And now it's time for Who's Smarted? Psst, hey there, smarty pants. My niece, Gia, has a half day of school, so I thought I'd take her and her friend Charlotte out for pizza lunch. It's their favorite! Ahem, okay, it's my favorite, but I'm sure they like it too. Hi, Uncle trusty. Thanks for picking us up. My pleasure, and not just that, I'm taking you to lunch. Let me guess. Mmm, pizza? What? I was gonna say salad, but if you insist on pizza. Haha, good one, Uncle trusty. You know I'm always happy to get pizza with you. Actually, I can't do lunch today. It doesn't have to be pizza. No, it's not the pizza. I have a therapy appointment at two. Oh, I can drive you. Well, in that case, pizza it is. See, I told you Uncle trusty was the best. Actually, I've been meaning to ask you something, Mr. narrator. Please call me trusty. Okay trusty. I've noticed you've done episodes of Who's Smarted on topics like diabetes and autism and ADHD, but you've never done one on OCD. You know, you're right. Is that something that interests you? Definitely. In fact, that's what my therapy appointment's about. Therapy has been helping me with my OCD. Hmm, Uncle trusty, are you thinking what I'm thinking? I don't know. What are you thinking? I'm thinking this pizza lunch might turn into a smarting adventure. Well, that's up to Charlotte if she wants to share. I'd love to. I think it's time Who's Smarted has an OCD episode. I agree. As long as you're comfortable answering questions like, what is OCD? How does OCD affect people who have it? And what are some of the symptoms and signs of OCD? You got it trusty. Great. Then it's time for another whiff of Science and History on Who's Smarted Who's Smarted? Who's Smarted? Is it you? Is it me? Is it science or history? Listen up! Everyone, we make smarting. Lots of fun on Who's Smarted. All right, here we go. Two pies, a calzone and garlic knots. Think we have enough? Yes! Good. Now that we have our pizza, let's also learn about OCD. And we can start with, what do the letters OCD stand for? Smarty Pants, do you know? OCD stands for obsessive-compulsive disorder. Right. But what does that mean? Great question. Charlotte, can you break it down a little more for us? Of course. OCD can start in childhood and cause people to have a pattern of unwanted thoughts and fears. Those are called obsessions. The O in OCD stands for obsessive. Gotcha. But I thought obsessions just meant something you really like. For example, some people might say, I'm obsessed with pizza. You're definitely obsessed with pizza. Yes, that's true. And while you and the Smarty Pants have probably heard the word used that way, for a person with OCD, obsessions are things that you can't stop worrying about, as opposed to things that you really like. I see. That's different from the way I was using the word obsessed, because pizza is something I like thinking about. Nom, nom, nom, nom, nom. But obsessions for a person with OCD are lasting and unwanted thoughts that keep coming back. Smarty Pants, everyone gets worried from time to time whether or not you have OCD. So which of these worries do you think would be an obsession? Is it A, constant worries that you or someone else might get hurt or sick? B, feeling stress about a test at school? Or C, feeling nervous about a big game or performance coming up? If you said, A, constant worries that you or someone else might get hurt or sick, you got it right. I see. Are there any other examples of things kids with OCD can't stop worrying about? You bet, trustee. Some other common things kids with OCD obsess over include things being too dirty or germy, needing objects to be even or lined up exactly right or perfectly straight. Also, being absolutely sure something is bad or good, lucky or unlucky, safe or harmful, or thinking that bad thoughts might come true. I was really stressed out before a big math test, but that's not the same thing as having OCD, right? Nope, definitely not. So what is the difference? I'm going to guess the difference is my nervous feelings were specifically related to the test and went away soon after I took it. Yep, Gian nailed it. Getting stressed out because of a math test is one thing. OCD feelings of worry are pretty constant, math test or no math test, and can cause a person with OCD to need to have rituals. Smartie pants, what are rituals? Are they a ways to celebrate the holidays? b. Worry habits that temporarily relieve anxiety. Or c. A specific schedule. If you said b. Worry habits that temporarily relieve anxiety, nice job. You may have heard the word rituals used in ways similar to the other choices, but for a person with OCD, a ritual is something they feel they have to do, otherwise known as compulsions. Wait, smartie pants, did you catch that? Compulsions is a lot like the word compulsive and compulsive is, do you remember? Compulsive is the C in OCD, obsessive compulsive disorder. That's right. OCD usually includes both obsessions and compulsions. So if compulsions are the need to perform rituals, my next question is, what are some common rituals? Great question, trustee. The answer is, everyone is different. But some common rituals for kids with OCD include feeling like you have to wash your hands or clean things over and over. Or needing to erase, rewrite, or redo your schoolwork over and over. Another common ritual is needing to repeat a particular phrase, question, or word again and again. Or needing to check and recheck things at home. Or needing to step, tap, or touch something in a certain way, or put things in a certain order. What? That's a lot. I had no idea. But why is that? It's because OCD usually centers around certain themes, like the fear of being contaminated by germs. The compulsions, or rituals, are repetitive behaviors people with OCD feel driven to do to deal with what they're anxious about. Nobody likes getting sick, but it seems like there's a big difference between avoiding germs and taking extreme measures to avoid being contaminated. There is. Rituals happen because people with OCD think that if they don't do things a certain way, something bad will happen. Worry habits can also multiply. You may start with just needing to wash your hands. But soon you might also need to do things in a specific order, or squirt the soap a certain number of times. Or use a certain number of towels. These rituals may seem like they're helping control your anxiety caused by obsessive thoughts, but they're not really helping. What does that feel like? It can be pretty scary. Before I got diagnosed with OCD, I didn't know why I was thinking and doing certain things. I only knew that it felt like I needed to do them, or something bad would happen, even if it didn't really make sense. Smartypants, if you have worry thoughts or worry habits that sound like what we're talking about, you should definitely talk to an adult about it so you can get help. I have a question. What causes OCD? Great question, and we'll find out the answer right after this quick break and a word from our sponsors. Spring is here, and if you're a homeschool family trying to finish the year strong, I want to tell you about IXL. It's the award-winning online learning platform that fits seamlessly into your homeschool routine, covering math, language arts, science, and social studies from pre-K through 12th grade. What I love most about IXL is how it adapts to each child's pace. Whether your kid needs to reinforce foundational skills before an assessment, or push ahead into new material, IXL meets them exactly where they are, with no pressure and real encouragement built right in. Kids earn rewards, see their own progress, and actually feel good about learning. And for parents, the real-time progress tracking is a game-changer. You always know exactly where your child stands. Plus, it makes learning fun, and you know I love that. Over 15 million students use IXL, and it's proven to improve achievement in all 50 states. So make an impact on your child's learning. Who's Smarted listeners get an exclusive 20% off at IXL.com slash Smarted? That's IXL.com slash Smarted for your 20% off. Now back to who's Smarted. Okay, Smarty Pants, Gia here just asked, what causes OCD? Any ideas? Do you know Charlotte? Well, the truth is, scientists still aren't exactly sure what causes OCD. They think genes may explain why some people have worry thoughts that are difficult to get rid of, and do rituals to feel better. And no, I don't mean genes like your pants. These are the genes that are the instructions for how your body will work. So if OCD is in your genes and passed down through your family, is there anything that can help with it? Therapy can help with OCD. It's really been helping me with mine. That's great! And what kind of therapy works best? Well, one kind of therapy that works well for people with OCD is called CBT. What do the letters CBT stand for? I'm guessing the T is for therapy? You're right. CBT stands for Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. It's a type of therapy that helps people change their behaviors and thoughts. My therapist has been teaching me why I think and do certain things. I also learned I can make OCD weaker by not doing rituals. That sounds pretty hard. But I'm also learning skills so I can learn how not to do the rituals. Oh yeah? What kind of skills? Calming skills and what to do when a worry thought comes to mind. It's helping me face fears safely, stop doing rituals, and gain confidence over OCD. Usually, as kids or adults practice new skills from therapy, obsessions and rituals will start to get weaker and become less of a part of their lives. That's pretty impressive. Smartypants, true or false. Therapy is the only thing that can help with OCD. The answer is false. While therapy definitely helps me feel better, it might not be for everyone. Some people with OCD take medication for it. I have another question. How did you know you had OCD? Wow, Gia with the great questions today. Smartypants, based on what we've been talking about, can you think of any symptoms of OCD? Mm-hmm, I heard some great answers. Charlotte, what were your symptoms? At first, I was very afraid of getting sick from touching common objects that other people had touched. Things like doorknobs or handrails. That made it hard for me to go to school, so I ended up being absent a lot. In addition to missing school, I was washing my hands so often that my skin got raw. Oh no, that sounds painful. It was. Even though it's always a good idea to wash your hands, especially before you eat, there's a difference between staying safe and causing yourself pain. But sometimes OCD can exist with other mental health conditions that cause physical pain. Really? What do you mean by that? Some people with OCD also have dermatillomania. Hmm, I know that a dermatologist is a doctor who specializes in skin, so I'm guessing this has something to do with skin. Good guess, Uncle trustee. That was a good guess. Derma is a Greek word that means skin. Tullo means pulling, and mania means excessive activity or behavior. Put it together and dermatillomania means someone who pulls at their skin a lot. Exactly. Dermatillomania is a mental health condition that causes people to compulsively pick at their skin, which can lead to injuries or scarring. Isn't that the same as OCD? Not quite. While there are some things about OCD and dermatillomania that are similar, OCD is a specific condition that involves obsessions. Dermatillomania involves a feeling of reward. Of course, some people have both. The good news is, it's pretty rare. Only about 2% of the population has it. Wow, how did you know that, Gia? I looked it up. What can I say? I'm a curious smarty pants. I love that. So I know you said OCD is different for every person who has it. Is dermatillomania the same for everyone who has it? Nope, it too is different for everyone. There are two kinds of picking in dermatillomania. Automatic and focused. Smarty pants, can you figure out the difference? Let's try. What happens if something happens automatically? You could say it happens without you even having to think about it. That's right. Automatic picking happens without the person thinking about it. While focused picking is only focused on a specific area of skin. And while dermatillomania and OCD can both be challenging to live with, with the right help and care, people can enjoy life and have fun. Since I've started therapy, I'm going to school more often, hanging out with friends, and getting to eat delicious pizza. Nice. One last question. What should a smarty pants listening do if they think they might have OCD? That's easy. Smarty pants, if you think you might have OCD, go talk to a trusted adult. For me, I talked to my parents about my worries and rituals. At first, it was hard to admit it, because it can be embarrassing and frustrating. But I'm glad I told them, because now I'm getting the help and support I need. That's awesome, Charlotte. Thanks. Okay, I lied. One last question. Uncle trustee, it's almost 1.30. We should get going. We will, we will, but this is important. What is it? Are either of you going to eat that last slice of pizza? I'm telling you, he's obsessed. A big shout out and dedication to any smarty pants who has OCD and or dermatillomania. We hope this episode was informative and helps your friends and families understand what you go through on a daily basis. We also want to thank the smarty pants who recommended that we do this episode. We hope we made you proud. I also want to give a shout out to Avery C in Schenectady, New York. I hear you love listening in the car on the way to school every morning with your mom. Ah, that makes our mornings brighter too. Thanks for being part of our smarty family, Avery. This episode OCD was written by Sarah Sweetyk and voiced by Kentland Guard, Gia Davis and Jerry Colbert. Technical direction and sound design by Josh Hahn. Our associate producer is Max Kamaski. The theme song is by Brian Suarez with lyrics written and performed by Adam Text Davis. Who Smarted was created and produced by Adam Text Davis and Jerry Colbert. This has been an Atomic Entertainment Production.
