It is important for you as the parent or carer to be fully aware of the strategies the child and therapist have agreed upon so that you can encourage your child to complete these tasks at home. Remember children with this condition are normally very smart and CBT will give them challenges to complete that will make them feel slightly uncomfortable so there will be a temptation to avoid them. For example, if a child fears they are going to be sick hundreds of times in a day and they currently ask you to check their temperature for reassurance, it is only natural for a parent to respond by checking the temperature and confirming to the child that they are quite well. However, if the therapist has asked the child to resist seeking that reassurance, it is important that you are aware so you will respond differently. Instead of saying “yes of course you’re fine” it could be as simple as responding “I’m sorry I can’t answer that question” so you are not buying into the ritual but crucially the child knows that you are working with them to help them overcome their OCD. It is important that you are aware of the anxiety this refusal to reassure will initially cause the child but that will diminish the more it happens. I must emphasise that this is merely an example and all treatment has to be done in conjunction with the child under professional guidance only. The more knowledgeable the parents or carers are about OCD and particularly CBT, the more successful the outcome will be for the child.

Most children will achieve significant benefit from either psychological treatment, medication or a combination of both. There are several medicines which assist the child to overcome OCD which are essentially anti-depressants. The medications have been used in adults for a fairly long time and are considered safe for young children. Like all other drugs, a child may get side effects but most people only experience them as short, slight minor irritations. Sertraline and Fluvoxamine are commonly used however there are very many more on the market. If you are concerned please feel free to ask your child’s mental health professional to discuss those fears with you.

Many parents are understandably reluctant to use medication particularly over a long period, but consider that if your child was asthmatic or diabetic you wouldn’t think twice. If the mental health specialist advised medication then it’s always worth considering to improve your child’s quality of life.

For further information on treatment, such as CBT and different types of drugs that are used please visit our Treatment For OCD page.