If you have a teenager who has been diagnosed with OCD, it is important to get them help as soon as possible. Getting your child help will protect them from the effects that OCD can have on their life, such as interpersonal issues, education issues, and social isolation. With the right outpatient treatment program, your child will learn how to manage their OCD and live a productive life.

Family Therapy

First, your teen can engage in family therapy. Family therapy will help teach everyone in your family how to respond and assist your teenager who is struggling with OCD. Your teen needs a support system around them and everyone in your family should be educated about how to avoid criticizing and judging your teen for their behaviors. Your teen needs to have the right support system around them and needs your family to avoid judging or enabling them for their behaviors associated with OCD.

Complementary Therapy

It can be useful for your teen to engage in complementary therapies. These types of therapies are about your teen learning how to gain a sense of control in their life and reduce anxiety. This is about giving your teen the tools they need to control and direct their life. 

There is a wide range of complementary therapies that one can engage in, such as yoga, art therapy, and exercise. Yoga can help engage the entire body in reducing stress. Art therapy can be an excellent way for your teen to learn how to manage and express their fears and emotions. Exercise therapy can help your teen enjoy better sleep, and improved mood, and better physical health.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Your teen should also engage in CBT. With CBT, they will learn how to confront their obsessions. They will also learn how to refrain from engaging in compulsive behaviors over time.  This can be achieved through exposure and response prevention techniques during their cognitive behavioral therapy. This isn't going to happen overnight but is a process that will occur over weeks of sessions. 

Treating a teen with OCD requires the whole family to patriciate. You are going to need to engage in family therapy to support your teen. Your teen will need to engage in CBT to learn how to control their behaviors and face their fears. They will also need to engage in complementary therapies that will help them gain control over their life and body. You will want to find an outpatient OCD treatment program that can provide these services and more to your teenager.