Parenting OCD: 5 Things I'd Tell Myself If I Was Starting Over Again

Today is my daughter's Birthday.

Watching her being able to celebrate her Birthday without the constraints of OCD has got me reflecting and thinking...??

What are the 5 things I'd tell myself if faced with parenting a child with OCD again?

Here goes...

1. Keep anxiety in check

OCD episodes are, more often than not, triggered by anxiety overload.

That's why it's crucial to carefully monitor your child's anxiety levels and to find ways to keep them distracted at times when their anxiety is most likely to peak.

Some of the things we found helped calm anxiety best were:

?? Listening to our favourite music (and singing along).

?? Going for a quick drive.

?? Having a coffee or treat together.

2. You can pass OCD on

It's not known for certain whether OCD can be passed through the genes, or not, but one thing I know for certain is that it can be passed on through learnt behaviour.

Because that's what I did.

I did compulsions in front of my children.

I also recruited them into my compulsions by asking them to check whether I had done things like switch off appliances or locked doors.

If I had my time over again, I would be careful not to repeat this mistake.

3. Ignoring early symptoms of OCD can have devasting results

I often get asked what were the earliest signs that my daughter was developing OCD.

The answer to this question is that there weren't any obvious signs at the beginning.

There was the odd sign here and there, such as sleeping in a hoodie.

But she convinced us that all of her friends did this and that it was a teenage phase.

That's one of the biggest challenges with OCD.

It's very cunning and sly and often creeps in before you've even realised it's there.

Until it's taken full occupancy, and you're at a loss as to what to do to get rid of it.

The key is to be on the lookout for any sudden change in your child's behaviour and to address them straight away.

4. Coming up with a plan helps

Children with OCD are often strong-willed and determined characters who like to have a set routine.

That's why coming up with a plan can be powerful when battling OCD.

Whether it's for introducing ERP therapy.

Or keeping OCD at bay.

Creating a plan (and structure) can be a powerful way of helping a child to stand up to OCD.

Even now, when my daughter is leading an almost OCD-free life, we still come up with regular plans on how to keep anxiety in check and to help keep her motivated.

The latest plan( and distraction) was helping her achieve her goal of purchasing her dream car...a convertible VW Beetle.

It had to be black.

It had to be a convertible.

And it had to be a Beetle.

She recently succeeded in purchasing her dream car by working 3 jobs around her studies.

And has begun driving lessons again after having to previously give up on them when OCD convinced her that the 'contamination' risk was too high.

Creating plans makes it easier to challenge OCD.

5. Never give up hope

This is a big one for me and especially poignant today as I watch my daughter being able to celebrate her Birthday without fear of contamination from touching presents or hugging people.

Something that can be so easy to take for granted.

During the dark days of OCD, we lost hope of ever having a normal life or Birthday again.

It didn't seem remotely possible.

But thanks to ERP therapy, the impossible happened.

And we are now able to lead a more normal life again, including my daughter studying in her dream university and chasing her dreams

This is what drives me to raise awareness of OCD and to offer HOPE to other parents faced with parenting a child with OCD.

THERE IS ALWAYS HOPE.

It can be a long process but tiny steps will lead to bigger ones if you stay consistent in your efforts.

It involves doing the opposite of what OCD wants by introducing ERP therapy.

If you need help and advice on tackling OCD and introducing ERP therapy while waiting for professional therapy, I have written some tips for you in my 'Parenting OCD in Teens and Tweens Digital Handbook'.

It's available to purchase as a PDF for ￡15.

Simply click on the link below to get access to the handbook today.

Parenting OCD in Teens and Tweens Digital Handbook .