OCD Treatment for Teens

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Residential OCD Treatment for Teens

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a mental illness that gets in the way of allowing a person to live their life to the fullest.

When left untreated, the results can cause young people to compromise their schooling and future careers. Zenith Behavioral Health treats OCD in teens by using multiple types of therapy modalities. We help your child rise up to meet their potential through our OCD treatment for teens in Phoenix, AZ. Attending our residential program helps young people gain control of their disease and return home with confidence and bright futures.

Learning Coping Skills for Anxiety

What Is OCD?

OCD is a mental health disorder that causes a person to experience obsessive thoughts and act with compulsive behaviors. The thoughts and behaviors are unwanted and tend to cause the person great stress. They interfere with their ability to engage in daily activities, often limiting the individual’s life a great deal. Typically, the person tries to stop the thoughts or keep from performing the behaviors but finds themselves unable to do so. This causes anxiety which, in turn, further fuels the symptoms of OCD.

The rituals related to OCD are not the same as certain impulses people may have, like double-checking a door to make sure it’s locked. Doing that is a conscious decision the person can choose whether or not to act on. With OCD, the person feels compelled to check and recheck the lock dozens of times. They cannot control the urge to do this act and, if denied the opportunity to do so, will experience tremendous stress.

A person with OCD usually recognizes that their thoughts and behaviors are neither typical nor healthy. Still, they cannot control them. In fact, some people spend hours a day engaged in OCD activities. When OCD in teens occurs, the person may not be old enough to understand what they’re experiencing. Fortunately, our OCD treatment in Phoenix, AZ can make a real difference in an adolescent life.

Signs and Symptoms of OCD in Teens

OCD in teens produces signs and symptoms similar to that of adults. Some teenagers experience just obsessive thoughts or only compulsive behaviors. The majority experience a combination of the two. The thoughts can include:

Wanting everything in a certain order or symmetrically arranged
Fear of losing control
Fear of germs or contaminated self or surroundings.
Concern about things like numbers or colors that feel unlucky or harmful
Unwanted or inappropriate thoughts related to things like sex and religion
A need for everything to be perfect
Dangerous thoughts about losing control and harming themselves or others

OCD behaviors can include repetitive actions, including:

Counting
Cleaning things to an excessive or unrealistic amount of times
Excessive hand washing
Repeating words, phrases, or questions
Touching or tapping an item a specific number of times
Arranging things in an exact or symmetrical order
Repeatedly checking on things, like if they locked a door or turned off the oven
Tics, such as eye blinking, jerking of the head or shoulder, and facial grimacing.
Vocal tics, including sniffing, grunting, and clearing the throat

How Is OCD Treated in Teens?

Because OCD in teens can be confusing for both the young person and their parents or caregivers, it becomes important to receive a complete evaluation to understand what’s going on. Zenith Behavioral Health provides teen OCD treatment in Phoenix, AZ, that educates adolescents and their families about what OCD encompasses and how to treat it.

Types of Therapy

Treatment for OCD in teens includes therapies proven to help young people manage their symptoms. One main therapy that proves effective in treating OCD is cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). CBT uses exposure and response prevention and talk therapy to help a person come to terms with their condition and help improve the symptoms that come with OCD. CBT sessions take place in a therapist’s office, and the exercises learned can be used between sessions, as well as after treatment has ended.

Family therapy helps empower teenagers to speak up and talk about how they feel when their symptoms flair up and what help they need. In turn, their families learn how to help their loved ones become healthier in mind and spirit.

Medications

Prescription medications can offer great relief for some of the side effects of OCD. When beginning to use FDA-approved medications for OCD, many clinicians start by prescribing an antidepressant. These can include serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SRIs) including:

Clomipramine
Sertraline
Paroxetine

Fluoxetine
Fluvoxamine
Citalopram
Escitalopram

Other medications can be used as an alternative or complementary medication, including anti-anxiety drugs, neuroleptic drugs, and lithium.

Begin Teen OCD Treatment in Phoenix, AZ

Anyone who has OCD knows how frustrating it can be. They want to gain better control of their obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviors, but find it difficult to accomplish. Zenith Behavioral Health provides specialized treatment for OCD in teens that helps put young people back in the driver’s seat. Our teen OCD treatment in Phoenix, AZ, focuses on OCD but can also treat other mental health disorders and addiction to drugs and alcohol.

Visit our admissions page now and see how easy it is to get your child the help they need. Our friendly staff will be happy to walk you through the admissions process.

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Teen Obsessive=Compulsive Disorder Treatment in Phoenix, Arizona

Our Detox & Mental Health Rehab Accepts Medicaid

Has your child’s life become ruled by OCD, and are you ready to help them take back the reins? Our adolescent residential treatment center in Phoenix, AZ, can help. Call (602) 847-9887 or fill out the confidential callback form below and learn how we can help your child live a life free from mental health challenges.

OCD Treatment for Teens in Arizona