results of B's review

[Guest guest]

We had B's review yesterday. His dx is severe OCD, with co-morbid anxiety

disorder, depression and mood related eating problems. He is to remain on

150mgs Sertraline, will be discharged from hospital at the end of the month

and we are all to attend family therapy.

They had not even considered CBT!! There is no CBT trained therapist

attached to B's service and the doctor is going to try and find out whether

the psychiatrist will be able to find a CBT service and refer B elsewhere. "

It will take time to organise, even if we can " - Quote.

We are therefore still left in limbo. The family therapy is social service

based and is for " troubled " families with delinquent problems. We are not

wild about the idea as our autistic child is refusing to attend anyway!! I

am struggling to get March's book here in England and Amazon UK cannot

guarantee that they can get it for me. B is still as frightened as ever...he

sleeps on the floor in our bedroom ( and has done since Nov.1999) as there

is " evil " in his bedroom. Any advice as to how we help him back into his own

room? He is afraid to go into his room alone, even in daylight. He is 13,

sleeps with a stick, a Samurai sword ( a replica ornamental one!!) and about

20 stuffed toys arranged in a certain order - not to mention we have to have

the landing lights on and the door open. ( and this is in our room!! - a

tiny, tiny English bedroom )

Thanks

a ( who is also struggling with her ASD child's insistence that her

teeth hurt, are moving around in her head and are all going to fall out !

Aargh. She has beautiful teeth, but won't eat now as it will be " bad " for

her teeth!!!)

[Guest guest]

Hi a, you wrote:

> I am struggling to get March's book here in England and Amazon UK

cannot

> guarantee that they can get it for me. B is still as frightened as

ever...he

> sleeps on the floor in our bedroom ( and has done since Nov.1999) as there

> is " evil " in his bedroom. Any advice as to how we help him back into his

own

> room? He is afraid to go into his room alone, even in daylight.

> a ( who is also struggling with her ASD child's insistence that her

> teeth hurt, are moving around in her head and are all going to fall out !

> Aargh. She has beautiful teeth, but won't eat now as it will be " bad " for

> her teeth!!!)

These are both avoidance compulsions (actions) based on obsessional worries.

They can be approached through E & RP: find out how difficult doing the

things they are avoiding (entering the bedroom, eating food) would be, then

craft exposures that take baby steps toward moving the kids along the path

to the goal. In your son's case, could he stand in the doorway of his room

in broad daylight for five minutes? No way, then how about three minutes?

Then could he walk in two steps? Next, sit on the bed, etc., retrieve

something and walk back out, gradually increasing the amount of time he

spends in his room? He can expect to feel heightened anxiety during these

exercises, but through repetition it will fall until being, even sleeping in

his room is no longer frightening. With your daughter, what foods does she

think are alright for her teeth right now? How about adding just a couple

of bites of something a bit harder and more " dangerous " ? Make this food a

special favorite if you can. Over time she can bite and chew increasingly

harder foods (or whatever it is about the foods she's avoiding) until this

obsession remits.

Cheer even the smallest success and build on that. Recognize good effort,

maybe even dangle prizes to get them started. This is hard work for kids

(adults too), and is aversive, but is our kids' way out of the OCD maze.

Kathy R in Indiana