Guest guest Posted February 6, 2000 Report Share Posted February 6, 2000 My 15 year old daughter insists that she cannot do any chores or homework without playing music. She also feels agitated if we cannot play music while riding in the car. We have noticed this for some time. (Gratefully, she loves classical music and celtic fiddle which are more tolerable to the rest of us than some of the pop stuff.) Yesterday she was doing a chore and playing music through the whole-house stereo system. When I asked her to turn it down, she said she cannot keep focused on what she is doing without the music. At times of transition, like rushing out the door for church or some other event, she either hums or whistles. This too seems like a coping device to keep focused on getting ready to go. Is she using music and sounds to drown out distracting thoughts? Is she obsessing on rhythm patterns or counting in her brain? Are there other explanations that fit? Her anxiety rises dramatically at transition times like leaving to go somewhere; is this somehow helping her to distract herself? She is a musician and plays piano and violin. Dean Indiana Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 6, 2000 Report Share Posted February 6, 2000 Hi: Is your daughter getting CBT from a therapist? If so I suggest you bring this symptom up and ask for it to be addressed in therapy. If not, I hope you can find a therapist to work with her on this. When you say she feels agitated if there is no music, that is a clue that somehow the music is part of her compulsion or ritual that she uses to make her anxiety from the obsessions lessen. This only works in the short term and unfortunately only makes the OCD worse in the long term. To find out what is going on you really need to ask your daughter. Luckily with OCD it is not necessary to understand all the underlying issues behind OCD behaviors to treat them. It helps to understand the OCDers connection between their obsessions and compulsions but very often due to embarrassment they will not explain what is up. OCD has a very mean way of attacking the sufferer by using the very things that have the most important meanings to them. In your daughter's case she obviously has musical talent, interest and enjoyment and the OCD monster is able to use this to intensify her suffering. With help from you and a skilled therapist she will be able to turn the tables on OCD and get back to typical enjoyment of music again. Our beloved OCDers often suffer from chronic inflexibility so changing activities can be difficult. As their OCD gets more under control this improves. Knowing this in advance helps us not get upset ourselves when we see this happen. That way we can do the best thing to help them cope rather than struggle to cope ourselves. Good luck, take care, aloha, Kathy (H) kathyh@... At 01:57 PM 02/06/2000 EST, you wrote: >From: DRHEISEY@... > >My 15 year old daughter insists that she cannot do any chores or homework >without playing music. She also feels agitated if we cannot play music while >riding in the car. We have noticed this for some time. (Gratefully, she >loves classical music and celtic fiddle which are more tolerable to the rest >of us than some of the pop stuff.) Yesterday she was doing a chore and >playing music through the whole-house stereo system. When I asked her to >turn it down, she said she cannot keep focused on what she is doing without >the music. > >At times of transition, like rushing out the door for church or some other >event, she either hums or whistles. This too seems like a coping device to >keep focused on getting ready to go. Is she using music and sounds to drown >out distracting thoughts? Is she obsessing on rhythm patterns or counting in >her brain? Are there other explanations that fit? > >Her anxiety rises dramatically at transition times like leaving to go >somewhere; is this somehow helping her to distract herself? > >She is a musician and plays piano and violin. > >Dean >Indiana > >--------------------------- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 6, 2000 Report Share Posted February 6, 2000 Hi Dean, I read with interest your post about your daughter and music, as well as Kathy H.s' response to it. You've raised some good questions. My daughter is six and very musical. She too often requires music while riding in the car. I had not thought of this as a compulsion but rather a healthy distraction from her anxious, OCD-related car feelings. Perhaps I ought to discuss this with her therapist. She also responds to music with very deep emotions. Any somber or even thoughtful piece (such as Canon in D) can reduce her to tears. I will be interested to learn more about this. Take care, Lesli (San Francisco Bay but a former Indiana resident) DRHEISEY@... wrote: > > From: DRHEISEY@... > > My 15 year old daughter insists that she cannot do any chores or homework > without playing music. She also feels agitated if we cannot play music while > riding in the car. We have noticed this for some time. (Gratefully, she > loves classical music and celtic fiddle which are more tolerable to the rest > of us than some of the pop stuff.) Yesterday she was doing a chore and > playing music through the whole-house stereo system. When I asked her to > turn it down, she said she cannot keep focused on what she is doing without > the music. > > At times of transition, like rushing out the door for church or some other > event, she either hums or whistles. This too seems like a coping device to > keep focused on getting ready to go. Is she using music and sounds to drown > out distracting thoughts? Is she obsessing on rhythm patterns or counting in > her brain? Are there other explanations that fit? > > Her anxiety rises dramatically at transition times like leaving to go > somewhere; is this somehow helping her to distract herself? > > She is a musician and plays piano and violin. > > Dean > Indiana > > --------------------------- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 7, 2000 Report Share Posted February 7, 2000 Hi Lesli, my daughter is also musical and everything you wrote about yours has been true of Kel for several years--always wanting it playing in the car, the dramatic emotional responses to music--and I hadn't thought of this as being related to OCD either. She also has musical talent and was picking out songs she'd heard on " Barney " on a toy piano at 14 months, and she has a prodigious memory for melodies, once heard, never forgotten. If this is OCD-related, it's one thing that does preceed her official " onset " a year ago. She began piano lessons last fall, and OCD zeroed right in on this to an unusual degree (many obsessions and compulsions.) I thought it was the lessons or the teacher, but now I wonder if it's something about music itself. BTW, I've been having server problems again this past week. I will post the PANDAS sites I mentioned earlier as soon as I can. Kathy R. in Indiana > From: Masoud & Lesli Molaei <desk@...> > > Hi Dean, > > I read with interest your post about your daughter and music, as well as > Kathy H.s' response to it. You've raised some good questions. > > My daughter is six and very musical. She too often requires music while > riding in the car. I had not thought of this as a compulsion but rather > a healthy distraction from her anxious, OCD-related car feelings. > Perhaps I ought to discuss this with her therapist. > > She also responds to music with very deep emotions. Any somber or even > thoughtful piece (such as Canon in D) can reduce her to tears. > > I will be interested to learn more about this. > > Take care, > Lesli (San Francisco Bay but a former Indiana resident) > > > DRHEISEY@... wrote: > > > > From: DRHEISEY@... > > > > My 15 year old daughter insists that she cannot do any chores or homework > > without playing music. She also feels agitated if we cannot play music while > > riding in the car. We have noticed this for some time. (Gratefully, she > > loves classical music and celtic fiddle which are more tolerable to the rest > > of us than some of the pop stuff.) Yesterday she was doing a chore and > > playing music through the whole-house stereo system. When I asked her to > > turn it down, she said she cannot keep focused on what she is doing without > > the music. > > > > At times of transition, like rushing out the door for church or some other > > event, she either hums or whistles. This too seems like a coping device to > > keep focused on getting ready to go. Is she using music and sounds to drown > > out distracting thoughts? Is she obsessing on rhythm patterns or counting in > > her brain? Are there other explanations that fit? > > > > Her anxiety rises dramatically at transition times like leaving to go > > somewhere; is this somehow helping her to distract herself? > > > > She is a musician and plays piano and violin. > > > > Dean > > Indiana Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 7, 2000 Report Share Posted February 7, 2000 Kathy, e is just like that (memory for melodies) and oh boy is she dramatic! e's mom won state when she was11.The dr. of music said she was so gift at that age maybe one out of million children could sing like that.But as I was reading your post I remember her telling me she couldn't get the music out of her head.I feel so bad when I think of all the things she suffered with because of ocd,and never knew.Love Beth Re: OCD and Concentration > From: " Kathy " <klr@...> > > Hi Lesli, my daughter is also musical and everything you wrote about yours > has been true of Kel for several years--always wanting it playing in the > car, the dramatic emotional responses to music--and I hadn't thought of this > as being related to OCD either. She also has musical talent and was picking > out songs she'd heard on " Barney " on a toy piano at 14 months, and she has a > prodigious memory for melodies, once heard, never forgotten. If this is > OCD-related, it's one thing that does preceed her official " onset " a year > ago. She began piano lessons last fall, and OCD zeroed right in on this to > an unusual degree (many obsessions and compulsions.) I thought it was the > lessons or the teacher, but now I wonder if it's something about music > itself. > > BTW, I've been having server problems again this past week. I will post the > PANDAS sites I mentioned earlier as soon as I can. > > Kathy R. in Indiana > > > > From: Masoud & Lesli Molaei <desk@...> > > > > Hi Dean, > > > > I read with interest your post about your daughter and music, as well as > > Kathy H.s' response to it. You've raised some good questions. > > > > My daughter is six and very musical. She too often requires music while > > riding in the car. I had not thought of this as a compulsion but rather > > a healthy distraction from her anxious, OCD-related car feelings. > > Perhaps I ought to discuss this with her therapist. > > > > She also responds to music with very deep emotions. Any somber or even > > thoughtful piece (such as Canon in D) can reduce her to tears. > > > > I will be interested to learn more about this. > > > > Take care, > > Lesli (San Francisco Bay but a former Indiana resident) > > > > > > DRHEISEY@... wrote: > > > > > > From: DRHEISEY@... > > > > > > My 15 year old daughter insists that she cannot do any chores or > homework > > > without playing music. She also feels agitated if we cannot play music > while > > > riding in the car. We have noticed this for some time. (Gratefully, > she > > > loves classical music and celtic fiddle which are more tolerable to the > rest > > > of us than some of the pop stuff.) Yesterday she was doing a chore and > > > playing music through the whole-house stereo system. When I asked her > to > > > turn it down, she said she cannot keep focused on what she is doing > without > > > the music. > > > > > > At times of transition, like rushing out the door for church or some > other > > > event, she either hums or whistles. This too seems like a coping device > to > > > keep focused on getting ready to go. Is she using music and sounds to > drown > > > out distracting thoughts? Is she obsessing on rhythm patterns or > counting in > > > her brain? Are there other explanations that fit? > > > > > > Her anxiety rises dramatically at transition times like leaving to go > > > somewhere; is this somehow helping her to distract herself? > > > > > > She is a musician and plays piano and violin. > > > > > > Dean > > > Indiana > > > > --------------------------- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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