About this episode

This episode discusses why OCD recovery can initially feel worse before it improves and offers strategies for parents to navigate this challenging process.

Starting treatment for OCD can be one of the most hopeful steps a family takes, but it can also be one of the most confusing. Many parents expect that once their child begins therapy, exposures, or a new approach at home, things should immediately improve. Instead, they are often surprised when anxiety spikes, meltdowns increase, or OCD seems louder than ever. In this episode, I explore why OCD recovery can initially feel worse before it feels better. OCD thrives on avoidance, distraction, reassurance, and other coping strategies that provide short term relief. When children begin treatment, they often stop relying on those unhealthy coping mechanisms and start facing their fears directly. While this is an important part of recovery, it can temporarily make anxiety and distress feel more intense. I explain how OCD is not a passive disorder. It actively fights back when challenged. It may convince children that therapy is making them worse, tell them not to talk about their fears, flood them with more intrusive thoughts, or create intense distress during ERP and other evidence based approaches. Parents using strategies like SPACE may also notice an increase in emotional reactions…

People in this episode

Host: Natasha Daniels

Topics covered

• OCD recovery
• anxiety management
• parenting strategies
• child therapy
• exposure therapy

Keywords

• OCD
• anxiety
• therapy
• coping strategies
• exposures
• child mental health

More episodes of AT Parenting Survival | Raising Kids with OCD & Anxiety

• The 7 Parenting Traps That Quietly Keep OCD in Charge · July 21, 2026 · 44 min
• Growing Up with OCD: Izzy’s Story of Courage and Determination · July 14, 2026 · 36 min
• Learning to Parent the Child You Have, Not the Child You Expected · July 7, 2026 · 52 min
• 8 Signs You Don’t Fully Understand Your Child’s OCD · June 30, 2026 · 45 min
• Common OCD Themes Even Therapists Sometimes Miss · June 16, 2026 · 55 min

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