Thus, there is a great likelihood that David may have suffered from a depressed immune system while still very young. This theory is borne out by the fact that David was subject to recurring colds, ear infections, and ear, nose and throat viruses as a toddler. The antibodies from any of these infections could have led to the brain malfunction that now causes David's OCD symptoms. David's family history, however, offers additional support for his diagnosis of OCD.
Childhood OCD has often been linked to traumatic life events, such as a parents' divorce or a change in school locations (Valente, 2002, p. 125). David has experienced these and more as a young child. Although David's parents were never married, he lived with his father and mother until he was four and a half years old. He began his life, therefore, within a nuclear family, the break-up of which would be akin to a divorce for such a young child. David's father was strict and the children witnessed the father's physical abuse of the mother. The parents' final separation when David was four and a half was volatile. It included name-calling and physical violence between the parents in the children's presence. During this final separation the children witnessed the father physically abusing the mother a
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