The Invisible Scars: Growing Up with a Parent with OCD and the Lingering Echo of Abandonment
As mental health professionals, we strive to understand the intricate web of experiences that shape an individual's well-being. We recognize the profound impact of mental health conditions not just on the individual, but on their entire family system. Yet, there's a vital piece of this puzzle that often remains in the shadows: the emotional world of children growing up with a parent battling Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD). In my own clinical practice, a consistent and heartbreaking pattern has emerged. I've witnessed firsthand how children of parents with OCD often grow up feeling neglected, carrying the heavy burden of anxiety and depression, and, perhaps most profoundly, a persistent and chronic sense of abandonment that takes root at a very young age. This holds true even for individuals whose parents received treatment much later in life, long after the foundational years of childhood had passed. Consider the recent case of a 22-year-old patient. Diagnosed with Bo...