds be at a specific height, or repeatedly rebutton clothes or retie shoes. Some are haunted with images of violence and danger. Children with obsessive-compulsive disorder struggle in school, where they are often teased and may suffer emotional and physical dysfunctions.
The most common obsessions in children and teenagers or adults with obsessive-compulsive disorder includes:
- fear of dirt or germs
- fear of contamination
- fear of illness or harm
- need for symmetry, order, and precision
- religious obsessions
- preoccupation with body wastes
- sexual or aggressive thoughts
- preoccupation with household items
- intrusive sounds or words
The following compulsions have been identified as the most common in children and adolescents with obsessive-compulsive disorder:
- grooming rituals (excessive hand-washing, showering, and teeth-brushing)
- repetition (such as checking to make sure that an appliance is off or a door is locked, going in and out of doors, needing to move through spaces in a special way, and checking homework)
- rituals to counteract contact with a “contaminated” person or object
- “touching” rituals
- rituals to prevent harming self or others
- arranging objects and counting rituals
- hoarding and collecting things
- cleaning rituals related to the house or other items
- Dermatitis because of frequent hand washing
- Skin lesions because of picking at your skin
- Hair loss or bald spots because of hair pulling
The disorder is often accompanied by TOURETTE’S SYNDROME, a neurological disorder characterized by involuntary movements and vocal tics. Between 35 percent and 50 percent of people with Tourette’s syndrome also have obsessive-compulsive disorder, but only a small percentage of children with obsessive-compulsive disorder also have Tourette’s syndrome.
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