OCD: An Overlooked Teen Anxiety Disorder

If your child is exhibiting any of the following symptoms: obsessive thoughts, repetitive behaviors, frequent mood swings, extreme shyness or isolating behaviors or depression, your child may be suffering from one of many teen anxiety disorders.

Teen anxiety disorders are one of the biggest psychological problems affecting our youth today.   If you are unfamiliar with teen anxiety disorders, maybe anti-social behaviors and or anorexia ring a bell.  Many of these psychological behaviors have the same root cause, an anxiety disorder. 

And although a chemical imbalance of the brain is partly to blame in many cases, the outside influences of the world we live in play even a greater role.  This article will seek to highlight some of the most common teen anxiety disorders and behaviors, including, perhaps the most overlooked one of them all, obsessive compulsive disorder.

If your child is exhibiting any of the following symptoms: obsessive thoughts, repetitive behaviors, frequent mood swings, extreme shyness or isolating behaviors or depression, your child may be suffering from one of many teen anxiety disorders. 

While some of these behaviors are identifiable rather easily, many of the physical symptoms associated with such disorders are not so visible, unless you are very much in tune with your child.  These symptoms may include difficulties breathing, frequent headaches, nausea, dizziness, problems sleeping, elevated heart and pulse rate and on and off again eating patterns. 

If you can relate to any of these symptoms, you may agree that nowadays it seems that there are more kids on anti-depressants than are not.  And even though depression and ADHD behaviors are the most common reason for prescribing drugs for our kids these days, there are certainly others plaguing our kids and teen today.  Obsessive compulsive disorder is one of the more common anxiety disorders among teens. 

Childhood Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Dogs raised for herding may chase and hoard all of the time and predatory breeds such as a Doberman or rot may bite. Although most of these behaviors are normal canine behaviors, they can be seen as compulsive because the behavior is performed over and over again, without even thinking and for no apparent reason. Canines with these compulsive behaviors are anxious and sensitive. Many pet owners struggle because their animal just seems high strung all of the time. Of course, this is no different than for humans. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Medication

However, it is often overlooked or blanketed into a more common category such as manic depressive or anti-social disorders.  In fact, did you know that bulimia and anorexia are often associated with OCD because it normally starts as obsessive thoughts geared toward being thin and good looking?  OCD can be a very debilitating disorder. 

Not only is the person bombarded by troublesome thoughts all of the time, but it can lead to serious behavioral problems such as cutting, eating disorders and the like.   For example, kids may become obsessed with thoughts of becoming popular or staying thin. 

Although it is common for kids to go through generalized thoughts such as these, when the thoughts consume who they are, the issue is a deeper one and should be addressed.  Parents can never be too careful when monitoring their children's behavioral patterns.  If you see the warning signs, seek help from a professional. 

So, how can you treat anxiety disorders such as obsessive compulsive disorder?  Believe it or not, you have many options both conventional and holistic in nature.  Some of the most common forms of treatment include cognitive-behavioral therapy, relaxation techniques, reflexology, biofeedback therapy, herbal medicine and of course prescription drugs. 

The process of finding a therapy that works for you or your teen is normally through trial and error process.  Some people respond better to conventional treatment than others, and vice versa.  There is however, no substitute for knowledge to make educated decisions. 

Companion Remedies for Stress, Anxiety, OCD

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PureCalm - Aids nervous system in stress resistance for balanced moods and feelings of well being
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Sleep Tonic - Helps maintain a healthy balance of all hormones involved in healthy sleep patterns
Managing Stress & Anxiety - A recent study showed that medical students who learned techniques used in this program significantly reduced stress. And blood samples revealed their immune systems became stronger the more they practiced the techniques!
Mood Tonic - Optimizes nervous system health and promotes balanced mood and peacefulness
Core Inner Strength - Through the focused attention made possible through professional hypnosis, you can begin to see your own worth, and attain your own optimum levels of self-esteem.
Nerve Tonic - Promotes nervous system health, maintains balanced mood and worry-free mind
The Calm Within CD - Offers professional relaxation, visualization and affirmation techniques for self-help and stress reduction
Beyond the Baby Blues - This 2-CD program is designed to lift your spirits, comfort your soul, and create the necessary balance needed while you are adjusting to your new life and new baby.

Obsessive Compulsive Behavior

11/20/2008
Kids' lack of loving home equals disaster (Miami Herald)
Abandonment plus rejection plus low self-esteem equals Teah Wimberly. Depression plus frustration plus loneliness equals Teah Wimberly.

Kids' lack of loving home equals disaster (Miami Herald)

11/12/2008
Brain stimulation may help obsessive disorder (Reuters via Yahoo! News)
Stimulating an area near the base of the brain may help people with otherwise untreatable obsessive-compulsive disorder, researchers reported on Wednesday.

Brain stimulation may help obsessive disorder (Reuters via Yahoo! News)

11/17/2008
FOX (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)
1 of 2 columns for Nov. 30, 2008 United Feature Syndicate EDITORS: For more information on pet care visit Dr. Fox's Web site www.doctormwfox.org. Forward all mail to DR. MICHAEL FOX in care of United Feature Syndicate, 200 Madison Ave., New York, NY 10016.

FOX (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)

11/10/2008
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Conference 2008: Taking Action To Tackle Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (Medical News Today)
On Saturday 22nd November, mental health professionals and members of the public who are affected by Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) will all come together for the 2008 OCD Conference at Imperial College London.

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Conference 2008: Taking Action To Tackle Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (Medical News Today)

11/18/2008
Structure of Brain May Influence ADHD (Psych Central)
A new study reveals shape differences in the brains of children with attention deficit disorder (ADHD), a finding which could help pinpoint the specific neural circuits involved in the disorder. In the study, researchers from the Kennedy Krieger Institute in Baltimore, Md. and the Johns Hopkins Center for Imaging Science used a new [...]

Structure of Brain May Influence ADHD (Psych Central)

11/20/2008
Are Your Child's Problems Caused By Red Dye? (KOCO 5 Oklahoma City)
KOCO-5 examines a food and drink chemical that could be causing all sorts of unwanted behavior in your child. Find out more Thursday at 5 p.m.

Are Your Child's Problems Caused By Red Dye? (KOCO 5 Oklahoma City)

11/13/2008
Promising clinical trial for patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (News-Medical-Net)
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) affects 2% of the population and is considered a psychiatric disorder. It is the number four psychiatric pathology in terms of frequency following phobias, disorders relating to alcohol and drugs, and depression.

Promising clinical trial for patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (News-Medical-Net)