When OCD Shows Up- Get Yourself Out Of There!
Julie Derrick
Childhood OCD : I help parents and schools figure out ways to support a child with OCD and anxiety??The Mind Monsters Books ???? The Parenting OCD in Teens and Tweens Handbook
When OCD Shows Up- Get Yourself Out Of There!
In the past week, I have noticed how many OCD traits I still have.
Some of which I had completely forgotten about.
I have quite a list when I take them all into account.
Things like...
?? Needing to endlessly check that appliances are switched off, especially if I am the last to leave the house
?? I always leave the end pieces of my toast
?? Cutlery must never be the last item to be wiped when doing dishes...what's that all about???
?? Feeling compelled to wash my hands more than once after handling raw meat
?? Checking that taps are switched off (I've lost count of how many washers my parents had to change when I was living with them)
And this got me thinking...??
Why am I suddenly noticing these things more?
And why do I still need to do these things, especially when I have learnt, the hard way, the impact OCD can have on our lives?
I'm guessing it could be because my anxiety and stress levels have been higher, which I know can lead to OCD behaviours being heightened.
As a result, I decided to practice what I preach when helping others support children with OCD.
? I took some time off (self-care)
? I drove with my daughter to the coast and took a walk while listening to the waves lapping (distraction and sensory relief)
? We had a lovely chat and some delicious lunch (more distraction)
Annoyingly though, while walking along the beach, I noticed another OCD compulsion creeping in...I kept stopping to itch my leg (even though it wasn't itching).
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I know from bitter experience not to allow this to creep in as a new compulsion, though, and so did what I am forever telling others to do...
I resisted the urge to keep doing it by thinking about something else and letting the thought sit there without further action.
Recent events have acted as an important reminder to me that:
If you find yourself prone to OCD behaviours, are a perfectionist or a born worrier, just be careful not to pass on these behaviours to your children, too, as this can lead to them developing OCD.
Which I discovered to my detriment.
I now raise awareness of and support for childhood OCD.
I do this through the following:
???? My OCD workshops
Further details can be found on my website.
I've popped the link below:
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Supporting PR and Comms pros to achieve their professional goals through CIPR membership and CPD ?? CIM member and Chartered Marketer.
2 年It’s so brilliant to find you Julie Derrick and to see the work you are doing to raise awareness of childhood OCD. When my son was diagnosed five years ago at age 9, it was so incredibly hard to find any advice or information specifically for children - though we got there in the end and I was able to educate myself (with help from a therapist and some ERP) and help him. Congratulations on your new book, I’ll look forward to reading it.