156. PANS/PANDAS: The Autoimmune Cause of Sudden OCD in Children

🧠 Could Your Child’s Sudden OCD Be Something Else? Understanding PANS & PANDAS

In this powerful episode of The OCD Whisperer Podcast, Kristina Orlova speaks with Angela Henry, therapist and PANS/PANDAS specialist, and Lindsay Forsyth, a mother and advocate who has navigated this journey with her own child. Together, they shed light on how sudden-onset OCD, tics, and anxiety in children may sometimes point to something deeper — an autoimmune or inflammatory disorder known as PANS or PANDAS.

Angela and Lindsay open up about: • How PANS/PANDAS can mimic OCD and anxiety — and why it’s often misdiagnosed • The emotional toll families face when doctors can’t find answers • How infection-triggered inflammation can alter behavior overnight • What every parent should know about early warning signs of PANS/PANDAS

Whether you’re a parent, caregiver, or clinician, this episode offers clarity, validation, and practical tools to navigate the confusing intersection of OCD, PANS, and PANDAS.

📲 About Angela Henry (guest): • Certified EMDR Therapist • Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ctr_for_collaborative_healing/ • Webpage: https://angelahenrylcsw.com/ 📲 About Lindsey Forsyth (guest): • Mom of 2 kids with PANS/PANDAS. • Pandas network: https://pandasnetwork.org/ • PANS PANDAS Advocacy, Community & Support Aspire • Neuro Immune: https://neuroimmune.org/

✂️ TIMESTAMPS: [00:00] Welcome — Meet Lindsay, Angela, and Kristina [01:05] PANS & PANDAS Revealed — How Your Child’s Brain Can Turn Against Them Overnight [01:50] The Infection Trigger — Strep, Viruses, and Environmental Factors That Can Hijack a Child’s Mind [02:57] Recognizing Abrupt Neuropsychiatric Symptoms in Kids [03:24] PANS vs PANDAS — The Shocking Differences You Need to Know [03:42] “Something’s Not Right” — How Parents Can Spot the Early Warning Signs [05:05] Lindsey’s Story — From Meltdowns to Mystery Illness [07:48] The Specialists Who Saved Our Child [09:12] Lifelines for Parents [10:02] Why Your Child Can Suddenly Regress Without Warning [10:45] Tracking the Chaos — Growth Charts, OCD Scores, and Why Labs Don’t Always Show the Truth [11:06] The Hidden Diagnosis — Blood Work Says “Normal” but Your Child Isn’t [12:27] Advocacy 101 — How to Get Answers When Doctors Don’t Have Them [14:13] How to Make Sure Your Pediatrician Takes You Seriously [15:53] Therapy That Helps — How to Support Children [17:54] Not Just Bad Behavior — Why Your Child Isn’t Misbehaving [20:09] Supporting the Whole Family [22:00] Covert OCD Revealed — When Your Child’s Obsessions Don’t Look Like OCD [23:47] Why ERP Can Backfire During a Flare [25:12] Pediatric OCD Exposed — Obsessions, Separation Anxiety, and the Hidden Signs [27:44] Heavy-Hitter Symptoms — Emotional Outbursts, Bedwetting, ADHD... [29:03] Are Some Kids Genetically Predisposed? [30:26] Could Family History Play a Role? [31:17] Step-by-Step Guidance — Therapy [32:24] Get Help Now —How to Contact Lindsay and Access Real-World Resources [33:32] Therapist Support & Networks — Angela’s Consultation Groups for Families and Professionals [35:09] Closing Words — Hope, Awareness, and Why You’re Not Alone

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✅ About OCD Whisperer Welcome to OCD Whisperer! Each episode shares tools and insights for OCD recovery, managing intrusive thoughts, ERP therapy, CBT techniques, anxiety relief, and mindfulness practic