>> After all, it’s the only one
we have. Tom Costello, NBC
News, Washington.
>> Well, OCD Awareness Week is officially underway. Obsessive
officially underway. Obsessive
compulsive disorder that let’s
see one out of 100.
>> American adults. Here’s
another stat. One out of 200
children to talk more about it
is Cali Werner clinician with
the McLean OCD Institute of
Houston. Good Morning, Kelly.
How you doing?
>> Good morning. I’m good. How are you know, I’m I’m well.
How are you know, I’m I’m well.
Thank you so much. First of
all, for our viewers could use
the fine, I Tell us a little
bit more about what OCD is.
>> Yeah, he is a chronic mental illness that starts off with
illness that starts off with
obsessive thoughts followed
by repetitive and ritualistic
behaviors that are unwanted
enjoyable. But done in an
attempt to relieve anxiety from
the intrusive thoughts.
>> And what are some of the
symptoms or or signs of this?
And you talked about the
behavior is is a certain kind
of repetitive repetitive behaviors that happened at a
behaviors that happened at a
certain time of the day.
What do you think?
>> Yes, and there’s about a
different subtypes of those C d
most people know about contamination or keeping things
contamination or keeping things
orderly or tiny. there’s also
a lot more that goes to it and
they’re all equally as common.
The Peace of Mind Foundation website has all the different
website has all the different
subtypes and videos on each
type of symptom but it can
happen at any point in
individual with those he can
get triggered at any time.
And it’s been it’s really distressing. And so that’s why
distressing. And so that’s why
they engaged in one of these
behaviors such as hand washing
or tapping a surface or a
meeting to ask for reassurance so that they can feel better in
so that they can feel better in
that moment. The only problem
is that just revamps the
obsessive thought. And so it
continues on this debilitating
cycle.
>> No So to tell us a little
bit about why this awareness week, OCD Awareness Week is so
week, OCD Awareness Week is so
important what you’re trying
to accomplish.
>> see often goes left untreated, people might take
untreated, people might take
about 17 years before they get
an appropriate diagnosis from
the onset of symptoms. And it
also can can be misdiagnosed.
There’s generalized anxiety disorder, specific phobias, the
disorder, specific phobias, the
and so just creating awareness
so that people can get the
appropriate treatment suffer no
longer is really important
because a lot of people suffer
in silence. >> Let me ask you as a parent
>> Let me ask you as a parent
of 4 children, I mean, at what
point do we look at our even
our children’s behavior and
say, hey, maybe there’s
something here, the that we need to look into a little bit.
need to look into a little bit.
>> Yeah, it’s a great question.
So when we’re looking to
diagnose where we’re trying to
see if it’s taking more than
an hour out of their day from being able to do daily tasks
being able to do daily tasks
that they enjoyed We also
really want to make sure that
the task that they’re doing
such as you know, a child might be arranging their Barbie dolls
be arranging their Barbie dolls
and doing that because it
brings them joy and happiness
or a child may be doing that
because they feel like, well,
if I don’t arrange them, I
loved one might get in a car
accident or something terrible will happen. And so we really
will happen. And so we really
want to make sure that they’re
doing this because they don’t
want to. But they feel like
they have to do to relieve
anxiety of the moment.
>> And how can you tell the
difference? And I know you said, OK, an hour it like it’s
said, OK, an hour it like it’s
taking too long. But how do we
make that connection between
OCD and anxiety in that case.
that case.
>> Also, solo CD we really are
looking for that access of pot
followed by repetitive behavior
ritual to relieve anxiety from that progress, generalized
that progress, generalized
anxiety or just anxiety is, you
know, we all have anxiety about
a test that’s coming up or even
some good anxiety about the
night before But those those things are manageable and also
things are manageable and also
comment across the board
without needing a diagnosis.
And so if a child is suffering
and it is impacting them negatively, they might be
negatively, they might be
crying avoiding certain things
that they once loved. Those are
also really big indicators that
they could use some extra home.
>> Kelly wrote a book that’s called anxious. Annie and
called anxious. Annie and
understand faces her fears and
anxiety as she competes in
sports. Why was it so important
to to write this story? And I guess who’s the story for?
guess who’s the story for?
>> That’s why I’m in is the
applicant and clinicians.
So Ed, I was diagnosed when I
was 21 running at Rice
University and suffered from age 4 and up until then.
age 4 and up until then.
So I really didn’t receive the
appropriate diagnosis. But I’ve
been a distance runner my my whole career. it would have
whole career. it would have
been really helpful to get the
appropriate diagnosis. And I
can work on those things
earlier and not suffer. And
so for kids, it’s so hard to put some words to specific
put some words to specific
emotions and even the pressures
that they may put on themselves
to compete at a high You know,
that the sports are getting
more and more competitive at younger ages. And so just
younger ages. And so just
helpful to give them some words
that also remember that the
finance. And so that’s kind of
the population that this book
is for. It’s for young Kiddo’s. But the message is just across
But the message is just across
the board.
>> It is OCD. Something people
can manage on their own.
Is it something that always
requires professional help?
Sometimes? How do we arrive at
that answer?
>> So I always tell my patients
you should never let those you
make a decision for you.
So and that being said, there
is anxiety that’s holding you
there is treatment that’s
available and you can
accomplish everything that you
want to in life. And so
absolutely it is manageable and it should never have to slow
it should never have to slow
you down at the appropriate
support is there. And we know
the the illnesses Connick.
And so there might be times
where life is stressful with
a move or a family change. And so we’re just getting back
And so we’re just getting back
in and sharpening those tools
is always a great support and
there’s never any shame in that
thing. Back to see if a
clinician again in McLean is a
great place for that. But I’m
just making sure that you’re
staying on top of them and
living what we call an exposure
and response prevention
lifestyle, the evidence-based treatment for OCD.
treatment for OCD.
>> A great message to share for
OCD Awareness Week. Kelly
Werner clinician with the