Diagnosis in children is sometimes difficult since they often try to mask symptoms. The following questions are a good indicator that the child needs to be evaluated by a professional:

Do you have worries, thoughts, images, feelings, or ideas that bother you?

Do you have to check things over and over again?

Do you have to wash your hands a lot, more than most kids?

Do you count to a certain number or do things a certain number of times?

Do you collect things that others might throw away (like hair or fingernail clippings)?

Do things have to be "just so"?

Are there things you have to do before you go to bed? (Ben-Joseph, 2009)

At present, there are two solid methods for treating OCD -- behavioral therapy and drugs that help manage serotonin levels in the brain. Depending on the symptoms, a combination of therapies is usually preferred. Cognitive...
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