Writing on Adolescent OCD and Emotional Life

“I can’t reassure them anymore.” “I feel like I’m failing.” Parents of teenagers with OCD say some version of this to me constantly, and none of them are failing. In this post, Marcus Lewton introduces his new book, When Your Teenager’s Mind Gets Loud, and makes the case that NICE guidance on adolescent OCD, unchanged since 2005, leaves parents carrying more than anyone tells them to expect.

Whenever I find myself working with an adolescent and their family where OCD has begun to take hold, there is a point in the work that arrives with a certain predictability. A parent, often after a period of careful listening and reflection, will ask what they should actually do. By then they usually understand the reassurance seeking cycle. They can see how they’ve been drawn into it, how their responses, given with care, have also been maintaining something that no one real

To many in government, a child’s mind is a datapoint. But some suffering isn’t measurable—it’s symbolic, not yet sayable, still surviving.

Why are my daughter’s intrusive thoughts so much darker than mine? A blog for the parent who quietly wonders—and wants to understand.

You don’t need to be perfect. You need to stay in the room. What to say when you’re scared to say the wrong thing to your child.

Is your child expressing something—or just repeating it? Learn how to tell if a ritual is symbolising, or if it’s stuck in survival mode.

Sometimes a ritual isn’t just a habit — it’s a child’s way of saying, “I’m sorry,” or “I love you,” when words feel impossible.

ERP isn't for everyone. This conversation explores readiness, deeper work, and what it means to never give up on a young person.

When reassurance doesn’t work, it’s not because you’re doing it wrong. Sometimes, it’s not about answers—it’s about staying close.

A parent’s first glimpse of OCD isn’t always a diagnosis—it’s the sense that their child is there, but behind a door they can’t yet open.