Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder in Adolescents

At Chamberlain International School, students between the ages of 11 and 22 receive individualized academic services and clinical care. Chamberlain International School welcomes students experiencing a wide variety of emotional and behavioral challenges, including obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).
OCD presents as a form of chronic anxiety, in which an individual struggles with intrusive and worrisome thoughts, images, or ideas. These thought patterns often center on something bad, such as illness or death, befalling the person or a member of his or her family.
Many individuals with OCD feel compelled to perform certain actions, often as a way of preventing their worries from becoming true. Known clinically as compulsions, these activities consume an excessive amount of time and intrude on the person’s ability to meet his or her daily obligations.
Teenagers may be more likely to try to hide their symptoms out of fear of judgment, though caring adults may notice difficulty concentrating, seemingly irrational worries, or actions that cannot be interrupted without causing significant distress. Such worries and compulsions can impact not only the teen’s self-esteem, but also his or her ability to form and maintain friendships. In some cases, academic work becomes a cause of obsessions and compulsions for the teen with OCD, which prompts him or her to re-do work until it is “perfect.”
Fortunately, OCD in teenagers can respond well to therapeutic interventions. These may involve medication or cognitive behavioral therapy, the latter of which is often the first recommendation in younger clients.
