It’s common for people to start showing obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) symptoms for the first time in their teens. It often goes unnoticed for several reasons: many parents and teachers have a narrow idea of what OCD looks like, and in some teens, the symptoms may not be very outwardly visible. 

OCD goes beyond being excessively neat and organized. It may involve repetitive behaviors, time-consuming rituals, avoidance of triggers, and reassurance-seeking. Physical anxiety symptoms and other signs, like academic and social struggles, may be mistakenly attributed to other causes. 

With an accurate diagnosis and prompt treatment, there’s a strong likelihood your teen can learn to manage their symptoms and thrive with the right support. For most teens with OCD, treatment will include a combination of medication and psychotherapy. The first steps are recognizing the signs and starting a conversation about OCD today.

In this article, we’ll discuss eight ways to recognize OCD in teens and what to do if you think your teen may have OCD.

8 ways to recognize OCD in teens 

OCD looks very different from one person to the next. In most cases, people have a cluster of symptoms around a specific theme, like contamination, perfectionism, or relationship worries. They have intrusive thoughts or obsessions, and in most cases, they develop compulsive behaviors in an effort to resolve or get rid of these thoughts. 

The diagnostic criteria for OCD requires intrusive obsessions and/or repetitive compulsions that take up more than an hour each day, or cause significant distress or impairment, lasting for more than two weeks.

Some teens experience internal compulsions, such as mental counting or silent repetition of phrases. When a person has no noticeable compulsions, it’s known as “pure O” OCD.

The following are eight ways to recognize OCD in teens:

•  Look for repetitive behaviors beyond normal routines 

Teens with OCD may feel like they need to repeat behaviors until they get them “just right.” This might include things like getting dressed, arranging items, or repeatedly checking locked doors. Hand washing can also be a repetitive behavior, but it’s usually often tied to anxieties about contamination or germs.

• Notice time-consuming mental rituals 

These aren’t always outwardly obvious, but if your teen is taking longer to complete tasks, it may be because they’re going through their mental rituals. Counting, reviewing events, repeating phrases, or listing things in a specific order are all examples of mental rituals.

• Watch for avoidance patterns 

If your teen’s anxiety triggers are distressing or if their compulsive behaviors are disruptive, they may try to avoid certain places, topics, or situations. A teen with contamination OCD may be distressed by touching certain things, or a teen with sexual orientation OCD may not tolerate conversations about gender and sexuality.

• Observe reassurance-seeking behaviors 

In some cases, teens may seek reassurance to deal with anxious thoughts. Driven by these distressing thoughts, they might ask you to text them throughout the day so they know you’re OK, or they might seek reassurance by asking the same questions. 

For instance, they might repeatedly ask if something is ‘OK’ or if they made the right decision. A teen with obsessions around morals or scrupulosity might constantly ask for validation when making decisions.

• Monitor academic performance changes 

If your teen’s OCD interferes with their schoolwork, for instance, because of perfectionism or elaborate rituals, it may lead to declining grades. If they spend too much time on assignments during class or at home, they may turn in incomplete work or not turn anything in at all.

• Identify distress when routines are disrupted 

When teens can’t engage in their compulsive behaviors for one reason or another, they may have intense anxiety or feel distressed. They may have uncharacteristic emotional outbursts over situations that might appear minor to others but feel overwhelming to them.

• Recognize physical symptoms of anxiety 

Like other anxiety disorders, OCD can cause physical symptoms such as nausea, stomachache, trembling, sweating, or changes in eating and sleeping patterns. Teens with OCD may feel tired out from keeping up with their rituals, or they may be unable to concentrate on schoolwork.

• Notice social withdrawal 

Many teens recognize that their anxieties and behaviors alienate them from their peers. They may stop hanging out with their usual friends or avoid social events.

School-related OCD triggers and helping your teen thrive

With new back-to-school routines, more time among peers, and academic pressure, a teen’s OCD symptoms may become more noticeable in the fall. When left untreated, OCD can affect your teen’s social life, their academic performance, and their ability to function. 

Your role in supporting your teen begins with helping them find treatment, but it doesn’t stop there. It takes a delicate balance to show them support without reinforcing unhelpful patterns. A comprehensive treatment program should include support for parents and family members.

At Lightfully Teen, we offer three levels of mental health care for young people aged 12 to 17. Our licensed clinicians provide personalized treatment to help teens reduce the impact of their symptoms and improve daily functioning. Our programs incorporate individual, group, and family therapies to help teens and their families learn to care for their mental health proactively. 

Are you exploring higher levels of mental health care for a teen who may have OCD? The first step is an in-depth assessment. Contact us or reach out to our Admissions Concierge Team today.