Obsessive Compulsive 7 Year Old??? Symptoms

This is very normal for some children. I know several friends with children like this! Type A.....google it.

This is not normal. I would definitely contact a professional that deals with children to get a definitive diagnosis and then get a referral to a specialist.

I would definitely give his pediatrician a call and tell them the same thing you told us as it is probably something that should be addressed sooner than later as it could get worse.

Ask your pediatrician for a mental health specialist recommendation. Your little boy is showing you the signs, get him help. Look for a pediatric mental health practice that does evaluations/family consultations and cognative behavioral therapies. Don't panic, OCD is not a disease, it's a condition. Left unchecked though, it will amplify and will cause your little boy more anxiety. I'm sending positive thoughts your way, good luck! Hugs for you both.

Hi Jill Iwas wondering if your child has had strep throat? It seems like a random question but my nephew was recently diagnosed with PANDAS it is caused by strep. I was amazed to learn about this disorder which can cause ocd. you can google it for more info.

My husband has terrible OCD and I am always watching our children trying to figure out if they echibit any of his behaviors or if they are just normal obsessive 2 and 5 eyaers olds. But the symptinos you describe match exactly those my husband has and said he developed from about he time he was 4 years old. First and foremost, talk about this with your child openly. One of the biggest issues for my husband was that he felt ashamed about theses compulsion and so started to hide the behvarios which made them worse and gave them more power over him. Second, get help asap! There are amazing resources in this areas for OCd including the OCD Institute out of Mass General and Maclean:
http://www.mclean.harvard.edu/patient/adult/ocd.php

here is a link to the OCD Foundation of Grater Boston:
http://www.ocfboston.org/

As far as I know, they treat mostly adults, but they should be able to help you find some resources for your child.

Good luck! Its a really frustating disease but there are some fairly solid behavioral techniques that have been developed to help people overcome the compulsions

I would definately start with your pediatrician and share your concerns. There are so many diagnoses that have overlapping symptoms (OCD, General Anxiety Disorder, Bipolar, tic disorders). A good psychologist and psychiatrist can help you. Ask the teachers if they see anything at school and if they can track his behaviors. It's a slow moving process, but the more you are informed, the better off you will be. There are meds, but don't rush into anything without knowing as much as you can. I wish you luck!
M.

Hi Jill,

I'm a 32 year old woman and mother to a wonderful 4 year old boy. I was diagnosed with OCD when i was in 9th grade and have gone through many different phases of this disorder. I'm hoping to offer you a little help in what I have to say.

Now that I'm older and have been through therapy and many different kinds of medications (mostly SSRI's) I have, at times, looked back to think about what I was like as a child.
I didn't like allowing other childen over to play in my room because I always had it set up the same way and didn't like anyone to touch anything (this was 3rd & 4th grades) I always made my bed and placed all my stuffed animals on my bed in the same manner and position. It's not that my mother asked me to do this, it's something I felt I needed to do or else I would have major anxiety. I didn't like to be interupted in the middle of a thought process or else I might snap at that person and have to start thinking all over again.

I guess what I'm thinking is that after reading your entry it does sound possible that your 7 year old has OCD. At the same time, he may not, or it may be something he will grow out of. I know my son went through a phase where he didn't like anything sticky on his hands either and I have heard the same from other mom's.

If it were me, I would definately consider consulting at first with his pediatrician and then ask about a behavioral psychiatrist. Know matter what your son is going through, whether it's just a phase, or it is early symptoms of OCD, I do know he is going to be fine...whatever the outcome.

I suffered from severe OCD at times in my life. Here I am now though, a Wife and a Mother living in a beautiful home and fairly comfortable at this point in my life. I will probably be on medication for the rest of my life, but this is something I have come to terms with. Just as a diabetic takes their medication every day to control insulin...I take medication to control the amount of Serotonin in the synaptic gaps of my brain.

I feel we grow stronger and we learn from adversity. I may have jumped the gun a bit here and filled you with too much information, but I guess I just want you to know that a diagnosis of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder may sound scary at first to some, but I will say from experience it IS manageable (especially these days, because they are always doing studies and learning more about the brain) and makes me the unique person I am today.

I hope I was able to be a little helpful, and again, it may just be a phase but if not at least you are a very observant mother and will have caught it while he's young! It's great for you to have noticed this about your son and not to be afraid to shout out and ask if it's normal!

Best of luck to you. I know I don't know you, but you will be in my thoughts :)

K.

Hi Jill,

I don't think you need to be alarmed. Having said that, it's important to seek professional help for him so that it doesn't escalate to a point where it interferes with your son's quality of life.

I'm a professional homeopath and am currently treating a 14 year old for OCD. She is doing quite well with homeopathy as well as a behavioral program she's attending at BU Medical Center.

Discuss your son's behavior with your pediatrician - he or she may have experience with OCD. Another thing you can do is break the pattern when you notice it - if he goes to wash his hands and you notice, see if you can have him help you with something. Let him know his help is really important so he'll be willing to change the behavior. Same thing goes for the counting.

Best of luck,

K.

SOunds like you should contact a professional. A child therapist may be your best place to start and if cognitive behaioral interventions don't seem helpful you may want to think about whether his "symptoms" are sensory/neurological in origin and look into the Sensory Learning Program and other ways to ease his anxiety. As with most issues, early identification and intervention can improve the healing time. Good Luck!

Jill,
I think you should definately take your son to the doctor to have a consultation. I have some OCD issues myself and they are much easier to deal with when you have some mental tools, and the doctor can either provide those tools or refer you to someone who can. It's great that you can notice these behaviors at a young age, before he's really set into his ways. Good luck!

Please get your child to a mental health professional. I am a therapist and see many children; the best way to help them is to attend to the problems you see right now! Waiting can make the issues worse - please seek professional help as soon as you can. Alsi, talk with his pediatrician -perhaps he/she can refer you to a child therapist. Good Luck

I made caring for children my life theme Ive worked daycare,and in home childcare and I currently work for the state of Maine as a homecare providerer with special neededs clients. I am not a Dr. but many of the signs you shared are the typical OCD actions of a child/person with this disorder. I hope you take comfort there is so much known about this now with the correct therapy you and your son will be taught how can live a comfortable succesful life. A good agency to contact might be Easter Seals and of course bring all of the conserns you listed straight to your Doctor explain your fears and involve his school and teachers a-lot of times they have professionals right there who could do a evaluation too. Remember we all have diffrent quirks in life its learning how to comfortably live with them. Give yourself a hand for even being able to look at the possibility he has a problem, that is a big hertal to get over for some parents your son already has a Mom ready to take action for whatever his neededs. Good Luck

Hi Jill -

It sounds like your son may have OCD. Hand washing, excessive counting are all signs of this disorder. Usually the child wants something that they can do to have control and sometimes these behaviors give the child comfort. I would definitely seek help now as these behaviors can get worse and more intense.

What I would do is talk to your pediatrician and then request that your son be evaluated by a specialist (child psychologist). I would request that your son be seen by a psychologist at Children's hospital. These doctors are the best in the nation and will probably be able to give you the best evaluation and the best treatment options. There are options besides medications that can help your child. Good Luck - I hope that you can get the answers that you need.

It's possible it's OCD, but it might also be a phase. Just ask your pediatrician about it. Do ask lots of questions about side effects, etc if they are offering to medicate, don't get pushed around.

You should have him checked.

I am not an expert but OCD runs in my family. He sounds just like my nephew when he was that age. My sister and I did some of those things also but not to that extent . Also my mother has OCD so she thoght that this was all normal. I think that it would not hurt to tell your son's Doctor and see if counseling first, and if they recommend medication then you could try that. My nephew did get help and is doing better. Good Luck! GF

if you are putting the questions here, i think you already know that he needs to be evaluated.... your family care doctor will be able to provide you with a referral. what you will need to do is document how long this has been going on and what other behaviors he has.
Good luck to you, i have a 13yr daughter with issues of getting dirty also

It definitely sounds like you should have him evaluated. My husband's cousin has OCD and his primary behavior was excessive handwashing. My good friend's son has OCD as an adjunct to his Tourette Syndrome, and he is a "counter" - the slats in the radiator, steps, etc. He began to obsessively turn lights on and off, focused on the clicking of the switch. There is a lot that can be done but the sooner you intervene and the more information you can gather, the better. You can start with the pediatrician. Also, the school is obligated to provide services and evaluation, and that's free. Use every resource you can. Good luck!

I have 5 children of my own and have been around hundreds due to being in childcare for a number of years and I have only seen this type of behavior a few times in children. I am familiar with it because my mom and one of my brothers have OCD. There a varying degrees and it can possibly be managed without medication through coping skills, awareness, and alternate therapies, but the first thing to do is talk to your pediatrician and work with a good DR. to get a diagnoses for your child because OCD can become an issue with age and stress.

Blessings,

M.

It's pretty basic: If it concerns you, speak to a professional. The earlier you get a diagnosis, the earlier he can get help.

Good luck!

I wouldn't worry about it, but I'd have him checked out. There's a great website, www.ldonline.com they can recommend things in your area and have great reading materials. I've worked with many students with OCD and they manage very well. They need to learn strategies and some go through counseling, but all are productive people.

Good luck!

Hi Jill,

It does sound as though your son has OCD. You have mentions several different types of OCD symptoms. I think it would be very appropriate for you to have him evaluated. OCD is a chronic disorder and if not treated it only progresses. Do you see an increase in symptoms when he is stressed? Can you associate the start of these symptoms with any sort of trauma. There are two types of OCD. One is chemically based and the other may be precipitated by trauma. Try to find a doctor who has experience with OCD in children. You might also want to Google The OCD Foundation for further information and resources.

Good luck.

V. S., LCSW

You should reach out to your pediatrian and explian the situation. I don't have a child with OCD but my husband is and we have talked about how things started with him as a kid. It did not kick in until around 12 yrs old but the things you mention are common signs.

Hi Jill, You should definitely consult with a professional - these are rituals that if allowed unchecked and untreated can become a much more significant problem. Hey - has he had a strep infection lately? Untreated strep can be associated with sudden onset of these type of symptoms. Your school psychologist is not qualified to evaluate for OCD, though -- you need to see a clinical psychologist or psychiatrist, although the first place to start is probably your pediatrician. Good luck! --S. H.

Hi Jill,

What happens if you interrupt his counting or handwashing? Does he get anxious or upset? This may be something he is getting a payoff by-something that has been reinforced or encourged at one point.

A therapist can help you with behavior modification to correct some of his anxieties if this is what is causing him to act this way.

The bottom line is, it won't hurt to get a professional opinion.

Best of luck.

As a mother and Licensed Clinical Social Worker, it is my advice that you make an appointment with your son's pediatrician. These are not typical behaviors but there are many strategies you can do at home to help deal with OCD issues before they get out of control. I would imagine that your pediatrician would refer your son for an evaluation. It never hurts to get more information!

Dear Jill,
I hope that you get responses from people qualified/experienced but in case you don't, I wanted to say to yo that your child seems to be exhibiting typical OCD signs and I would immediately bring him to your doctor and seek out advice. I recently watched a program about some young adults trying to cope with their OCD and it greatly affected their lives. I think the sooner you get help for your son, the less it will impact him.
Good Luck, Best wishes-S.( special needs teacher and mother of two teenage boys)

Jill,

My son use to use q-tips in school when using glue. He had to get up and wash his hands mid-meal if they felt sticky. Some children lack the ability to ignore tactile sensations to the point it makes them react. Do loud noises bother him? Tags in his clothing? Our son has grown out of all of these issues. The counting commercials and tucking in could be just part of a needed routine. However it would not hurt to talk to your pediatrician. Mention them to his doctor perhaps in a private phone consultation. I do have friends who have children that will shower themselves several times a day. Wash their hands and brush their hair repeatedly. These children have been diagnosed with an anxiety disorder. And are being medicated. Not successfully yet. So don't ignore your gut check into this. Good luck.

Jill,

My sister-in-law has 2 nieces (sisters) that have OCD. They're grown up now, but they started manifesting symptoms around 5 years old. One of them was even on Oprah years ago during an episode about OCD. I know that their mother spent a lot of time at doctors trying to get them help. From what I can remember, behavior therapy helped them both quite a bit. I think the parents had to learn how not to "enable" them too because without help the symptoms get worse over time. It's probably not a bad idea to talk to your son's pediatrician about it and see how you should proceed. I hope this helps a little bit.

Jen

Hi Jill,

As long as he is social and functions normally, I would not be concerned. The bedtime routine is comforting and predictable, and the counting things (like commercials) is very common- but how scary is it that there were 7?!! As far as his chapped hands go, I would recommend switching soaps. Opt for an all-natural shea butter hand soap, or one with aloe. Stay away from antibacterial, many of the ingredients are VERY drying, and triclosan has been found to disrupt thyroid function.

Be well!

Hi, Jill,

I am NOT a healthcare professional, but I do suffer from OCD, and I have since I was a child. Unfortunately, we didn't know as much about OCD 25 years ago as we do now. I would definitely mention your concerns to your pediatrician, and if you are not satisfied with what s/he says, then maybe get a recommendation for a child psychologist. This is not to say that your son definitely has OCD, but you can at least be aware of his behavior and monitor it.

I hope this helps. Good luck!

i know a boy (5yrs) he hates to be sticky, he is constantly counting things and needs to have things done a certain way. If things such as betime or getting dressed deviate from the norm he falls apart. He was recently diagnosed with a type of autism. I would call your ped asap and tell them the signs and at least have him evaluated. also talk to his now and previous years grade school teacher. I am a teacheh also and we see things other people dont. Good luck and west wishes!

Jill,
It is not normal. You should bring him to a therapist who is skilled in cognitive behavioral therapy and in working with children. If treated early, OCD can be remediated in children. OCD symptoms can be "addictive", in that the more rituals and the more the person engages in them, the more powerful they become and the harder it is to terminate these actions. There is often an underlying anxiety, which becomes managed through these compulsions. Anxiety can be treated through therapy, medication, and other types of activities (exercise, meditation etc). Good luck!