Preemptively curtail OCD

[Anonymous]

Is it possible to preemptively curtail OCD in a 9 yo? DH, his sister and mother all have it. But since DD doesn't seem to exhibit it, no therapist will see her.
I wonder, given the strong genetic link, if there are ways I can help DD before it becomes an issue.

[Anonymous]

You start by teaching her appropriate ways to handle her emotions. It's completely normal to have some apprehension/fear and other big emotions. Learning how to manage those big emotions is a lifeskill every person needs. We started ours with breathing exercises and affirmations. When they were upset about something, we'd first ask them to take a 'calming breath'. Sometimes they needed a couple of them. We used the same technique when they were getting vaccinations.

I had one kid who was worried about something and that led to a discussion about risk. I acknowledged that yes, in fact, this thing could happen but was it likely. I used the example of a tree falling and hitting him when he walked on the sidewalk. Yes, that could happen. How likely was that? What would make it more likely? What could be done to reduce the likelihood of it happening - and they had to be real risk reducing things, not something that could be ritualized.

This may not prevent your DC from developing OCD or GAD - two of my kids started on SSRIs in late ES because CBT was enought to manage their symptoms - but everyone benefits from knowing how to manage their emotions/fears.