The Nexus Teen Academy editorial and clinical team is dedicated to providing informative and accurate content to help families who are struggling with adolescent behavioral health problems. The editorial team works directly with the clinical team to ensure information is accurate and up-to-date.
To do this, our team uses the following editorial guidelines:
We generally only cite government and peer-reviewed studies
Scientific claims and data are backed by qualified sources
Content is updated to ensure we are citing the most up-to-date data and information
Clinically reviewed by Executive Director Hannah Carr, LPC
Executive Director Hannah Carr, LPC
Hannah graduated from Arizona State University with her Bachelor’s in Psychology and Master’s in Counseling and is a Licensed Professional Counselor in Arizona. She began her work as a therapist 12 years ago in South Phoenix with an intensive outpatient program for teens and their families. She joined Nexus in the residential program as the clinical director, eventually being promoted to the executive director, creating and building the clinical program structure and a strong culture focused on redirecting the trajectory of young lives.
The Nexus Teen Academy Editorial Staff is composed of writers, editors, and clinical reviewers with many years of experience writing about mental health and behavioral health treatment. Our team utilizes peer-reviewed, clinical studies from sources like SAMHSA to ensure we provide the most accurate and current information.
Teen obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) has become more prevalent in the last few decades. It is used by many teenagers to mean that they like their things to be neat and orderly. While orderliness and cleanliness can be common signs of OCD in teens, this condition is much more serious.
Teen OCD is a lifelong mental health condition that can significantly affect a teenager’s behavior. It is characterized by repetitive and unwanted thoughts that cause your teen to perform specific actions. As a parent or guardian, you should recognize the signs of OCD in teens. Early detection and diagnosis can help your teen learn to manage their behaviors.
At Nexus Teen Academy, we understand the importance of early OCD detection and aim to provide a comprehensive guide on the signs of OCD in teens. It will also explore various early interventions and support strategies for parents and professionals. Contact us today for high-quality teen OCD treatment in Arizona.
Behavioral Signs of OCD in Teens
OCD causes unwanted thoughts (obsessions) that will not go away until certain repetitive actions (compulsions) are performed. Compulsions are actions that help reduce your teen’s anxiety. Most teens with OCD believe that something bad will happen if these actions or rituals are not performed. Although compulsions offer momentary relief, they are not pleasurable. They are often seen as irrational and unnecessary. Some common behavioral signs of teen OCD include the following:
Compulsive Cleaning and Hygiene Rituals
When most people think about OCD, they envision someone obsessed with cleanliness. Compulsive cleaning or hygiene rituals are tied to obsessions about germs. Teens with such obsessions fear germs and contamination, leading them to compulsive cleaning. Teens who develop hygiene rituals often bathe, clean, or scrub their hands multiple times. For example, if they touch a doorknob, they have to clean their hands numerous times. They do this to prevent contamination or getting sick. Compulsive cleaning can lead to skin breakage or raw hands.
Repeated Checking and Repetitive Behaviors
Checking is another common OCD symptom. It involves repeatedly checking whether something is in the right state. For example, your teen may repeatedly check all the doors in the house to ensure they are locked. Some teenagers repeatedly check whether the stove is off because they fear starting fires. These rituals can impact your teen’s life because focus a lot of their attention on these things to make sure that their anxiety is alleviated.
Ordering and Symmetry Fixations
Teenagers with a symmetry obsession tend to arrange things in a certain way. They like things to be balanced and symmetrical. For example, they may arrange all their belongings in symmetrical patterns, and all their clothes need to be neatly folded into equal piles. Such teenagers experience extreme distress when things are asymmetrical.
Reassurance Seeking and Repeating Questions
OCD can cause your teen to seek reassurance constantly. This type of behavior is often connected to teens who struggle with uncertainty. These obsessive thoughts cause your teen to seek reassurance that everything will be okay constantly.
Rigid Routines and Ritualized Habits
Some teens develop rigid and ritualized habits. These habits stem from the fear that something bad will happen if a ritual is not followed. When the ritual is interrupted or not followed, your teen might experience extreme distress.
Physical Signs of OCD in Teens
Repetitive and compulsive acts can have a physical effect. Some physical signs of teen OCD include the following:
Raw hands or skin damage from repeated cleaning rituals
Sleep disruptions due to obsessive thoughts
Constant fatigue
Headaches
Excessive soap use
Perfectly organized rooms
Avoiding things that might contaminate them
Social and School-Related Signs of OCD
OCD can have an impact on your teen’s social and school life. Some social and school-related signs of teen OCD include the following:
Withdrawal from Friends and Activities
Teens with OCD self-isolate. They avoid friends and activities that may ‘contaminate’ them. The fear of getting sick will prevent them from meeting their friends.
Impact on School Performance and Behavior
Obsessions make it hard to concentrate in class. This can impact your teen’s academic performance. Similarly, some obsessions may make your teen engage in compulsive behaviors such as frequent bathroom visits. These visits take time away from academic activities and can also impact your teen’s academic performance.
Strained Family Routines and Interactions
Your teen’s rituals may strain family routines and interactions. Families have to adjust to rituals that are often viewed as unnecessary, which can cause tension between family members and strain their relationships.
Early Intervention and Support Strategies
As a parent or guardian, it is your responsibility to ensure that your teen is physically and mentally healthy. In order to do this, you need to do the following:
Approach with Empathy and Open Communication
Empathy and open communication are the cornerstones of successful parent-child relationships. If you notice that your teen is struggling with their mental health, you should approach the subject with empathy. Mental health challenges are still taboo in many societies. As a result, teenagers can be ashamed of their mental health struggles. When you approach your teen about the subject, talk to them empathetically. Avoid judging their behavior since it is challenging to overcome compulsions. If your teen is reluctant to accept help, empathy will help them change their mind.
Open communication allows teenagers to talk about their struggles without fear of judgment. As a parent or guardian, you should adopt an open communication policy at home. This will encourage your teen to talk about their issues. Some OCD obsessions are violent and taboo. As a result, many teens refrain from talking about their obsessive thoughts. Without open communication, teenagers will keep these thoughts inside, which harms their treatment.
Seek Professional Evaluation and Therapy
OCD is a serious mental health condition. It requires a formal diagnosis and treatment through psychotherapy and pharmacological interventions. If you notice that your teen may have OCD, you should seek professional help immediately.
Professionals have a wide array of tools that can help teens with OCD. A common treatment approach designed to help teens with OCD is exposure and response prevention (ERP). ERP is a type of cognitive behavioral therapy that exposes teenagers to negative stimuli. For example, if your teen fears germs, they will be gradually exposed to various situations that may “contaminate” them. ERP teaches teenagers how to resist the urge to perform compulsive acts. Gradual exposure helps teens with OCD understand that compulsions have no real-life effect. They do not guarantee that anything negative will not happen. When teens make this connection, they can overcome their obsessions and compulsions. In addition to therapy, professionals prescribe selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SRIs) to treat OCD.
Collaborate with School and Family Support
OCD treatment may require accommodations from the school and other family members. As a result, you should work collaboratively with teachers and counselors to ensure that your teen’s school life is not hindered. They can give your teen time off as they receive treatment, or be more understanding when your teen performs compulsive acts. It is also essential to ask for help from trusted family members. Dealing with it alone can be overwhelming.
Teen OCD Treatment at Nexus Teen Academy
Nexus Teen Academy is a premier teen mental health treatment facility in Arizona. We specialize in treating teens with various mental health conditions, including OCD. Our talented and multidisciplinary staff tailor our comprehensive treatment programs to cater to your teen’s individual needs. At Nexus Teen Academy, we use tried and tested treatment methods to help teens with OCD overcome their obsessive thoughts or compulsive actions. We also offer holistic practices that equip your teen with the required skills to manage their obsessive thoughts. Apart from evidence-based interventions like ERP, we provide pharmacological interventions to help teens manage their symptoms.
OCD is a highly manageable mental health condition. It is not a death sentence. If you would like to enroll your teen in our residential treatment program, contact us today.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Can OCD exist without cleanliness or organization obsessions?
Yes, OCD can exist without cleanliness or organization obsessions. OCD presents differently in individuals. Some teens may have religious obsessions, while others have unwanted sexual thoughts.
Do teens know their OCD behaviors are unusual?
Yes, most teens with OCD know that their obsessions and compulsions are irrational and unusual. However, it is challenging to control their impulses.
Will my teen grow out of OCD without treatment?
No, it is unlikely that your teen will “grow out of it.” OCD is a chronic or lifelong mental health condition that requires treatment. While symptoms may improve or fluctuate, OCD does not go away.
Executive Director Hannah Carr, LPC and nexus_admin
Common Signs of OCD in Teens
FACT CHECKED
The Nexus Teen Academy editorial and clinical team is dedicated to providing informative and accurate content to help families who are struggling with adolescent behavioral health problems. The editorial team works directly with the clinical team to ensure information is accurate and up-to-date.
To do this, our team uses the following editorial guidelines:
Clinically reviewed by Executive Director Hannah Carr, LPC
Executive Director Hannah Carr, LPC
Hannah graduated from Arizona State University with her Bachelor’s in Psychology and Master’s in Counseling and is a Licensed Professional Counselor in Arizona. She began her work as a therapist 12 years ago in South Phoenix with an intensive outpatient program for teens and their families. She joined Nexus in the residential program as the clinical director, eventually being promoted to the executive director, creating and building the clinical program structure and a strong culture focused on redirecting the trajectory of young lives.
Published By Nexus Teen Academy
Nexus Teen Academy
The Nexus Teen Academy Editorial Staff is composed of writers, editors, and clinical reviewers with many years of experience writing about mental health and behavioral health treatment. Our team utilizes peer-reviewed, clinical studies from sources like SAMHSA to ensure we provide the most accurate and current information.
Published On August 24, 2025
Table of Contents
Teen obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) has become more prevalent in the last few decades. It is used by many teenagers to mean that they like their things to be neat and orderly. While orderliness and cleanliness can be common signs of OCD in teens, this condition is much more serious.
Teen OCD is a lifelong mental health condition that can significantly affect a teenager’s behavior. It is characterized by repetitive and unwanted thoughts that cause your teen to perform specific actions. As a parent or guardian, you should recognize the signs of OCD in teens. Early detection and diagnosis can help your teen learn to manage their behaviors.
At Nexus Teen Academy, we understand the importance of early OCD detection and aim to provide a comprehensive guide on the signs of OCD in teens. It will also explore various early interventions and support strategies for parents and professionals. Contact us today for high-quality teen OCD treatment in Arizona.
Behavioral Signs of OCD in Teens
OCD causes unwanted thoughts (obsessions) that will not go away until certain repetitive actions (compulsions) are performed. Compulsions are actions that help reduce your teen’s anxiety. Most teens with OCD believe that something bad will happen if these actions or rituals are not performed. Although compulsions offer momentary relief, they are not pleasurable. They are often seen as irrational and unnecessary. Some common behavioral signs of teen OCD include the following:
Compulsive Cleaning and Hygiene Rituals
When most people think about OCD, they envision someone obsessed with cleanliness. Compulsive cleaning or hygiene rituals are tied to obsessions about germs. Teens with such obsessions fear germs and contamination, leading them to compulsive cleaning. Teens who develop hygiene rituals often bathe, clean, or scrub their hands multiple times. For example, if they touch a doorknob, they have to clean their hands numerous times. They do this to prevent contamination or getting sick. Compulsive cleaning can lead to skin breakage or raw hands.
Repeated Checking and Repetitive Behaviors
Checking is another common OCD symptom. It involves repeatedly checking whether something is in the right state. For example, your teen may repeatedly check all the doors in the house to ensure they are locked. Some teenagers repeatedly check whether the stove is off because they fear starting fires. These rituals can impact your teen’s life because focus a lot of their attention on these things to make sure that their anxiety is alleviated.
Ordering and Symmetry Fixations
Teenagers with a symmetry obsession tend to arrange things in a certain way. They like things to be balanced and symmetrical. For example, they may arrange all their belongings in symmetrical patterns, and all their clothes need to be neatly folded into equal piles. Such teenagers experience extreme distress when things are asymmetrical.
Reassurance Seeking and Repeating Questions
OCD can cause your teen to seek reassurance constantly. This type of behavior is often connected to teens who struggle with uncertainty. These obsessive thoughts cause your teen to seek reassurance that everything will be okay constantly.
Rigid Routines and Ritualized Habits
Some teens develop rigid and ritualized habits. These habits stem from the fear that something bad will happen if a ritual is not followed. When the ritual is interrupted or not followed, your teen might experience extreme distress.
Physical Signs of OCD in Teens
Repetitive and compulsive acts can have a physical effect. Some physical signs of teen OCD include the following:
Social and School-Related Signs of OCD
OCD can have an impact on your teen’s social and school life. Some social and school-related signs of teen OCD include the following:
Withdrawal from Friends and Activities
Teens with OCD self-isolate. They avoid friends and activities that may ‘contaminate’ them. The fear of getting sick will prevent them from meeting their friends.
Impact on School Performance and Behavior
Obsessions make it hard to concentrate in class. This can impact your teen’s academic performance. Similarly, some obsessions may make your teen engage in compulsive behaviors such as frequent bathroom visits. These visits take time away from academic activities and can also impact your teen’s academic performance.
Strained Family Routines and Interactions
Your teen’s rituals may strain family routines and interactions. Families have to adjust to rituals that are often viewed as unnecessary, which can cause tension between family members and strain their relationships.
Early Intervention and Support Strategies
As a parent or guardian, it is your responsibility to ensure that your teen is physically and mentally healthy. In order to do this, you need to do the following:
Approach with Empathy and Open Communication
Empathy and open communication are the cornerstones of successful parent-child relationships. If you notice that your teen is struggling with their mental health, you should approach the subject with empathy. Mental health challenges are still taboo in many societies. As a result, teenagers can be ashamed of their mental health struggles. When you approach your teen about the subject, talk to them empathetically. Avoid judging their behavior since it is challenging to overcome compulsions. If your teen is reluctant to accept help, empathy will help them change their mind.
Open communication allows teenagers to talk about their struggles without fear of judgment. As a parent or guardian, you should adopt an open communication policy at home. This will encourage your teen to talk about their issues. Some OCD obsessions are violent and taboo. As a result, many teens refrain from talking about their obsessive thoughts. Without open communication, teenagers will keep these thoughts inside, which harms their treatment.
Seek Professional Evaluation and Therapy
OCD is a serious mental health condition. It requires a formal diagnosis and treatment through psychotherapy and pharmacological interventions. If you notice that your teen may have OCD, you should seek professional help immediately.
Professionals have a wide array of tools that can help teens with OCD. A common treatment approach designed to help teens with OCD is exposure and response prevention (ERP). ERP is a type of cognitive behavioral therapy that exposes teenagers to negative stimuli. For example, if your teen fears germs, they will be gradually exposed to various situations that may “contaminate” them. ERP teaches teenagers how to resist the urge to perform compulsive acts. Gradual exposure helps teens with OCD understand that compulsions have no real-life effect. They do not guarantee that anything negative will not happen. When teens make this connection, they can overcome their obsessions and compulsions. In addition to therapy, professionals prescribe selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SRIs) to treat OCD.
Collaborate with School and Family Support
OCD treatment may require accommodations from the school and other family members. As a result, you should work collaboratively with teachers and counselors to ensure that your teen’s school life is not hindered. They can give your teen time off as they receive treatment, or be more understanding when your teen performs compulsive acts. It is also essential to ask for help from trusted family members. Dealing with it alone can be overwhelming.
Teen OCD Treatment at Nexus Teen Academy
Nexus Teen Academy is a premier teen mental health treatment facility in Arizona. We specialize in treating teens with various mental health conditions, including OCD. Our talented and multidisciplinary staff tailor our comprehensive treatment programs to cater to your teen’s individual needs. At Nexus Teen Academy, we use tried and tested treatment methods to help teens with OCD overcome their obsessive thoughts or compulsive actions. We also offer holistic practices that equip your teen with the required skills to manage their obsessive thoughts. Apart from evidence-based interventions like ERP, we provide pharmacological interventions to help teens manage their symptoms.
OCD is a highly manageable mental health condition. It is not a death sentence. If you would like to enroll your teen in our residential treatment program, contact us today.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Yes, OCD can exist without cleanliness or organization obsessions. OCD presents differently in individuals. Some teens may have religious obsessions, while others have unwanted sexual thoughts.
Yes, most teens with OCD know that their obsessions and compulsions are irrational and unusual. However, it is challenging to control their impulses.
No, it is unlikely that your teen will “grow out of it.” OCD is a chronic or lifelong mental health condition that requires treatment. While symptoms may improve or fluctuate, OCD does not go away.