OCD/phobia of dolls in 9 year old

[JanaDee]

I know this is going to be an unpopular opinion but I wouldn't change his sheets, wash his blankets.
I'd try talking to him about what brought this on and, as another poster said, get him to try thinking rationally about it. Washing his bed clothes, making the dolls stay in the room, it all just gives him and this phobia special attention.

I agree.

 

[3PrincessesAndaFrog]

I would have to agree with the other posters....contact your pediatrician for a referral to a Behaviorist. Often, in children, it can persist and grow and turn into something more quickly.

 

[aaarcher86]

If this is his first quirk that jumps put at you as OCD I wouldn't be rushing to the doctor. Kids go through weird phases. Talk to him a bit. Just don't go chasing him around with the dolls and I imagine he will get over it eventually, like most things.

If he genuinely had OCD or something serious I imagine you'd be able to tell without him having to come to you about it. It'd be affecting his daily life in ways you'd notice.

 

[sunshinehighway]

If this is his first quirk that jumps put at you as OCD I wouldn't be rushing to the doctor. Kids go through weird phases. Talk to him a bit. Just don't go chasing him around with the dolls and I imagine he will get over it eventually, like most things.

If he genuinely had OCD or something serious I imagine you'd be able to tell without him having to come to you about it. It'd be affecting his daily life in ways you'd notice.

I agree. It seems posters (in general, nobody specific) here are quick to jump to the idea that there's always some deeper problem. Kids can just be weird about things sometimes, adults can be too.
That's why I wouldn't change my behavior (like unnecessary laundry) or ask others in the house to change theirs. Acknowledge his fear and talk to him about it but if he's the only one being inconvienced by it (not sleeping in his bed, walking a certain way to avoid dolls) he'll likely either work through it himself or find his own way of dealing with it.

 

[JaneBanks]

My cousin's son, who is now 20 years old was diagnosed with OCD around the age of 10.

It started with him watching the movie The Witches in school and he was so afraid his food would be poisoned that he stopped eating and wouldn't leave his room.

What I read of your son reminded me of my cousin. I would definitely take him to see someone and soon.

 

[minkydog]

I would not hesitate to seek out professional help for him before it gets any worse.

I agree. Changing the sheets and washing the blanket was okay in the short term, but when it comes to the point that your boy is engaging in rituals to tamp down his anxiety, it's time to get a professional involved. It does sound like OCD to me and it needs to be evaluated and treated so that it doesn't get worse or cross over to other fears. There is no good reason to allow it to continue in hopes that it will spontaneously rectify itself.

 

[maleficent32]

Since it is affecting daily functions like sleep and simple tasks like the way he walks down the stairs I would contact his doctor and set up an appt.
I would try to talk to him to see when and why it started and try to get him to rationalize it, but I would not force him to sleep on the sheets or confront the dolls or what they "touch". If it is a true OCD and a phobia that will only make it worse for him.

 

[PlutoPony]

While I know this is an irrational fear, any chance you could approach this "scientifically" in an age appropriate way and alleviate some of his fears? Maybe do some research with him on germs, what they really are and how/why dolls would have them when other things don't (the illogical part of his concerns).

 

[SMD]

My cousin's son, who is now 20 years old was diagnosed with OCD around the age of 10.

It started with him watching the movie The Witches in school and he was so afraid his food would be poisoned that he stopped eating and wouldn't leave his room.

What I read of your son reminded me of my cousin. I would definitely take him to see someone and soon.

It sounds like how the OCD diagnosis started for a few of my family members too. I had a cousin who got a consultation for braces and became convinced that the orthodontist left something in his mouth. I had another one who couldn't watch anyone eat red food, like strawberry jelly, hard candy or cranberries on Thanksgiving, because if they dripped on anything it would become blood. It started at around 10-11 with puberty. And then a few new "quirks" would develop every year or so. OP, if you don't take him to see someone, at least go see somewhere yourself and ask what behaviors to look out for. He may already be doing other more subtle compulsive things that you haven't noticed.

 

[EMom]

I would explore the issue with him as parents and try and pinpoint the trigger for this. It may take a bit for you to fully "see" what the issue is.

As a side note, just have to bring up the "Panda illness". He has not been sick lately has he, esp. with strep? Just throwing that out there if you were not aware of it.

PANDAS did spring to mind, although it is a long shot. If he had a strep type illness in the weeks before this presented, that might be a possibility.

I'd consult a professional. He has developed a phobia that brings him to tears and is coping by using rituals. That's not just a kid being weird, as kids will do. Better to get this in hand quickly.

 

[GoofyBaseballMom26]

The commercial for that Annabelle movie was the first thing that popped in my mind as well (as OP mentioned). My twin grandsons are 10 and when they saw that commercial, they could not sleep for at least two weeks, if not longer. It freaked them out really, really bad. They are ok now, but it really did a number on them.

 

[mom2rtk]

The commercial for that Annabelle movie was the first thing that popped in my mind as well (as OP mentioned). My twin grandsons are 10 and when they saw that commercial, they could not sleep for at least two weeks, if not longer. It freaked them out really, really bad. They are ok now, but it really did a number on them.

That was my first thought too. My 14 year old daughter saw the movie with some friends and it did a number on her.

 

[havaneselover]

My DS8 loves his stuffed animals, but none of them can be looking at him when he sleeps. If you walk into his room, you will see all his stuffed animals and even pictures turned to face the wall. That creeps me out more than them facing the right way, but the cat has knocked one over all ready in the middle of the night and he has woken up screaming for us to fix it before he will calm down and go to sleep.

Same DS has a very strange phobia of buttons (small shirt buttons, not the metal ones pants). Started as soon as he could talk, he would scream bloody murder if you tried to dress him in anything with a button on it. Used to have a fit when DH, who wears a dress shirt or polo to work every day would get near him. Would comment on strangers walking by if they had buttons on. We have now gotten him to the point where he is fine with buttons being near him on other people but he still won't wear them. He says they are yucky and gross as long as I can remember. I did talk to his pediatrician and we did research that it is a real phobia and he shows the classic symptoms (from age 18 months on) but as long as he functions normally she isn't real concerned.

Other than that, he is a perfectly normal 8 year old. I've basically determined that kids are weird and just hope DS doesn't choose a profession that requires a uniform with buttons.

I had a friend from church whose son had a button phobia. It was extremely stressful for the entire family and hard for them to explain to others.

 

[shaylyn]

I had to google Pandas, had never heard of it. He DID have strep throat in October!

I'll contact his doctor.

 

[JulieWent]

My DS was 9 when his OCD first began. It started with odd things, not wanting to touch things that might be contaminated. He is a sophomore in college now and has made a lot of progress, but OCD is definitely a troubling and difficult disorder. If you worry that your son might be dealing with it, take him to his primary care physician first and then to a good psychologist. Hoping your son is going through a phase.

 

[puffkin]

I had a friend from church whose son had a button phobia. It was extremely stressful for the entire family and hard for them to explain to others.

In my research of this strange phobia, I found that Steve Jobs supposedly had it. Makes sense with all the turtlenecks and the no keyboard/buttons on most apple products.

 

[bellebud]

OP - just wanted to say I think washing his sheets, etc, was the right thing to do in the short term. He came to you, you helped as best you could right then and there. Hope you get some answers for your little guy.

 

[LilyWDW]

My DS was 9 when his OCD first began. It started with odd things, not wanting to touch things that might be contaminated. He is a sophomore in college now and has made a lot of progress, but OCD is definitely a troubling and difficult disorder. If you worry that your son might be dealing with it, take him to his primary care physician first and then to a good psychologist. Hoping your son is going through a phase.

OCD is horrible to deal with. My dad has a moderate form of it. I have a mild form of it that seems very linked to my anxiety. When my anxiety gets bad, I fall back on the OCD behaviors to help "calm" myself. I hate it.

 

[Bluestars]

Thanks!

It may have been something on tv that started this. He does get easy frightened, has even been afraid of episodes of cartoons like Phineas and Ferb that were too scary.

The thing that worries me is that he is avoiding things that dolls touch, that he thinks they are "contaminated" now. Especially now that he told me he has a particular way he uses the stairs to avoid "contamination". It is completely irrational to me, but to him, it is a true fear that will bring him to tears instantly.

I will bring it up to the ped at his next visit.

I wonder how he would feel if the doll was washed.

I would try to find out what prompted his fear. It could have been a scary commercial or anything. Maybe if you talk to him, he will tell you when and why he first started being scared. I would also try to find out what he thinks is on the doll that is contaminating.

I didn't like dolls when I was little because I saw a movie that had biting dolls in it. It freaked me out. I didn't develop of phobia of them though. I think it's natural for kids to have irrational fears.

When my daughter was a toddler, I told her to be careful and to hold my hand in a parking lot because I didn't want her to get hit by a car. For about a year, she would freak out when we got out of the car and want to be held. All it took was one comment and the fear was there. Thankfully, when she was a little older she was fine.

 

[tina.tina]

Strep is so much more serious that I realized before my DD(8 then and now 13.5) developed swelling on her brain that went undiagnosed for a few weeks.

I had no idea about the PANDAS illness but DD had a lot of sensory issues before her strep issues anyhow.

I have a DS9 and I would probably ask your DS what contaminated means to him. My DS is very aware of stereotypical gender roles and does not want to be associated with anything "girly."