All kids have worries and doubts. But kids with obsessive-
compulsive disorder (OCD) often can't stop worrying, no matter
how much they want to. And those worries frequently compel them
to behave in certain ways over and over again. OCD is a type of
anxiety disorder. Kids with OCD become preoccupied with whether
something could be harmful, dangerous, wrong, or dirty — or with
thoughts that bad stuff could happen. With OCD, upsetting or
scary thoughts or images, called obsessions, pop into a person's
mind and are hard to shake. Kids with OCD also might worry about
things not being "in order" or "just right." They may worry
about losing things, sometimes feeling the need to collect these
items, even though they may seem useless to other people.
Someone with OCD feels strong urges to do certain things
repeatedly — called rituals or compulsions — in order to banish
the scary thoughts, ward off something dreaded, or make extra
sure that things are safe, clean, or right in some way. Children
may have a difficult tim