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 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.
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