Reply To: What to tackle first??

[Natasha]

Hi Meagan,
I’m sorry to hear about her struggles. From what you described it sounds like it could be moral and harm OCD thoughts. Many people fixate on the fear they will harm themselves, that they are depressed, that they might be a “bad” person. Unfortunately when you take them to someone who is not educated on these OCD themes it can make it worse, as one of the core fears is their mental health.

CBT is a general form of therapy and most therapists who do CBT are not trained in how to assess and treat OCD. You want to find an ERP therapist. ERP is a type of CBT, but those that practice ERP will know how to spot those themes for what they are and the effective ways to treat it.

The anxious feelings are often the focus because the OCD makes the person think that it means they are mentally not well and that there is potential for harm.

It sounds like focusing on the OCD is key and getting into the right treatment is important. Have you tried to look for a provider here http://www.IOCDF.org/find-help or with NOCD http://www.treatmyocd.com? I would start there if possible.

Also, here are some resources for you and some for her on those topics:

For you:
Harm OCD: What it is and How to Help Kids Who Have it https://www.anxioustoddlers.com/child-harm-ocd/
Helping Kids with Moral OCD: https://www.anxioustoddlers.com/kids-with-moral-ocd/

For her:
Do You have OCD and Worry About Harming Yourself or Others? https://youtu.be/XR0anBw_NIY
Does OCD Give You Bad Thoughts: https://youtu.be/ghvLO8gcMm8
Does OCD Make You Worry You are Going to Turn into a Bad Person? https://youtu.be/4DvIh2q1N84