Behavioral Therapy Can Treat Childhood OCD
At age 10, Nathanial repeatedly told his parents he loved them—on one occasion he said it 60 times over a 30-minute period. This behavior and other compulsions, such as constant apologizing and compulsively avoiding stepping on sidewalk cracks, led his parents to seek help from a cognitive behavior therapist.
Weekly sessions with his therapist taught Nathanial how to curtail his compulsions. He came to understand that he did not need constant reassurance of his parents’ affection, and that nothing bad would happen if he stepped on a sidewalk crack. Cognitive behavioral therapy can also teach parents how to respond to OCD symptoms at home.