Introduction

[Guest guest]

Loren,

Hi and welcome! I'm Gail, Mom to Seth-4 with ds/asd. We are all in pretty

much the same boat here. You fit in like everyone else when we first came.

I found the problems and solutions vary from A to Z. i don't always have

knowledge of what is being discussed, especially with all the meds., but I

read and try to store all the info for the future. Ya never know what's

around the corner!

Gail

[Guest guest]

welcome loren to you and your family and julian!!! your not alone and will

find that in here we share it all....... joys, sorrows, celebrations, ideas,

opinions,ect......i feel that all of our children are challenging.......trust

me i feel very challenged by mine today.....lololol tomorrow is a new

day!!!!!i have been on several lists, and this by far is my favorite,,,,,,,

this is like my second family.......so welcome and come on in!! leah

[Guest guest]

Loren,

Welcome to this wonderful list. I am S, mom to 5 children, the

youngest of whom is Matt age 9 1/2- Down Syndrome and AUtism. This is a

great place to find support.

Jump in anytime.

S

________________________________________________________________

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[Guest guest]

What part of SF Bay area? We are in Palo Alto...Anywhere around us??

ine

----------

> From: Loren Spina <salori@...>

> egroups

> Subject: introduction

> Date: Tuesday, April 25, 2000 3:42 PM

>

> >

>

> Hi, I recently joined this list after Beth told me about it,

and I

> think it is about time I introduce myself.

> My name is Loren; I am married to Sal and we live in the San Francisco

Bay

> Area. We have three children, two girls, 8, and Micha 3 1/2.

My

> 6yo son n has Ds. He has not been diagnosed with autism, but has

many

> " challenging behaviors " . He has been diagnosed with ADHD and we are

> currently trying medications (currently Inderol), which so far has not

> really made a difference. He is a very busy child, requiring CONSTANT

> supervision or major destruction or mayhem will occur. The behavior that

> worries us the most is his aggression. It is primarily aimed at other

> children and can be alarmingly intense. We legitimately fear that he

could

> actually seriously hurt someone someday (and if one more person tells me

it

> is " developmental " , I will become aggressive!). I believe that his

> aggression is somehow connected to his intense desire to be social but

not

> having the skills to do so (and it goes beyond communication). That

added

> to his extremely active and impulsive neurology creates his problems.

This

> is probably somewhat simplistic, but hey, it is the best I can come up

with!

>

> I can really relate to the feeling of not always belonging with other

> parents with children with Ds. I especially feel like I have to be very

> cautious around parents of babies and young children; I feel like my

> situation is their nightmare. We have struggled with our son's behavior

for

> a while and are constantly trying new things. We have had many successes

> and I think I might see a light at the end of tunnel (not sure yet).

> However I never feel more isolated than when another parent of a child

w/Ds

> judges me or my son harshly, and it has happened on several occasions.

>

> I feel like I sounded very negative about my son, and don't want to end

on

> that note! Although he frustrates, worries, and even confuses me at

times,

> I am also incredibly proud of him and when he is not acting homicidal,

he

> is the most lovable, adorable child you could ever meet (once he gets to

> know you)!

>

>

> ------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Do you love your Mother?

> Click Here

> 1/3652/6/_/691668/_/956702721/

> ------------------------------------------------------------------------

>

>

[Guest guest]

I live in Hayward but spent spent most of my childhood in Palo Alto! As an

adult, I lived in E.Palo Alto for several years and worked at Peninsula

Children's Center (now called Achieve) for 7 years.

Maybe we can meet sometime.

Loren

---- Original Message -----

From: " pnavarro " <pnavarro@...>

<egroups>

Sent: Sunday, April 30, 2000 10:04 PM

Subject: Re: introduction

What part of SF Bay area? We are in Palo Alto...Anywhere around us??

ine

----------

> From: Loren Spina <salori@...>

> egroups

> Subject: introduction

> Date: Tuesday, April 25, 2000 3:42 PM

>

> >

>

> Hi, I recently joined this list after Beth told me about it,

and I

> think it is about time I introduce myself.

> My name is Loren; I am married to Sal and we live in the San Francisco

Bay

> Area. We have three children, two girls, 8, and Micha 3 1/2.

My

> 6yo son n has Ds. He has not been diagnosed with autism, but has

many

> " challenging behaviors " . He has been diagnosed with ADHD and we are

> currently trying medications (currently Inderol), which so far has not

> really made a difference. He is a very busy child, requiring CONSTANT

> supervision or major destruction or mayhem will occur. The behavior that

> worries us the most is his aggression. It is primarily aimed at other

> children and can be alarmingly intense. We legitimately fear that he

could

> actually seriously hurt someone someday (and if one more person tells me

it

> is " developmental " , I will become aggressive!). I believe that his

> aggression is somehow connected to his intense desire to be social but

not

> having the skills to do so (and it goes beyond communication). That

added

> to his extremely active and impulsive neurology creates his problems.

This

> is probably somewhat simplistic, but hey, it is the best I can come up

with!

>

> I can really relate to the feeling of not always belonging with other

> parents with children with Ds. I especially feel like I have to be very

> cautious around parents of babies and young children; I feel like my

> situation is their nightmare. We have struggled with our son's behavior

for

> a while and are constantly trying new things. We have had many successes

> and I think I might see a light at the end of tunnel (not sure yet).

> However I never feel more isolated than when another parent of a child

w/Ds

> judges me or my son harshly, and it has happened on several occasions.

>

> I feel like I sounded very negative about my son, and don't want to end

on

> that note! Although he frustrates, worries, and even confuses me at

times,

> I am also incredibly proud of him and when he is not acting homicidal,

he

> is the most lovable, adorable child you could ever meet (once he gets to

> know you)!

>

>

> ------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Do you love your Mother?

> Click Here

> 1/3652/6/_/691668/_/956702721/

> ------------------------------------------------------------------------

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hello a, reading Dr. Chansky's book is a wonderful intro into the

world of treating and living with OCD! Welcome to the list.

Family therapy can be very useful in getting all family members up to speed

about OCD, learn effective parenting methods, positive coping skills, etc.

so long as it's not intended as treatment for the OCD. Since you mention

your NT child is struggling with his OCD sibs, this type of therapy may well

benefit your family.

The type of therapy that is proved to reduce OCD symptoms is called

Cognitive Behavior Therapy to include Exposure and Response Prevention. Is

the hospital recommending this therapy?

My daughter (6) has had several OCD obsessions regarding her body or its

functions. I think it's a good idea to check these things out (last summer

I encouraged my child to boss back what turned out to be an actual broken

toe :-/ ) but my guess is that her dental exam will be normal. These types

of obsessions and compulsions can also be addressed through E & RP techniques.

When you say you have had no input for child A, do you mean this one doesn't

have a psych, is not receiving treatment for her OCD? If not, why is this?

Kathy R. in Indiana

introduction

> Hello,

>

> I have recently joined this list having read Dr. chansky's book. A is

almost

> 16, High Functioning Autistic with OCD; B is 13, currently on his second

> psychiatric admission - current dx of severe OCD; C is 10, NT but

struggling

> with siblings.

>

> I have had NO input for child A . Child B's psychiatrist wants us all to

go

> for family therapy - but alarm bells are ringing for me, particularly in

the

> light of what i have been reading. Unfortunately, we live in England and

so

> cannot easily move from one service to another.

>

> I would be very grateful for advice, recommendations, etc as I really need

> to make informed decisions with regard to B's treatment - we have a review

> very soon.

>

> Also - A's current OCD problem relates to her teeth. she is convinced that

> they are loose, the enamel is wearing off and they are getting soft and

that

> she cannot chew as it hurts. She is eating very little as a result and it

> is a nightmare at the moment. The earliest dental appointment I could get

,

> is Jan 23. Help!!

[Guest guest]

Hi a:

OUr family spent tens of thousands of dollars (US) on family therapy when

we were supposed to be getting E & RP for our son, Steve's, severe OCD. As I

explained to one of the docs, we appreciated the help living with untreated

OCD but we really wanted to get therapy for Steve's OCD so we would not

have to be so very good at living with untreated OCD. We learned the hard

way, going through over a dozen different docs, lots of money and months

and months, to be very fussy about who got to treat Steve. This helped

enormously as then we found docs who knew what to do to help OCD and were

experienced in treating it when accompanied by multiple comorbidities.

Some of the family therapy was very helpful but it definitely is not the

primary or first line treatment for OCD.

Steve's psychologist is actually an Asperger's Syndrome specialist who

works in an autistic kids' clinic. Steve is not autistic, but that was the

only place I could find someone up-to-date with treating OCD and

experienced with dealing with it accompanied by other comorbidities. I

hope you can find someone like this to help with your children.

Generally hospitalizing a child with severe OCD does not help much unless

they are in a hospital where the docs know how to address OCD issues. Most

hospitals deal with life threatening situations, like comorbid major

depression or bipolar disorder, and are not staffed to deal with OCD. Once

the person's depression is under control, they are usually discharged

without getting their OCD addressed. I hope the hospital knows how to help

with OCD as well as the depression I assume your child has.

When OCD symptoms interfere with eating or when an eating disorder is

travelling along with OCD, special treatment is important. Have you

contacted Obsessive Action? They might be able to make good referrals to

suitable docs in England. If you let us know whereabouts in England you

are perhaps we can help with suggestions of a doctor for you to consult with.

Even though we have health insurance, we found it necessary to pay for

Steve's psychiatric and psychological care on our own. My husband had a

small inheritance as a result of his mother's suicide and this is what

helped us finance Steve's initial treatment. We would have mortgaged our

home or done whatever necessary to get top-notch help for Steve. It is

amazing how much the right treatment helps our kids. We thought Steve's

life was pretty much a write off and now he is living nearly a typical

kid's life. OF course he still has OCD and off meds his MDD comes back

gangbusters, but at least we know what works for now. Good luck, take

care, aloha, Kathy (H)

kathyh@...

P.S. It is quite possible that a dental appointment will not help the

teeth obsession, in fact, unfortunately it is likely to be reassurance

which will only help in the short term. IN the long term this unfortunately

makes OCD worse. Have you read Dr. March and Mulle's book,

" OBsessive Compulsive Disorder in Children and Adolescents? " This explains

the kind of therapy needed to deal with OCD symptoms like this. K.

At 05:12 PM 12/06/2000 -1000, you wrote:

Hello,

>>

>>I have recently joined this list having read Dr. chansky's book. A is almost

>>16, High Functioning Autistic with OCD; B is 13, currently on his second

>>psychiatric admission - current dx of severe OCD; C is 10, NT but struggling

>>with siblings.

>>

>>I have had NO input for child A . Child B's psychiatrist wants us all to go

>>for family therapy - but alarm bells are ringing for me, particularly in the

>>light of what i have been reading. Unfortunately, we live in England and so

>>cannot easily move from one service to another.

>>

>>I would be very grateful for advice, recommendations, etc as I really need

>>to make informed decisions with regard to B's treatment - we have a review

>>very soon.

>>

>>Also - A's current OCD problem relates to her teeth. she is convinced that

>>they are loose, the enamel is wearing off and they are getting soft and that

>>she cannot chew as it hurts. She is eating very little as a result and it

>>is a nightmare at the moment. The earliest dental appointment I could get ,

>>is Jan 23. Help!!

>>

>>a

>

[Guest guest]

Hi new !

Going to get confusing with 2 Gails and 2 s! LOL Sounds like you

have a good little fellow there. I'm sure after 8 years of experience, you

have a lot to share with us. And, I'm sure we will all benefit from it too!

The posts are acting weird this week, so you may have to introduce yourself

again, as not all the posts are going through to everyone. I sometimes only

get responses and not the original message, so don't be discouraged if you

don't get a lot of replies right away! LOL Well, you get a big WELCOME from

me am\nd can't wait to hear more from you. Yes, I think dangling is a

universal thing with our kids! LOL

Gail

[Guest guest]

At 12:45 PM 1/10/01 -0800, you wrote:

>

>I just signed on to this list yesterday and I already

>feel like there are other people out there who know

>what I go through! I can't tell you how glad that

>makes me. When I read about dangling socks and shoes,

>I knew I was in the right place.

Welcome Michele!

I'm glad you found us. I guess that makes me glad I posted on Down-syn and

added my most important " credentials " !

Dangling socks, eating soap, dangling all things that are able to dangle in

just the right way, are all things you will hear about, and more.

I'm glad has you given all that you've shared about his mother. It's

a lot, but everyone deserves to be loved for who they are wherever they live.

I've put the newsletters out to be mailed to you tomorrow along with a

CD-ROM with all the issues to date so you can read them all or print them off.

Welcome to our corner of the world.

Warmly

j

[Guest guest]

--- In egroups, Vaughan <mmgraybill@y...>

We tested about 2 or 3 years ago and found out

> that had a significant amount of autistic

> characteristics but not enough to give him the

> diagnosis.

> We have had practically every behavior problem there

> is

> with but thank God he really is getting better

> now. I think our family is a lot more stable and he is

> an excellent school situation now which makes such a

> difference. In fact he is quite a joy now. He is

> pretty verbal but I don't think he'll ever be able to

> read. He just recently started drawing (he had no

> interest in it before) and his drawings are absolutely

> fascinating. It's like a little snapshot of his mind.

>

> Anyway, I am very happy to have joined this list and

> I'm sure I'll learn a lot.

Hi . I only started coming here back in september. I usually

lurk every day and read the boards but not always a daily poster.

Theres a wonderful group of people here i will say that...with good

senses of humour:) My son is almost 9 with DS, been dxed once with

autism but i am not 100 percent convinced of that however. He is

going to be reevaulated the end of this month and i am starting to

suspect the probability of bi-polar disorder, but not sure. I do know

i feel like i fit in more here than on regular DS boards. so welcome

and its good to meet you:)

Marie aka chickiemom1

[Guest guest]

Marie,

We started to wonder last year if was bipolar

of schizophrenic or we didn't know what because of all

the weird things he was doing. We put him on Clonidine

and he is so much easier now! He is able to think much

better than before. He doesn't tantrum as much and he

is more easy going. Clonidine is an anti-hypertensive

that they found helps some people's brains to work

better. they don't know why. It doesn't work for

everybody but I am so glad our doctor started

cautiously with a medication that is not harmful and

doesn't change 's personality or anything. I

don't know if this is helpful but I know I was

thinking like you are and this helped us. Good luck.

Mom to 11

--- chickiemom1@... wrote:

> --- In egroups, Vaughan

> <mmgraybill@y...>

>

> We tested about 2 or 3 years ago and found

> out

> > that had a significant amount of autistic

> > characteristics but not enough to give him the

> > diagnosis.

> > We have had practically every behavior problem

> there

> > is

> > with but thank God he really is getting

> better

> > now. I think our family is a lot more stable and

> he is

> > an excellent school situation now which makes such

> a

> > difference. In fact he is quite a joy now. He is

> > pretty verbal but I don't think he'll ever be able

> to

> > read. He just recently started drawing (he had no

> > interest in it before) and his drawings are

> absolutely

> > fascinating. It's like a little snapshot of his

> mind.

> >

> > Anyway, I am very happy to have joined this list

> and

> > I'm sure I'll learn a lot.

>

> Hi . I only started coming here back in

> september. I usually

> lurk every day and read the boards but not always a

> daily poster.

> Theres a wonderful group of people here i will say

> that...with good

> senses of humour:) My son is almost 9 with DS, been

> dxed once with

> autism but i am not 100 percent convinced of that

> however. He is

> going to be reevaulated the end of this month and i

> am starting to

> suspect the probability of bi-polar disorder, but

> not sure. I do know

> i feel like i fit in more here than on regular DS

> boards. so welcome

> and its good to meet you:)

>

> Marie aka chickiemom1

>

>

>

__________________________________________________

[Guest guest]

>Hi , so you didnt get a definitive answer concerning bi-

polar? I was just curious.

I am HOPING that a med is going to help and again it may turn out

thta this doc dxes autism too...at this point who knows LOL....i just

want him to get better ya know?

I am so glad the med helped your son. I look forward to getting to

know you. thanks for your response and have a good evening:)

Marie

Marie,

> We started to wonder last year if was bipolar

> of schizophrenic or we didn't know what because of all

> the weird things he was doing. We put him on Clonidine

> and he is so much easier now! He is able to think much

> better than before. He doesn't tantrum as much and he

> is more easy going. Clonidine is an anti-hypertensive

> that they found helps some people's brains to work

> better. they don't know why. It doesn't work for

> everybody but I am so glad our doctor started

> cautiously with a medication that is not harmful and

> doesn't change 's personality or anything. I

> don't know if this is helpful but I know I was

> thinking like you are and this helped us. Good luck.

>

>

> Mom to 11

> >

> >

> >

>

>

> __________________________________________________

>

[Guest guest]

Marie,

The doctor did not test . She just listened to

what we said was going on with him and prescribe a med

she thought might help those things.

I had taken a few years back to another doctor

who was supposed to know what he was doing ( I don't

really think he did) and he said that there was no way

to test for any type of disorder so he had to

just start trying drugs out on him and see how they

worked. Well, the drug he prescribed was Melleril (I

think that was the name) which is a hardcore

anti-psychotic drug with some very frightening and

dangerous side effects. When I tell anyone who knows

anything about these drugs that was prescribed

that they can't believe it. I gave one does of

it and I was so scared that something was going to

happen to him that I never gave it to him again. I

also never went back to that doctor. It turned out

that the reason that 's behavior was so bad then

was because his school environment was a nightmare and

he was freaking out because of it. I don't know if

your son is exhibiting new behaviors, if he is you

might want to investigate and see if there is anything

different going on in his life and if school is going

ok because he might be reacting to something he

doesn't know how to deal with.

My suggestion is to trust your instincts in dealing

with doctors and drugs. Ask them to be conservative in

their prescriptions. You know, to try the least

harmful drugs first.

Good luck Marie I hope everything works out.

Mom to 11

--- chickiemom1@... wrote:

>

> >Hi , so you didnt get a definitive answer

> concerning bi-

> polar? I was just curious.

> I am HOPING that a med is going to help and again it

> may turn out

> thta this doc dxes autism too...at this point who

> knows LOL....i just

> want him to get better ya know?

> I am so glad the med helped your son. I look forward

> to getting to

> know you. thanks for your response and have a good

> evening:)

> Marie

>

>

>

> Marie,

> > We started to wonder last year if was

> bipolar

> > of schizophrenic or we didn't know what because of

> all

> > the weird things he was doing. We put him on

> Clonidine

> > and he is so much easier now! He is able to think

> much

> > better than before. He doesn't tantrum as much and

> he

> > is more easy going. Clonidine is an

> anti-hypertensive

> > that they found helps some people's brains to work

> > better. they don't know why. It doesn't work for

> > everybody but I am so glad our doctor started

> > cautiously with a medication that is not harmful

> and

> > doesn't change 's personality or anything. I

> > don't know if this is helpful but I know I was

> > thinking like you are and this helped us. Good

> luck.

> >

> >

> > Mom to 11

>

> > >

> > >

> > >

> >

> >

> > __________________________________________________

> >

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

I'm glad that you found this e-group. I hope that you learn from it,

and that you share your experiences also with the group. The group shares

everything from when their kids wake up in the morning to the tantrum.

That's good that your a stepmom, my stepsister had a child, and before

the child was 1 or 2 she(my stepsister) and her husband divorsed. She is

now happy married again 2 years ago, with a dad who was also divorsed, and

has a son. So by that I know what divorce is, and what the children go

though; 2 sets of families, etc.

Yeah it's sad that she has the other children who are normal and not

. I think their mother needs to accept who all the children, and

their needs. So if you need to talk about divorce or whatever I kind of

know a little about it.

I know a autistic kid and I didn't realize that he was autistic till his

parents told me.

_________________________________________________________________

Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com

[Guest guest]

Its great to hear when someone finds a med that helps! As for us we are

still looking for ways to calm nathan down, and deturb that autism shell,

and the persistent obsessing. The clomipramine turned out a nitemare, but

hte docs found a pattern with increases of meds his behaviors became worse

and worse, so now they are trying a low dose of luvox nightly, and the

biobehavioral management team are going to do another inpatient series with

him, it really helped when he was younger for us and school, so prayers for

those couple weeks that i dont go nuts, dont know the dates as of yet, but

soon, prabably in feruary with other appts. shawna.

>From: Vaughan <mmgraybill@...>

>Reply-egroups

>egroups

>Subject: Re: Re: Introduction

>Date: Thu, 11 Jan 2001 19:08:36 -0800 (PST)

>

>Marie,

>We started to wonder last year if was bipolar

>of schizophrenic or we didn't know what because of all

>the weird things he was doing. We put him on Clonidine

>and he is so much easier now! He is able to think much

>better than before. He doesn't tantrum as much and he

>is more easy going. Clonidine is an anti-hypertensive

>that they found helps some people's brains to work

>better. they don't know why. It doesn't work for

>everybody but I am so glad our doctor started

>cautiously with a medication that is not harmful and

>doesn't change 's personality or anything. I

>don't know if this is helpful but I know I was

>thinking like you are and this helped us. Good luck.

>

>

>Mom to 11

>

>--- chickiemom1@... wrote:

> > --- In egroups, Vaughan

> > <mmgraybill@y...>

> >

> > We tested about 2 or 3 years ago and found

> > out

> > > that had a significant amount of autistic

> > > characteristics but not enough to give him the

> > > diagnosis.

> > > We have had practically every behavior problem

> > there

> > > is

> > > with but thank God he really is getting

> > better

> > > now. I think our family is a lot more stable and

> > he is

> > > an excellent school situation now which makes such

> > a

> > > difference. In fact he is quite a joy now. He is

> > > pretty verbal but I don't think he'll ever be able

> > to

> > > read. He just recently started drawing (he had no

> > > interest in it before) and his drawings are

> > absolutely

> > > fascinating. It's like a little snapshot of his

> > mind.

> > >

> > > Anyway, I am very happy to have joined this list

> > and

> > > I'm sure I'll learn a lot.

> >

> > Hi . I only started coming here back in

> > september. I usually

> > lurk every day and read the boards but not always a

> > daily poster.

> > Theres a wonderful group of people here i will say

> > that...with good

> > senses of humour:) My son is almost 9 with DS, been

> > dxed once with

> > autism but i am not 100 percent convinced of that

> > however. He is

> > going to be reevaulated the end of this month and i

> > am starting to

> > suspect the probability of bi-polar disorder, but

> > not sure. I do know

> > i feel like i fit in more here than on regular DS

> > boards. so welcome

> > and its good to meet you:)

> >

> > Marie aka chickiemom1

> >

> >

> >

>

>

>__________________________________________________

>

[Guest guest]

>From: Jeanie Vella <jeaniev@...>

>-owner

>Subject: Introduction

>Date: Thu, 08 Feb 2001 13:15:48 -0800

>

>Hi! My name is Jeanie, and I am the mother of a 13 yr. old girl who might

>have OCD. I hope that this list will help me sort out some of the

>confusion we're feeling right now. I'm already learning about CBT and

>E & RP, from here and from reading Mitzi Waltz's new(ish) book ( " OCD, Help

>for Children & Adolescents " ).

>

>My family consists of my husband & I (married 18 years) and our two

>children. Our daughter, , is 13; and our son, , is 8. We live

>near Portland, Oregon; and also consider our two golden retrievers to be

>part of the family. We occasionally foster goldens for golden retriever

>rescue, as well.

>

> was hospitalized in December for anorexia. She ended up spending 7

>weeks on a school-age medical floor, and was discharged from the hospital

>almost 3 weeks ago. She is doing well with her anorexia, and is compliant

>with the meal plan and is receiving LOTS of follow-up care through our

>Eating Disorders Clinic (3 appts. every week!).

>

>While was in the hospital, the subject of OCD was approached. She met

>with the Clinic's Psychiatrist for about 30 minutes, and this Dr.

>determined was OCD and started her on Prozac (now up to 40 mg). My

>husband & I recognized many of 's traits as being obsessive, so we were

>not too alarmed by the diagnosis. Later during 's hospital stay, she

>was also evaluated (for about 2 hours) by a Psychologist. I met with this

>Dr. yesterday, for the results, and she feels that is *NOT* OCD. She

>feels that might be " obsessive compulsive personality, " but not OCD.

>I am confused by this, and really didn't understand the difference. Can

>anyone help me here?

>

>Let me describe some of 's traits that might cause someone to think

>she's OCD (or at least these were things brought up by the Dr. who made the

>original diagnosis). From what I know, is not a counter, cleaner,

>checker or hoarder. She definitely has anxiety issues, and she tends to

> " spin " on a subject, when she is stressed. For example, if she doesn't

>know what to wear to an important day of school, she'll ask us over and

>over and over again for our opinion or advice. Just when I think she's got

>is resolved the night before, I'll wake up in the morning to waiting

>for me at her doorway, wanting me to make a new choice between outfits.

>When is given a task or assignment that is difficult for her, she will

>ask a MILLION questions and really " fret " about it. This can happen with

>homework or even what should be a " fun " assignment, like writing her best

>friend a note from the hospital. We have wondered about OCD, when

>takes a simple task and turns it into a HUGE undertaking. An example of

>this was when I asked her to mark things in a fashion catalog that she

>would like for Christmas, so I could use it for myself and the

>grandparents. 8 HOURS later -- had produced a list on the computer,

>covering several catalogs, with items listed by catalog #, item #,

>description, size, and her own ranking of how much she wanted the item.

>Even when I suggested that I only wanted items circled in the catalog, she

>plowed ahead for all those hours. She has also been known to have this

>kind of behavior, when it comes to cleaning her room. I will say " clean

>the things off your closet floor. " HOURS later, she has emptied drawers &

>shelves, weeded out things she no longer wants, and has totally done a

>room-overhaul. I don't honestly know if these are OCD characteristics, or

>simply obsessive.

>

> is a bright girl, and often an academic over-achiever. But, she does

>get bogged down with her anxiety, and we've often said " she gets paralyzed

>with indecision. " Because is recovering from hospitalization from an

>eating disorder, our current therapy is focused on that. But, I'm

>wondering about OCD and other larger psychological issues, since no one is

>currently working with her on CBT or E & RP. Obviously, thinness has been

>one of 's BIG obsessions over the past year or so (along with Middle

>School popularity and social issues).

>

>I would appreciate opinions and/or advice. I feel like I have a lot of

>information that's been dumped in my lap, and I don't think the Eating

>Disorders Clinic is going to help with much of it (like sorting out this

>OCD diagnosis). The Dr.s there say that 30% of eating disorder patients

>also have OCD, so they are fairly familiar with the disorder.

>

>Thanks!

>

>Jeanie

>

>

>

_________________________________________________________________

Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com

[Guest guest]

Thank you, thank you , thank you. I needed to hear that. It helps to give you that push to keep pluggin' along. Much appreciated!! Fran Richmond

[Guest guest]

He has complained about being sleepy for the past 3 days. He has been taking 20 mgs. for the past 3 days ( up from 10 mgs. for 8 days). I see the pattern of sleepiness beginning, as it did with the other meds. He really dislikes the feeling, and tends to get grumpy.

[Guest guest]

I found that Prozac worked for my son (11) but as it built up in his

system it made him manic. Does your son find the Prozac makes him sleepy?

a

introduction

Hi,

I posted a note previous to this, asking for any info from parents

who have had experience with their children taking Prozac for ocd. I

realized that I should have started with an introduction first. Oops.

sorry. My 14 yr old son, Ben, has ocd. During most of last year, I

started noticing

a slow but steady increase in hand washing, clothes changing, and

spitting. It really started to take on a life of it's own at the end

of last school year, 2000, athough, when we think back to Ben even as

young as 2 yrs. old we now can recognize some of his behaviors that

we thought were a bit unusual but very benign, as ocdish. By June it

had gotten quite excessive.The psychiatrist we saw started him on

Paxil. All last summer and through most of this school year( 2000-

2001) the dosage was slowly increased to 80mgs. With no positive

changes in behaviors ( new behaviors started and there was an

increase in old ones) and what appeared to be a very sleepy,

lethargic and kind of depressed Ben, we started the process of

decreasing the dosage in order to try another medication.. He was

then put on Luvox which made him feel jittery and uncomfortable, as

did Zoloft, which we tried next. We are now trying Prozac. He

started it 11 days ago. We started with 10 mgs. And after 8 days the

doctor suggested that we go to 20 mgs. Ben has learning disabilities

and sometimes has difficulity articulating his feelings. He also is,

by nature, a very low key personality. These medications tend to

make him really slowed down, which makes him seem very sluggish. Ben

seems to " run " with his behaviors and rituals and doesn't seem

bothered or troubled by them unless someone confronts him. His

compulsions create problems for others within the family, and

siblings get very frustrated with him at times. He has gotten to

where he won't touch anything unless it is absolutely necessary,

toavoid having to wash his hands. He is able to control this at

school, although he does wash his hands during break and at lunch.

He seems to be getting tired of the rituals, which I think is a

positive sign. He uses his feet to turn on lights, tv's, attempts to

open doors this way. His therapist feels that we will go no-where

until Ben wants all of this to change and he doesn " t seem to be there

yet. Ben is a very sweet, passive soul and sometimes seems so unaware

of himself and his space. His maturity level is more of a 12 yr.

old. All of this tends to make it difficult to treat his ocd,

though. My concerns about Prozac and other medications at this time

is that it may be too sedating. He has complained since we started

Paxil last June that he hated the feeling of being tired all the

time. He said that he felt depressed because of it. Does anyone out

there have any thoughts, or suggestions. His therapist seems to be

at a loss on how to deal with him. I have such mixed feelings at

this point about medications. Any feed back would be greatly

appreciated. Thanks, Fran Richmond

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[Guest guest]

, Raquel and Fran, and everyone else new to the list!!

It is difficult to be a parent of a child with OCD, so to make our

lives more tolerable, we need to become educated consumers and

advocates.

Treatment of OCD in children, according to the Expert Consensus

Guidelines, is with Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (cbt) using Exposure

and Response Prevention (ERP), and if necessary, then medication may

be added. Many of our kids are being diagnosed when their ocd is

severe and/or they have other diagnosis, like depression, which

prevent them from responding to the cbt. Unfortunatly, the reality

today is that finding a good therapist is difficult, so our kids are

being medicated first while we find the right therapist!! If you go to

our files there are several excellent articles on choosing a

therapist, medication in children, etc.

I suggest that you do your best to read through some of the

archives, choose a topic and type it into search then read away!!

Never hesitate to post a question, or vent your frustrations. We have

all been there and really do understand!

In most cases, we are the primary care givers for our kids with ocd.

We are the ones that go to the doc appoitments, work with the schools

and suffer the pain that ocd has caused our kids. I can't stress

enough the need for self care. I do know how tough it is to find the

energy and time to spend on ourselves!! Please try and find just a few

moments in each day to stop and breath. If you can, try to be away

from your child for even an hour a week - it can really help you to

think more clearly. If there is a local support, GO!

Remember, take care!! wendy in canada

(moderator, presenter at the last ocfoundation conference, social

worker, teacher AND I live with 4 people with ocd++ VBG!)

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

I live in Chapel Hill so were about neighbors! My 13 yr old daughter was

diagnosed with OCD and Anxiety/Affective Disorder when she was 9. I took her to

March at Duke for her diagnostic work. He's very good at that but he

doesn't do follow up care because he's mainly doing research now and she didn't

qualify for any of his studies (because of co-morbids). However, the Duke

clinic does follow up work and they are doctors trained by him. My daughter has

an appointment there for further testing in late April.

My girl started on meds right away and they made a big difference. She has done

some CBT but not much, although maybe that will change when she starts at the

clinic. I've been wanting her to go there for awhile but it's not in my

insurance network and her Dad, who is currently suing me for custody, wouldn't

help pay for it until now. Also, it took me awhile to figure out that the

doctor she had been seeing, who is now the head of pediatric neuro-psyche at

UNC, just wasn't big on CBT. Maybe because it was pioneered at Duke - you gotta

know about that rivalry! Anyway, it's been a long and hard struggle to get her

some good care but I think we're finally on the right track.

I suggest you look into Duke Pediatric Anxiety Disorders Clinic. They're closed

because they're moving but if you email me privately I'll give you the number

where you can get an appointment anyway. I'm leaving for Germany on Friday and

I'll be gone for 2 weeks so email me and maybe we can talk on the phone before I

leave.

I found this list a few years ago when it was a month or two old and there were

only a few of us struggling to figure it all out. Boy have we learned a lot

together and I still learn from all the new people. It is an incredible source

of support and information! Welcome.

Dana in NC

[Guest guest]

Hi ! I live in Eden, N.C., not too far away!! I have 3 sons -

(12) with OCD, his twin , and then Randall (15).

was diagnosed last October. This group has really been great

at helping me to learn to deal with , and just reading what

everyone else is going through and how they deal with OCD and

treatments. I've felt less pressure on me since joining this group.

I haven't had on any prescribed meds yet. I HAVE decided to

let him begin them and will ask about this at his next appointment

with his child psychologist. sees the psychologist every 2

weeks, receives OT every week for his fine motor skills problem.

Right now the psychologist hasn't really helped in that won't

talk about anything. They have set up some goals, but won't

follow through, which I usually know he won't when they set them.

Anyway, I'm going to set up an appointment with the psychiatrist for

meds. Of course does NOT want to start meds so I hope he'll

take them once I have them. He can't swallow pills so it will have

to be liquid.

Good luck with 's meds. I've delayed putting on them due

to worrying about side effects, his sensitivity to tastes, and other

things but I think we will definitely have to try them.

CHRIS in N.C.

> Greetings everyone.

>

> I made a post earlier today without properly introducing myself, so

let

> me do that now. As Joni said, we have met on another list, and I'm

> eager to get to know each of you, too.

>

> My name is , and I live in Durham, N.C. I have two sons,

(10)

> and Robin (6), who are complete opposites.

>

> Today was diagnosed with OCD and anxiety/depression. He has

been

> going to therapy for a few months because he seems to have problems

> coping with some things and some of his behaviors have been

puzzling.

> But today was his first visit with a psychiatrist rather than a

> psychologist in the same practice.

>

> Now that I have been enlightened about OCD, I can see 's

symptoms

> clearly. Tonight at bedtime he was obsessing about something.

> Previously I would have thought that he was just being difficult,

but

> now I understand that there's more to the story.

>

> is very serious and intense, but he also has a great sense of

> humor. He also displays a lot of anger. It's hard to believe that

all

> of this is wrapped up in the same little boy.

>

> He has always had serious fears about certain things. For example,

any

> time that it rains it becomes overly concerned that a tornado will

> come. He cannot stand to ride in elevators. He washes his hands a

> million times a day, etc.

>

> For the past several months has thrown fits and tantrums (for

lack

> of better words) about things that don't go as planned for him.

These

> fits have led to discipline problems at home. My husband and I

disagree

> about how to handle when he's having these fits, and these

> disagreements are taking a toll.

>

> is in the AIG (Academically and Intellectually Gifted) program

at

> school, so his problems don't seem to be interfering with his

> schoolwork. In fact, his teachers always comment on how well-

behaved

> is, which is surprising to me given how difficult he can be at

> home. He's involved in scouts and baseball, which he loves.

>

> The doctor wants to prescribe Luvox to help reduce the intensity of

> some of 's feelings. Having taken Paxil myself a few years ago

when

> I was severely stressed out in a bad job situation, I understand

how

> medication can help take the edge off just enough so you can face

your

> problems clearly. However, I was wondering if it's customary to try

> other therapies before jumping directly into the world of

prescription

> medication.

>

> I know it can take a while to find the right medicine at the right

> dosage for each person, and I guess I'm hesitant to put my child

> through that. But then again, will I be cheating him out of any

> potential benefits of the drugs? I'm not sure how to respond to the

> psychiatrist's recommendations at this time.

>

> This is all very new to me, and I'm just starting my research into

OCD.

> I would appreciate any suggestions or responses.

>

> Thanks.

>

[Guest guest]

> The doctor wants to prescribe Luvox to help reduce the intensity of

> some of 's feelings. Having taken Paxil myself a few years ago

when

> I was severely stressed out in a bad job situation, I understand

how

> medication can help take the edge off just enough so you can face

your

> problems clearly. However, I was wondering if it's customary to try

> other therapies before jumping directly into the world of

prescription

> medication.

Hi !!

Your son sounds so much like my ie (10)! He too has a fear of

tornados when it rains or storms -- and the chances of that happening

in VA is zero to none! He no longer fears tornados, thanks to his

medication. His current fears are: throwing up and germs. But, it's

managable and not nearly as intense with the medication. Without it,

OCD would take over his life. Recently, the doctor took him off all

meds for a month, and he only lasted 2 weeks and 4 days-- his

symptoms went thru' the roof and we had to make an emergency visit to

his psychiatrist. He was starting to hate himself and would say that

his brain was all mixed up. He couldn't concentrate at school. He

couldn't get clean enough and took several showers a day. He also

had a facial tic without any medication. It had been a year since

I'd seen my un-medicated and when I did, if I ever had any

doubts that he needed medication, those doubts completely disappeared

after THAT stressful experience!

My first step when I noticed the symptoms of OCD last year was to

take him to a psychiatrist (one of the BEST children's psychiatrists

in Richmond). It took me a couple of visits to 'get with the

program' because I thought we were suppose to TALK to this guy! LOL

Turns out, he's just the 'Medicine Man' and we needed to get a

therapist to work on his fears and behavior. I said, 'so THAT'S why

these visits are only 15 minutes long!' Due to insurance reasons,

it's difficult to find a psychiatrist that will do both (prescribe

meds AND therapy).

The doc started him on Paxil right away and that worked great - for

about 6 mos. Then, ie began to lay around too much, overeating

and gaining weight. The psychiatrist told me that it has

antihistimine in it-- which is why it has a sedative effect on some

children. He recommended that switch to Prozac which, after 3

months, seemed to magnify his symptoms. After that, Celexa-- and

that produced the same problem. He's on Luvox now which is working

great. However, each child is different in how they will react to

these drugs.

I understand your caution with medications because I am one of those

parents that don't like quick fixes. I'd rather work out the problem

rather than give him a pill to fix it. However, ie was a

WRECK. His OCD was beginning to get worse with each passing year,

and his fear of storms started to interfere with his life and play

time. He refused to go outside, he had no friends, he'd have panic

attacks if he saw ONE cloud, he'd ask a million times " are we going

to get a tornado?' and so on. I know, without a doubt, that my son

needed medication. It's been a life-saver for him and the whole

family.

I'm happy to report that is now going outside EVERY day. He's

making new friends *yay!* Kids are actually knocking at the door and

asking for (which didn't happen a year ago because he wouldn't

go outside!) Clouds are no longer a threat. Today, he actually

played outside in the rain. I never hear about tornados anymore and

other than the occasional 'am I going to throw up if I eat this?' -

he's a happy kid. I attribute ALL of this to the medications- even

the ones that didn't work too well. Any improvement, no matter how

slight, was better than what we were all living with.

We started Exposure and Response Therapy and Cognitive Behavior

Therapy last week. I have nothing to report about this YET. I'm not

so sure about the therapist that our psychiatrist recommended, but

we'll give it a try and if she doesn't work out, I'll find someone

else SOON. She seems very nice and very well educated, but we've had

two visits and all she seems to do is gather info. I understood this

during our first visit, but when she asked the same questions on the

second visit-- it seemed reduntant. I had the feeling that she had

forgotten what his symptoms were and didn't read his chart before we

walked in.

Hang in there, ! I'm new on this list too and everyone seems

very supportive and helpful! And, OCD is so difficult to understand,

we need all the support we can get.

Joni

[Guest guest]

Thanks for writing, Joni! And thanks to everyone else who has responded.

I've been trying to learn a lot in the past 1 1/2 days since was

diagnosed. I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed, but it's reassuring to know

that help is available and that there are many friends here with whom to

share experiences.

Joni, you hit on a question that has been puzzling me, too. It seemed

that we were with the psychiatrist such a short amount of time before he

decided that had OCD. There were no formal tests performed, just

questions about habits, attitudes, etc. had been seeing a

psychologist at the same practice, so maybe the psychologist suggested

the diagnosis. Do the doctors usually perform any standard tests, or is

the diagnosis typically based on observed behaviors as reported by

parents? It just seems strange that 20 minutes and $190 later, I leave

with a prescription and I didn't have a clue about what questions I

should be asking.

I'm now trying to find a psychologist skilled in CBT. Dana had told me

that Duke is the best place to go, but I'm having difficulty finding

someone who is accepting new patients. Is there a database of qualified

therapists somewhere?

Joni, didn't you mention on the ENFP list that a trampoline really

helped your son? I'd love to know more. (By the way, I've sent several

emails to your account. Did you receive any of them? I've heard

that has had a few server problems....)

Also, does anyone have a suggested reading list about OCD? I think

's case is relatively mild, but he is exhibiting a lot of behavior

problems. I need to learn more and learn how to effectively deal with him.

Thanks again.

(Durham, NC)

Joni wrote:

>

> Hi !!

> Your son sounds so much like my ie (10)! He too has a fear of

> tornados when it rains or storms -- and the chances of that happening

> in VA is zero to none! He no longer fears tornados, thanks to his

> medication. His current fears are: throwing up and germs. But, it's

> managable and not nearly as intense with the medication. Without it,

> OCD would take over his life. Recently, the doctor took him off all

> meds for a month, and he only lasted 2 weeks and 4 days-- his

> symptoms went thru' the roof and we had to make an emergency visit to

> his psychiatrist. He was starting to hate himself and would say that

> his brain was all mixed up. He couldn't concentrate at school. He

> couldn't get clean enough and took several showers a day. He also

> had a facial tic without any medication. It had been a year since

> I'd seen my un-medicated and when I did, if I ever had any

> doubts that he needed medication, those doubts completely disappeared

> after THAT stressful experience!

>

> My first step when I noticed the symptoms of OCD last year was to

> take him to a psychiatrist (one of the BEST children's psychiatrists

> in Richmond). It took me a couple of visits to 'get with the

> program' because I thought we were suppose to TALK to this guy! LOL

> Turns out, he's just the 'Medicine Man' and we needed to get a

> therapist to work on his fears and behavior. I said, 'so THAT'S why

> these visits are only 15 minutes long!' Due to insurance reasons,

> it's difficult to find a psychiatrist that will do both (prescribe

> meds AND therapy).

>

> The doc started him on Paxil right away and that worked great - for

> about 6 mos. Then, ie began to lay around too much, overeating

> and gaining weight. The psychiatrist told me that it has

> antihistimine in it-- which is why it has a sedative effect on some

> children. He recommended that switch to Prozac which, after 3

> months, seemed to magnify his symptoms. After that, Celexa-- and

> that produced the same problem. He's on Luvox now which is working

> great. However, each child is different in how they will react to

> these drugs.

>

> I understand your caution with medications because I am one of those

> parents that don't like quick fixes. I'd rather work out the problem

> rather than give him a pill to fix it. However, ie was a

> WRECK. His OCD was beginning to get worse with each passing year,

> and his fear of storms started to interfere with his life and play

> time. He refused to go outside, he had no friends, he'd have panic

> attacks if he saw ONE cloud, he'd ask a million times " are we going

> to get a tornado?' and so on. I know, without a doubt, that my son

> needed medication. It's been a life-saver for him and the whole

> family.

>

> I'm happy to report that is now going outside EVERY day. He's

> making new friends *yay!* Kids are actually knocking at the door and

> asking for (which didn't happen a year ago because he wouldn't

> go outside!) Clouds are no longer a threat. Today, he actually

> played outside in the rain. I never hear about tornados anymore and

> other than the occasional 'am I going to throw up if I eat this?' -

> he's a happy kid. I attribute ALL of this to the medications- even

> the ones that didn't work too well. Any improvement, no matter how

> slight, was better than what we were all living with.

>

> We started Exposure and Response Therapy and Cognitive Behavior

> Therapy last week. I have nothing to report about this YET. I'm not

> so sure about the therapist that our psychiatrist recommended, but

> we'll give it a try and if she doesn't work out, I'll find someone

> else SOON. She seems very nice and very well educated, but we've had

> two visits and all she seems to do is gather info. I understood this

> during our first visit, but when she asked the same questions on the

> second visit-- it seemed reduntant. I had the feeling that she had

> forgotten what his symptoms were and didn't read his chart before we

> walked in.

>

> Hang in there, ! I'm new on this list too and everyone seems

> very supportive and helpful! And, OCD is so difficult to understand,

> we need all the support we can get.

> Joni

[Guest guest]

: The Obsessive Compulsive Foundation

(www.ocfoundation.org) will send upon request a

listing of therapists that are in some way affiliated

with them.

--- gdpalmer@... wrote:

> Thanks for writing, Joni! And thanks to everyone

> else who has responded.

>

> I've been trying to learn a lot in the past 1 1/2

> days since was

> diagnosed. I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed, but it's

> reassuring to know

> that help is available and that there are many

> friends here with whom to

> share experiences.

>

> Joni, you hit on a question that has been puzzling

> me, too. It seemed

> that we were with the psychiatrist such a short

> amount of time before he

> decided that had OCD. There were no formal

> tests performed, just

> questions about habits, attitudes, etc. had

> been seeing a

> psychologist at the same practice, so maybe the

> psychologist suggested

> the diagnosis. Do the doctors usually perform any

> standard tests, or is

> the diagnosis typically based on observed behaviors

> as reported by

> parents? It just seems strange that 20 minutes and

> $190 later, I leave

> with a prescription and I didn't have a clue about

> what questions I

> should be asking.

>

> I'm now trying to find a psychologist skilled in

> CBT. Dana had told me

> that Duke is the best place to go, but I'm having

> difficulty finding

> someone who is accepting new patients. Is there a

> database of qualified

> therapists somewhere?

>

> Joni, didn't you mention on the ENFP list that a

> trampoline really

> helped your son? I'd love to know more. (By the way,

> I've sent several

> emails to your account. Did you receive any of

> them? I've heard

> that has had a few server problems....)

>

> Also, does anyone have a suggested reading list

> about OCD? I think

> 's case is relatively mild, but he is exhibiting

> a lot of behavior

> problems. I need to learn more and learn how to

> effectively deal with him.

>

> Thanks again.

>

> (Durham, NC)

>

> Joni wrote:

> >

> > Hi !!

> > Your son sounds so much like my ie (10)! He

> too has a fear of

> > tornados when it rains or storms -- and the

> chances of that happening

> > in VA is zero to none! He no longer fears

> tornados, thanks to his

> > medication. His current fears are: throwing up

> and germs. But, it's

> > managable and not nearly as intense with the

> medication. Without it,

> > OCD would take over his life. Recently, the

> doctor took him off all

> > meds for a month, and he only lasted 2 weeks and 4

> days-- his

> > symptoms went thru' the roof and we had to make an

> emergency visit to

> > his psychiatrist. He was starting to hate himself

> and would say that

> > his brain was all mixed up. He couldn't

> concentrate at school. He

> > couldn't get clean enough and took several showers

> a day. He also

> > had a facial tic without any medication. It had

> been a year since

> > I'd seen my un-medicated and when I did, if

> I ever had any

> > doubts that he needed medication, those doubts

> completely disappeared

> > after THAT stressful experience!

> >

> > My first step when I noticed the symptoms of OCD

> last year was to

> > take him to a psychiatrist (one of the BEST

> children's psychiatrists

> > in Richmond). It took me a couple of visits to

> 'get with the

> > program' because I thought we were suppose to TALK

> to this guy! LOL

> > Turns out, he's just the 'Medicine Man' and we

> needed to get a

> > therapist to work on his fears and behavior. I

> said, 'so THAT'S why

> > these visits are only 15 minutes long!' Due to

> insurance reasons,

> > it's difficult to find a psychiatrist that will do

> both (prescribe

> > meds AND therapy).

> >

> > The doc started him on Paxil right away and that

> worked great - for

> > about 6 mos. Then, ie began to lay around

> too much, overeating

> > and gaining weight. The psychiatrist told me that

> it has

> > antihistimine in it-- which is why it has a

> sedative effect on some

> > children. He recommended that switch to

> Prozac which, after 3

> > months, seemed to magnify his symptoms. After

> that, Celexa-- and

> > that produced the same problem. He's on Luvox now

> which is working

> > great. However, each child is different in how

> they will react to

> > these drugs.

> >

> > I understand your caution with medications because

> I am one of those

> > parents that don't like quick fixes. I'd rather

> work out the problem

> > rather than give him a pill to fix it. However,

> ie was a

> > WRECK. His OCD was beginning to get worse with

> each passing year,

> > and his fear of storms started to interfere with

> his life and play

> > time. He refused to go outside, he had no

> friends, he'd have panic

> > attacks if he saw ONE cloud, he'd ask a million

> times " are we going

> > to get a tornado?' and so on. I know, without a

> doubt, that my son

> > needed medication. It's been a life-saver for him

> and the whole

> > family.

> >

> > I'm happy to report that is now going

> outside EVERY day. He's

> > making new friends *yay!* Kids are actually

> knocking at the door and

> > asking for (which didn't happen a year ago

> because he wouldn't

> > go outside!) Clouds are no longer a threat.

> Today, he actually

> > played outside in the rain. I never hear about

> tornados anymore and

> > other than the occasional 'am I going to throw up

> if I eat this?' -

> > he's a happy kid. I attribute ALL of this to the

> medications- even

> > the ones that didn't work too well. Any

> improvement, no matter how

> > slight, was better than what we were all living

> with.

> >

> > We started Exposure and Response Therapy and

> Cognitive Behavior

> > Therapy last week. I have nothing to report about

> this YET. I'm not

> > so sure about the therapist that our psychiatrist

> recommended, but

> > we'll give it a try and if she doesn't work out,

> I'll find someone

> > else SOON. She seems very nice and very well

> educated, but we've had

> > two visits and all she seems to do is gather info.

> I understood this

> > during our first visit, but when she asked the

> same questions on the

> > second visit-- it seemed reduntant. I had the

> feeling that she had

> > forgotten what his symptoms were and didn't read

> his chart before we

> > walked in.

> >

> > Hang in there, ! I'm new on this list too

> and everyone seems

> > very supportive and helpful! And, OCD is so

> difficult to understand,

> > we need all the support we can get.

> > Joni

>

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