Many traumatized adopted children will struggle with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). OCD is an anxiety disorder in which a traumatized adopted child seeks to take control of things that do not matter because he was unable to control the things that did matter. Of course, the traumatized adopted child is not going to be able to articulate that this is the reason for the OCD. All the child knows is that certain things must be done in a certain way. If they are not, then the traumatized adopted child feels an enormous amount of anxiety.

OCD can manifest itself in a number of ways. Your adopted child might insist that certain tasks be performed in exactly the same way every time. For example, the ritual might be for you to read him a book, kiss him goodnight, and turn out the light. If you ever change this order, the child will become agitated, much more so than just an average child’s preference for things to be done in one way instead of another.

A traumatized adopted child with OCD might use repetition in certain tasks, such as checking that the front door is locked exactly three times or checking the alarm clock seven times before going to bed. If you interfere with the ritual, the child will feel the need to start over.

He might hoard objects, such as collecting large quantities of particular items and coming unglued if you try to reduce the number. For me, it was pens. I had to have five pens plus a spare at all times. If I had fewer than that number, I experienced an enormous amount of anxiety, so I would hoard pens to make sure that I had a cushion. My friends would get a kick out of counting the number of pens I had in my purse. I believe the record was 23.

The reason for the rituals is to alleviate anxiety. The adopted child’s trauma caused the child to experience anxiety. Until he heals the anxiety, he needs a way to manage it. That is where the OCD rituals come in. By fulfilling an OCD ritual, the child is able to release some of his anxiety for a period of time, which brings him short-term relief.

I found that processing my anger succeeded in reducing my anxiety level. That is because repressed anger does not just go away. If you do not express anger, then that anger turns on you in the form of anxiety or depression (or both).

If your traumatized adopted child struggles with OCD, try teaching him ways to access and process his repressed anger. In the meantime, do not belittle or interfere with the OCD rituals. Your traumatized adopted child is using those rituals to manage his anxiety.

Related Topics:

• Aftereffects of Childhood Abuse: Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
• How to Identify Signs of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
• How to Identify Symptoms of OCD
• How to Minimize the Effects of OCD
• How to Cure OCD

Photo credit: Faith Allen