For the 2016 Annual OCD Conference

1. OCD IN THE FAMILY: BECOMING MORE
SUPPORTIVE PARENTS AND SIBLINGS
By Josh Steinberg and Emily Steinberg

2. Introductions
Josh Steinberg
Emily Steinberg
Participants in the room

3. What do we know about OCD from the media?
How is OCD portrayed on TV?
Which characters have OCD?
How do supporting characters respond to symptoms?
What types of shows have characters with OCD?
Are characters with OCD representative of people
struggling with the disorder in reality?

4. Howie Mandel
America’s Got Talent, Deal or No Deal
● Humor when dealing with OCD
○ Why do we laugh?
○ How should audience
respond?
● What happens when Howie
gives in to his OCD (i.e. does
not pick up his pill from the
floor, etc.)?
VIDEO CLIP

5. Monica Geller
Friends
● How do Monica’s friends
anticipate she will react? Do
they reinforce or challenge
her OCD?
● What emotions do we
expect Monica to
experience upon coming
home?
○ How should families &
loved ones respond?
VIDEO CLIP

6. Sheldon Cooper
The Big Bang Theory
● Sense that no one
understands the unrest of
resisting a compulsion
○ How should families &
loved ones respond?
● When is it ok to laugh at
OCD? Why do we laugh?
● How long is Sheldon in
distress after resisting a
compulsion?
VIDEO CLIP

7. Tips for Families #1
Serenity through silence
Sometimes it is best to let your child or sibling work things through
on their own. OCD is like a game of chess in the mind: it can be
distracting to have a parent or sibling giving constant advice.
First reaction = provide reassurance, halt compulsive behavior
Better course of action = consider what the child wants & what will
ultimately most help the child: it may be easier to allow them to
combat obsessions alone

8. Tips for Families #2
Don't stop at the first therapist
A child’s apparent reluctance to therapy may not be resistance to
treatment -- like a friend, a therapist is someone with whom your
child must be comfortable. Keep searching for someone who
your child connects with.
Trying different therapists can be helpful in getting a proper
diagnosis and in forming the right relationship.
When the correct therapist is found, parents should encourage
their children to continue their hard work.

9. Tips for Families #3
Reassurance strengthens obsessions
When a parent or sibling repeatedly tells their child information
that their wise mind should know already, it strengthens the OCD.
Parents and siblings often want to provide reassurance because it
allows for temporary relief, but it makes beating OCD much
harder in the long run.
Over time, reassurance seeking may become more frequent. It may
not be until a parent/sibling stops giving reassurance that the
individual with OCD can conquer their obsessions.

10. Tips for Families #4
Parents & siblings should become educated
One of the best ways for parents and siblings to help is to be educated.
Without any knowledge of OCD, the most logical thing a parent might
do would be to reassure or dismiss their child. However, these
seemingly logical responses can have unintended negative results.
Read books. Apply lessons learned to treatment:
Wise mind vs. OCD mind -- worries vs. logical concerns
Reassurance strengthens OCD

11. Tips for Families #5
Your child is not trying to be difficult
It can be almost as stressful for parents & siblings of kids suffering from
OCD as for the kid. Children who resist therapy or inhibit your family’s
plans are not trying to be difficult.
Do not resent your children; work with them, because self-loathing is
not a good motivation for recovery.
Recognize that however much you are struggling because of their OCD,
they are the ones dealing with the symptoms first-hand and trying
their best to manage them. They will only benefit from receiving the
appropriate support and feedback from you.

12. Thank you!
Questions & Comments
Please contact us with any further questions or feedback:
Josh Steinberg Emily
Steinberg
joshsteiny23@gmail.com
esteinb@nyspi.columbia.edu