Anxiety and OCD

Anxiety and Related Disorders

Anxiety disorders include generalized and social anxiety, specific phobias, and panic attacks. These disorders require specialized psychological care. Below is information about well-researched, effective interventions.

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

Individuals with OCD experience distressing and intrusive worries (obsessions) accompanied by behaviors (compulsions) performed in order to relieve the distress caused by intrusive thoughts. Children as young as 5 years old can develop OCD and often make an effort to hide their ritualistic / repetitive behaviors.

Obsessions may include intense fears of contamination to worries that a loved one will die. Some children suddenly develop OCD and other symptoms after they have had an infection, such as strep or a staph infection. This is a disorder called PANDAS or PANS.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

Cognitive-behavior therapy (CBT) seeks to identify the connections between thoughts, behaviors and emotions. This treatment focuses on the present and addresses ways to learn new thought and behavioral patterns. Through CBT, individuals learn skills to challenge thinking patterns and learn how to navigate stressful situations and events in more helpful ways. This is an active therapeutic approach which requires that skills be practiced between sessions.

CBT for Children

CBT can help your child build emotional awareness, identify and understand negative thought patterns, and learn more effective ways to manage their emotions. Discovering new ways of looking at things helps children learn how to respond differently and improve, rather than exacerbate stressful situations.

CBT techniques used with children may include developmentally appropriate education about emotions, structured play-based therapy, modeling, and gradual exposure to anxiety provoking situations.

Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP / EXRP)

Exposure and response prevention is considered the most effective, gold-standard treatment for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). This therapy helps individuals address their fears and decrease their use of rituals, avoidance or other behavioral patterns. Exposure therapy can be helpful for all anxiety disorders (i.e., phobias, social and generalized anxiety, GAD, OCD, panic, agoraphobia, health anxiety).

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)

ACT is a third wave psychotherapy, stemming from CBT. This is a mindfulness based approach that aims to enhance psychological flexibility by focusing on an individual’s values.