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SUPPORTING CHILDREN

& YOUNG PEOPLE WITH OCD

One of the best way you can empower yourself, and the young person in your life, is by learning everything you can about OCD. It's also by finding out what support is available, and what resources are out there that your young person can access. You can find some ideas here.

Please remember than neither you nor your young person are alone in this process, there is ALWAYS someone to contact. It's just about knowing who.  

Before reading through the following I just want to mention a few important things : 

  • This page is designed for adults supporting children and young people

  • It is not suitable for children. 

  • These books are aimed specifically at supporting family members and/or young people. There are loads of other OCD, and more general mental health resources available under the General Information section. 

  • Some of these resources are aimed at children and some are designed to be used for children alongside an adult. Others are designed to be read by you alone so you can know how to support your young person the best you can.  Whatever the resource is, and despite who it is aimed at, please take a good look through it first before sharing any of it with your young person and use discretion to decide what is suitable. Some books can be triggering for young people with OCD.

  • The OCD charities are amazing and have spent years creating wonderful banks of resources and information for those effected by OCD. I would always suggest that you start by trawling through their websites and finding our what practical support and information is available.

  • PANS/PANDAS is a neuropsychiatric condition which is triggered by a misdirected immune response to a variety of triggers - it can cause a sudden onset of OCD symptoms. PANDAS is very similar but is triggered by Streptococcal infection. It is really important parents/carers read about this if there was been a sudden onset of OCD symptoms. Contact information below.



Websites

 

OCD Action

OCD Action is the national charity focusing on Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD).

They are a fabulous London-based charity - their support is nation wide. Check out their website to hear about all the wonderful help and support they can give you. 

OCD-UK  

Run by the amazing Ashley Fulwood with help from a brilliant range of volunteers and his side kick Sue Millichap. Based in Derby but again nation-wide. Rather excitingly, OCD-UK has just expanded and appointed Sue as Children and Young Peoples Lead. There is loads of information on this, and a wide range other things, on their website. They are always on the look out for volunteers and Young Ambassadors as well if you fancy getting involved. 

Internation OCD Foundation (IOCDF) 

The IOCDF also have an excellent website and a whole section aimed at supporting children here. They also have a lot of resources designed for supporting children and young people with OCD and anxiety in the school setting. It has sections for students, parents and staff. It's called Anxiety in the Classroom and you can find it here.

Unstuck OCD Kids Movie

This documentary is incredible and that's just the start of this fabulous families advocacy.  They campaign tirelessly to help spread awareness and improve the lives of young people with OCD. It's run by Chris Baeir, the father of two daughters - one of whom had OCD.  Their facebook page includes interviews with young people with OCD and the girls are amazing, often doing their own advocacy work talking about the sibling role in recovery and also giving a voice to the siblings without OCD, who are having to live alongside the condition too. 
A lot of their work  includes siblings and how to beat OCD together as a family. They are incredible and wonderful resources.  

Anxious toddlers to Anxious Teens

Natasha Daniels

Ignore the website title, this website is for all young people. Natasha hosts a wonderful podcast (I've spotted Chris from Unstuck Kids Movie on there too). It would take all day for me to describe the resources and information on offer here so it'll be worth you just checking it out yourself  - its jam-packed with helpful information. Some elements require payment, there are courses available, but the majority of information is free.  
 

Made of Millions 

Although this website isn't specifically designed to help children with OCD it does a brilliant job of talking about the 'scarier' parts of intrusive thoughts - the ones people find the most difficult to talk about. Finding out that your child or young person is having obsessional thoughts of a  violent or sexual nature can be worrying. This site does a great job of explaining what it is and why it happens. 

PANS/PANDASUK

An incredible charity that support the young people and the families of young people effected by PANS?PANDAS. If your child or young person has has a sudden onset of OCD symptoms (alongside other symptoms - please see site) it is really important that you read about the conditions. 

Twitter has an incredible group of fierce parents fighting for PANS/PANDAS awareness - just following the hashtag will help you find them. They are always happy to help and will take you under their wing. As well as the website above you can contact Paula Scott who is the Communications and Community Support Executive for the charity at paula.scott@panspandasuk.org.




Books
 

The following are links to the main OCD charities book recommendations. They will have fully vetted the books.

OCD UK Books 

OCD Action Books

IOCDF Books 



NON-FICTION

 

When a family member has OCD 

Jon Hershfield -  (Any book by Jon Hershfield is absolutely incredible.) 

The OCD Workbook for Teens: Mindfulness and CBT Skills to Help You Overcome Unwanted Thoughts and Compulsions

Jon Hershfield

Stand Up to OCD!: A CBT Self-Help Guide and Workbook for Teens
By Kelly Wood

The OCD Workbook for Teens: Manage Intrusive Thoughts and Compulsive Behavior with CBT and Mindfulness

by Anthony Bishop

A Free Pocket Sized OCD Guide for Young People

OCD -UK
These three are part of the same series and are wonderful - aimed at 6-12 year olds.


1) What to Do When Your Brain Gets Stuck: A Kid's Guide to Overcoming OCD 

2) What to Do When You Worry Too Much: A Kid's Guide to Overcoming Anxiety 

3) What to Do When Mistakes Make You Quake: A Kid’s Guide to Accepting Imperfection 


There are also books on bedtime worries, feeling negative or 'grumpy', anger, and more. Please note most of these books are workbooks so if you want to buy used it would be a good idea to check they haven't been written in.
Dawn Huebner who writes many of these books also writes books for older children. A list of her books are
here.

Standing Up to OCD Workbook for Kids 

40 Activities to Help Children Stop Unwanted Thoughts, Control Compulsive Behaviors, and Overcome Anxiety.

Tyson Reuter

 

The OCD Workbook for Teens: Mindfulness and CBT Skills to Help You Overcome Unwanted Thoughts and Compulsions

Molly Potter 

 

NOT OCD BUT STILL VERY HELPFUL

 

 

Don't worry be happy

A Child's Guide to Overcoming Anxiety
 

You're a star

A Child's Guide to Self Esteem
 

Looking after your Mental Health

Usbourne books

You are Awesome

Matthew Syed

What's Going on Inside my Head?

Sarah Jennings



FICTION

Rory Hobble and the Voyage to Haligogen

Max Hawker

Frankie's Foibles: A story about a boy who worries

Kath Grimshaw

Lions in a Flap

Sue Graves

The Truth Pixie 

Matt Haig 

The Truth Pixie Goes to School 

Matt Haig

The Huge Bag of Worries  

Virginia Ironside


Podcasts 

The OCD Stories

The OCD Stories is hands down one of the best resources for those with OCD and their families.
The family often runs through the podcasts but these in particular are very helpful:
         Unstuck:
A Kid's Movie - A family that fights OCD together beats OCD together
         Michelle Witkin - Siblings and OCD

          
 

Anxious toddlers to Anxious Teens - podcast

Natasha Daniels

 

Unstuck: A kids OCD Movie - facebook live chats



Radio Shows
Mind Over Matter

Matt Shoebridge. This episode includes Sarah Dobson talking about daughters experience of OCD and how they cope as a family. 


Recommended by others:

My Hidden Chimp Prof Steve Peters. Chimp Paradox but for children.


There are new wonderful resources coming out all the time so, as always, if you have any others that you found helpful please send me the details and I'll add them. 

 

Lots of love everyone. 
                                               

Catherine x

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