Guest guest Posted November 22, 2006 Report Share Posted November 22, 2006 > He is having such a tough time with being isolated at home. I am > feeling very overwhelmed myself. I was just wondering if anyone has > had any experience with school phobia and what advice they can give. > Thanks, > Robin > Hi Robin, My 11 year old ocd son has had a problem going to school in the past. Last year in 5th grade I had to literally get him dressed, practically carry him downstairs, put him in the car and hope he didn't try to escape. By the time we were halfway to school, he seemed fine and would get out of the car with no problem. Now he would also do this when we were going places as a family - fun things that he wanted to do. I think what was happening with him, was he would believe something bad was going to happen if he went somewhere. Then once we got in the car and on the road, he wouldbe fine and have a good time. He has had a very good transition to middle school and really likes it so far. We have only had one episode (this last monday) where he didn't really want to go and I did alot of yelling before he finally got ready and got in the car. (He is now too big and strong for me to dress and got really mad when I tried, so I don't think I'll be doing that anymore) I hope this doesn't become an issue again. We were planning a trip to Six Flags this summer and the day before he said he wouldn't be able to go. He said he was afraid the roller coasters would come off their tracks or something like that. I said they probably would and that other bad stuff would happen in a very matter of fact tone and then smiled. That seemed to make him feel better and then we talked about other stuff he was afraid of and the chances of that happening. Every child is so different. While this works for mine, it may not for others. It's may not work if there's not a specific fear, but just a general somethings not right feeling. Is he seeing a therapist also? A good one would probably be able to help you through this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 22, 2006 Report Share Posted November 22, 2006 Hi , Yes, he is seeing a therapist. But we had the problem of him not wanting to get in the car to see her. Now we have him doing very small tasks, like just going in the car to sit, maybe once around the block, etc. It is all a matter of having small successes so he feels more confident. Thanks for replying, Robin > Is he seeing a therapist also? A good one would probably be able to > help you through this. > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 22, 2006 Report Share Posted November 22, 2006 Hi Robin, I don't have any advice about how to get him to school, but to help w/ the isolation, have you considered finding homeschoolers in your area? I know your probably not planning to homeschool him, but for now it might help to have some fun things to do. In our area there are classes offered at places for homeschoolers (zoo, museum center, art museum,nature places), and many interesting people in our network. We even have a co-op school where homeschoolers pick their classes. The classes are small, and you can take as many as you want. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 22, 2006 Report Share Posted November 22, 2006 Hi Robin, I read your other reply also and am wondering - is this just the school and therapist, or does he have problems going anywhere? Glad he will be getting the home tutoring. I don't know about the panic increase while beginning Lexapro but sometimes when beginning an SSRI, the OCD will increase at first (same with beginning therapy). You can wait this out and slowly increase (always a good idea) but if Lexapro continues to be a problem, then you can always try another SSRI. Many parents can tell you about having to try more than one medication (or a combination) until something began helping. (Really too bad that one medication doesn't work for all!) Sounds like you've done well, trying to ease him back into school. Middle school can be overwhelming! My son (17) had his OCD begin around 2-3 weeks after starting middle school. Really I think it had been sneaking up all summer but just burst forth then. Luckily for him (and me) he still went to school. He said his OCD bothered him less there; I figured it was due to their being kept busy, the distractions, etc. But middle school, and he'll say this, was a horrible time for him. High school has been great! Quick thoughts this a.m.! > > Hi, > I have a 12year old son who has a very severe case of school phobia. > His OCD has always been manageable and he has attended very well in > past years. It just seemed that the transition to middle school was > too much for him. He came home the first day totally overwhelmed and > didn't go back the second day. He has only been there for 3 full days Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 22, 2006 Report Share Posted November 22, 2006 I had the same thing with my 7 yr old on and off since kindergarten. We have since had a Child STudy Team Eval and had him classified. He is on Prozac and clonidine and I have not seen a panic attack in over 6 weeks. He has an aide at school, gets supplemental instruction, and OT. His grades are terrific - he is reading on an 8th grade level and does 3rd grade math. Once he was out of school due to panic attacks throughout the day that kept him out of the classroom, we had to slowly reintroduce school by having him attend for an hour and increasing this every week. When he was home, I made it as boring as I could and did not allow vidoe games, computers, ect.. - I used these things later to reward his bravery. He is now in school most of the day except for 1 hr, and he comes home for lunch. He gets CBT which is helping too. We are using a program called the Coping Cat, another good workbook is called I Bet I Won't Fret. I can't say that any one thing has made the difference, rather it is the combination of treatment and support that seems to enable him to function better than he has in the past. Hang in there. Bonnie > > Hi, > I have a 12year old son who has a very severe case of school phobia. > His OCD has always been manageable and he has attended very well in > past years. It just seemed that the transition to middle school was > too much for him. He came home the first day totally overwhelmed and > didn't go back the second day. He has only been there for 3 full days > so far. He has panic attacks and after trying for 2 months to get him > in to the building even just to sit in the office, we are taking a > break. He was able to get to one class for a few days here and there. > We see a psychologist once a week. The school is going to provide > tutoring 5 hours a week starting next week. We decided to start him > on an SSRI (Lexapro) and are still not sure if it is working. He > started very slowly 1/4 of a 5 mg pill at a time since the first week > of September. He got up to 10 mg and we saw an increase in his OCD > symptoms and his panic. He would start puffing with anxiety at home > for no reason. The doctor called it akathesia and now he is on 5 mg. > He is having such a tough time with being isolated at home. I am > feeling very overwhelmed myself. I was just wondering if anyone has > had any experience with school phobia and what advice they can give. > Thanks, > Robin > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 22, 2006 Report Share Posted November 22, 2006 PS, if you want more info about how I got my son back to school, you can e mail me. Bonnie > > Hi, > I have a 12year old son who has a very severe case of school phobia. > His OCD has always been manageable and he has attended very well in > past years. It just seemed that the transition to middle school was > too much for him. He came home the first day totally overwhelmed and > didn't go back the second day. He has only been there for 3 full days > so far. He has panic attacks and after trying for 2 months to get him > in to the building even just to sit in the office, we are taking a > break. He was able to get to one class for a few days here and there. > We see a psychologist once a week. The school is going to provide > tutoring 5 hours a week starting next week. We decided to start him > on an SSRI (Lexapro) and are still not sure if it is working. He > started very slowly 1/4 of a 5 mg pill at a time since the first week > of September. He got up to 10 mg and we saw an increase in his OCD > symptoms and his panic. He would start puffing with anxiety at home > for no reason. The doctor called it akathesia and now he is on 5 mg. > He is having such a tough time with being isolated at home. I am > feeling very overwhelmed myself. I was just wondering if anyone has > had any experience with school phobia and what advice they can give. > Thanks, > Robin > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 22, 2006 Report Share Posted November 22, 2006 > > > > Hi, > > I have a 12year old son who has a very severe case of school > phobia. > > His OCD has always been manageable and he has attended very well in > > past years. It just seemed that the transition to middle school was > > too much for him. He came home the first day totally overwhelmed > and > > didn't go back the second day. He has only been there for 3 full > days > > so far. He has panic attacks and after trying for 2 months to get > him > > in to the building even just to sit in the office, we are taking a > > break. He was able to get to one class for a few days here and > there. > > We see a psychologist once a week. The school is going to provide > > tutoring 5 hours a week starting next week. We decided to start him > > on an SSRI (Lexapro) and are still not sure if it is working. He > > started very slowly 1/4 of a 5 mg pill at a time since the first > week > > of September. He got up to 10 mg and we saw an increase in his OCD > > symptoms and his panic. He would start puffing with anxiety at home > > for no reason. The doctor called it akathesia and now he is on 5 > mg. > > He is having such a tough time with being isolated at home. I am > > feeling very overwhelmed myself. I was just wondering if anyone has > > had any experience with school phobia and what advice they can give. > > Thanks, > > Robin > > >Hi Robin, Your problem sounds just like mine, except I have a 12 year old daughter.She also had a very difficult time with school. She didn't go very much and is now homebound. The school will be sending a teacher out weekly. Her therapist wants her home until the middle of Jan. She is also on Lexapro 15mg. What you've said about the lexapro is very interesting. We upped the dose because her anxiety was getting worse, but maybe too much is not good. Her physciatrist wants to see about using an anti-anxiety med along with the ssri. She too, is getting stir crazy, but not enough to get back to school. Try to get him out even for walks. He should also keep in touch with his friends. Please keep me updated. It's such a blessing to find someone that completely understands what we are going through! God Bless, Becky in Mi. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 22, 2006 Report Share Posted November 22, 2006 do the schools have to send a teacher/tutor to anyone if they're ever having issues???? eileen Quoting gladtobegreek <gladtobegreek@...>: > >> > >> > Hi, >> > I have a 12year old son who has a very severe case of school >> phobia. >> > His OCD has always been manageable and he has attended very well > in >> > past years. It just seemed that the transition to middle school > was >> > too much for him. He came home the first day totally overwhelmed >> and >> > didn't go back the second day. He has only been there for 3 full >> days >> > so far. He has panic attacks and after trying for 2 months to > get >> him >> > in to the building even just to sit in the office, we are taking > a >> > break. He was able to get to one class for a few days here and >> there. >> > We see a psychologist once a week. The school is going to > provide >> > tutoring 5 hours a week starting next week. We decided to start > him >> > on an SSRI (Lexapro) and are still not sure if it is working. He >> > started very slowly 1/4 of a 5 mg pill at a time since the first >> week >> > of September. He got up to 10 mg and we saw an increase in his > OCD >> > symptoms and his panic. He would start puffing with anxiety at > home >> > for no reason. The doctor called it akathesia and now he is on 5 >> mg. >> > He is having such a tough time with being isolated at home. I am >> > feeling very overwhelmed myself. I was just wondering if anyone > has >> > had any experience with school phobia and what advice they can > give. >> > Thanks, >> > Robin >> > >> Hi Robin, > > Your problem sounds just like mine, except I have a 12 year old > daughter.She also had a very difficult time with school. She didn't > go very much and is now homebound. The school will be sending a > teacher out weekly. Her therapist wants her home until the middle of > Jan. She is also on Lexapro 15mg. What you've said about the lexapro > is very interesting. We upped the dose because her anxiety was > getting worse, but maybe too much is not good. Her physciatrist > wants to see about using an anti-anxiety med along with the ssri. > She too, is getting stir crazy, but not enough to get back to school. > Try to get him out even for walks. He should also keep in touch with > his friends. Please keep me updated. It's such a blessing to find > someone that completely understands what we are going through! > God Bless, > Becky in Mi. > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 22, 2006 Report Share Posted November 22, 2006 > > >Hi Robin, > > Your problem sounds just like mine, except I have a 12 year old > daughter.She also had a very difficult time with school. She didn't > go very much and is now homebound. The school will be sending a > teacher out weekly. Her therapist wants her home until the middle of > Jan. She is also on Lexapro 15mg. What you've said about the lexapro > is very interesting. We upped the dose because her anxiety was > getting worse, but maybe too much is not good. Her physciatrist > wants to see about using an anti-anxiety med along with the ssri. > She too, is getting stir crazy, but not enough to get back to school. > Try to get him out even for walks. He should also keep in touch with > his friends. Please keep me updated. It's such a blessing to find > someone that completely understands what we are going through! > God Bless, > Becky in Mi. > Hi Becky, This is amazing - kind of like a parallel universe! It's been really tough as you already know - The OCD and panic is so strong that it paralyzes the child. Our therapist has been urging us to try every day to get in to the school. We tried for 2 months straight some days with parking lot visits, some with first period, some with just the guidance office visit. It literally wore us both out. The repeated failures and anxiety just made my son feel rotten about himself despite my coaching (which he grew to dislike by the way). When the Lexapro was over 5 mg his symptoms got worse. He even had panic attacks for no reason at all at home. Now we have him at 5 again. It took a week to get from 10 to 5. He's been at 5 for almost 2 weeks now. We are seeing a bit of hyper (That can happen at the beginning of an SSRI, I understand), but he is still resistant to even going out for a walk. I'm still waiting for the OCD symptoms to lessen so I can say " The medicine's working " . I know it takes therapy as well but my son is having a hard time separating the OCD from himself so he can fight it. He feels that if he doesn't feel exactly " Perfect " in the morning, there is no way he can even go anywhere , not to mention go to school! I thought of other medicines in addition to the Lexapro like Klonopin for the anxiety. My other son had success with the Klonopin for a time. But we tried it and didn't see any immediate results. Just about 5 hours after the dose, he was sliding down the stairs on his behind - something that he would not normally do... Anyway, we are starting the home instruction next week. I am told it will be one hour a day and I'm not sure how he will feel about going to the school after hours. But we'll just have to try. Why did your therapist want your daughter home til the middle of Januray? I have no idea at all how long my son will be home. It's like we're living a bad dream. Hope it ends soon. Take care and keep in touch. Robin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 22, 2006 Report Share Posted November 22, 2006 Hi Eileen, Yes, in New Jersey, home instruction is given if the student misses I believe it is 10 days in a row. For every 10 days, you get 5 hours of instruction. That's the rule as I understand it. We got a note from our pediatrician stating that our son needs home instruction because of his excessive absences due to OCD/anxiety and school phobia. And we are also now in the process of having him classified which means the Child study team will do an evaluation. It should be interesting to see how he will go to the school to be evaluated, but we will cross that bridge when we get to it. Robin > > do the schools have to send a teacher/tutor to anyone if they're ever > having issues???? > eileen > > > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 22, 2006 Report Share Posted November 22, 2006 Thanks for the reply My son is pretty resistant to going anywhere at this point. Although going to the video game store hasn't posed any problems yet! I plan on getting him in the habit of going in the car each morning even though he may resist it - It will be like an exposure therapy. Because the next step is agoraphobia - not where I want him to be at all! Take care, Robin in NJ > > Hi Robin, > I read your other reply also and am wondering - is this just the > school and therapist, or does he have problems going anywhere? > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 22, 2006 Report Share Posted November 22, 2006 Hi , How do I get information about these classes? I'm from New Jersey. Robin > > Hi Robin, > > I don't have any advice about how to get him to school, but to help w/ the > isolation, have you considered finding homeschoolers in your area? I know > your probably not planning to homeschool him, but for now it might help to > have some fun things to do. In our area there are classes offered at places > for homeschoolers (zoo, museum center, art museum,nature places), and many > interesting people in our network. We even have a co-op school where > homeschoolers pick their classes. The classes are small, and you can take > as many as you want. > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 22, 2006 Report Share Posted November 22, 2006 Hi gang, I just sent Robin an email about her post and then felt strongly that I needed to go ahead and post a copy of it gere in case someone else needed to see the info. I've mentioned a lot of this stuff before so I don't know if some might get tired of hearing me talk about it ;-) Hey Robin, I was just reading your post at the group and wanted to share some info with you that might help. My son was diagnosed with Body Dysmorphic Disorder (which is imagined ugliness) and is an OCD spectrum disorder. When it began the biggest problem he was having were panic attacks. We ended up trying many different psych drugs and combinations of psych drugs at high doses. He finally ended up on 5 things - it was horrible.....but here is the good news....eventually we found out that his problem was his THYROID. Actually his is a low thyroid problem, but either a low or high thyroid problem can cause panic attacks and/or many other mental symptoms. There has been a lot of good info put together about the thyroid connection to mental problems, like OCD and anxiety/panic attacks, at: www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/thyroid-depression-mental-health/ I wanted to give you the web address so that you could check out the info and perhaps it would be of some help to you. There are specific and more accurate thyroid tests that should be run, then what most docs are normally running. The tests that should be run are: FREE T3 (Triiodothyronine) FREE T4 (Thyroxine) TSH (Thyroid Stimulating Hormone) THYROGLOBULIN ANTIBODIES and THYROID PEROXIDASE ANTIBODIES I wanted to strongly suggest that you have these tests run, if for no other reason then to simply rule out a thyroid hormone problem that is contributing to your son's problems. Some doctors are reluctant to run the FREE T3 and FREE T4, and will want to simply run the old thyroid tests. THIS IS NOT SUFFICIENT and can be very misleading or miss the problem. If your doctor will not run the tests, you can order the tests (Comprehensive Thyroid Panel II and Anti Thyroid Antibodies) yourself at www.healthcheckusa.com It is very easy to do and then they will send you the paperwork in the mail for you to take with you to the nearest Lab One to draw your blood and you can look up your results online in a few days and also receive them in the mail. I can assist you in reading the lab work. Also, I might better mention that if your son's FREE levels are in the lower 1/3 of the RANGE, it is possible a deficiency of thyroid hormone is causing your mental symptoms. Some docs will say that it is " in range " so it's fine - but that is not the case. Most people need their Free T3 levels to be in the upper 1/3 of the range or even above the range (as in my son's case). I am thrilled to tell you that we have spent the last year slowly removing all the psych meds my son was taking and he is now only taking 5 grains (300 mgs) of Armour Thyroid to treat his symptoms and is better than he has been since this all began! It is a miracle in our books and I am just trying to keep others from having to go thru the same difficult road. Please let me know if I can help with any of the info at stopthethyroidmadness or with anything in this email. take care, I have a 12year old son who has a very severe case of school phobia. His OCD has always been manageable and he has attended very well in past years. It just seemed that the transition to middle school was too much for him. He came home the first day totally overwhelmed and didn't go back the second day. He has only been there for 3 full days so far. He has panic attacks and after trying for 2 months to get him in to the building even just to sit in the office, we are taking a break. He was able to get to one class for a few days here and there. ...He got up to 10 mg and we saw an increase in his OCD symptoms and his panic. He would start puffing with anxiety at home for no reason. The doctor called it akathesia and now he is on 5 mg. He is having such a tough time with being isolated at home. I am feeling very overwhelmed myself. I was just wondering if anyone has had any experience with school phobia and what advice they can give. Thanks, Robin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 23, 2006 Report Share Posted November 23, 2006 Dear , Thank you so much for the info. I have the same problem with my daughter that Robin has with her son. My mother, aunt and two cousins have thyroid problems. My daughter just had a blood work up done, so I am going to make sure these test were run. If not, I'm going to tell them to do it . I pray this might be our miracle, too! Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! God Bless, Becky cathybddmom1 <cathyperry@...> wrote: Hi gang, I just sent Robin an email about her post and then felt strongly that I needed to go ahead and post a copy of it gere in case someone else needed to see the info. I've mentioned a lot of this stuff before so I don't know if some might get tired of hearing me talk about it ;-) Hey Robin, I was just reading your post at the group and wanted to share some info with you that might help. My son was diagnosed with Body Dysmorphic Disorder (which is imagined ugliness) and is an OCD spectrum disorder. When it began the biggest problem he was having were panic attacks. We ended up trying many different psych drugs and combinations of psych drugs at high doses. He finally ended up on 5 things - it was horrible.....but here is the good news....eventually we found out that his problem was his THYROID. Actually his is a low thyroid problem, but either a low or high thyroid problem can cause panic attacks and/or many other mental symptoms. There has been a lot of good info put together about the thyroid connection to mental problems, like OCD and anxiety/panic attacks, at: www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/thyroid-depression-mental-health/ I wanted to give you the web address so that you could check out the info and perhaps it would be of some help to you. There are specific and more accurate thyroid tests that should be run, then what most docs are normally running. The tests that should be run are: FREE T3 (Triiodothyronine) FREE T4 (Thyroxine) TSH (Thyroid Stimulating Hormone) THYROGLOBULIN ANTIBODIES and THYROID PEROXIDASE ANTIBODIES I wanted to strongly suggest that you have these tests run, if for no other reason then to simply rule out a thyroid hormone problem that is contributing to your son's problems. Some doctors are reluctant to run the FREE T3 and FREE T4, and will want to simply run the old thyroid tests. THIS IS NOT SUFFICIENT and can be very misleading or miss the problem. If your doctor will not run the tests, you can order the tests (Comprehensive Thyroid Panel II and Anti Thyroid Antibodies) yourself at www.healthcheckusa.com It is very easy to do and then they will send you the paperwork in the mail for you to take with you to the nearest Lab One to draw your blood and you can look up your results online in a few days and also receive them in the mail. I can assist you in reading the lab work. Also, I might better mention that if your son's FREE levels are in the lower 1/3 of the RANGE, it is possible a deficiency of thyroid hormone is causing your mental symptoms. Some docs will say that it is " in range " so it's fine - but that is not the case. Most people need their Free T3 levels to be in the upper 1/3 of the range or even above the range (as in my son's case). I am thrilled to tell you that we have spent the last year slowly removing all the psych meds my son was taking and he is now only taking 5 grains (300 mgs) of Armour Thyroid to treat his symptoms and is better than he has been since this all began! It is a miracle in our books and I am just trying to keep others from having to go thru the same difficult road. Please let me know if I can help with any of the info at stopthethyroidmadness or with anything in this email. take care, I have a 12year old son who has a very severe case of school phobia. His OCD has always been manageable and he has attended very well in past years. It just seemed that the transition to middle school was too much for him. He came home the first day totally overwhelmed and didn't go back the second day. He has only been there for 3 full days so far. He has panic attacks and after trying for 2 months to get him in to the building even just to sit in the office, we are taking a break. He was able to get to one class for a few days here and there. ...He got up to 10 mg and we saw an increase in his OCD symptoms and his panic. He would start puffing with anxiety at home for no reason. The doctor called it akathesia and now he is on 5 mg. He is having such a tough time with being isolated at home. I am feeling very overwhelmed myself. I was just wondering if anyone has had any experience with school phobia and what advice they can give. Thanks, Robin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 23, 2006 Report Share Posted November 23, 2006 Hi Robin, My therapist gave mid January as a starting point, but said we will evaluate the situation at that date to see how she is coming along. Did you read 's post about thyroid problems? That is definately something for us to check into. will be having a teacher come to the house once a week, but her therapist wants her to go into to the school at least once a week just to stay familiar with it. Though when we go she starts getting very nervous and will blame me for taking her. But fortunately, she will go in for a short time. Please keep in touch! Happy Thanksgiving! God bless, Becky Robin <rbeers@...> wrote: > > >Hi Robin, > > Your problem sounds just like mine, except I have a 12 year old > daughter.She also had a very difficult time with school. She didn't > go very much and is now homebound. The school will be sending a > teacher out weekly. Her therapist wants her home until the middle of > Jan. She is also on Lexapro 15mg. What you've said about the lexapro > is very interesting. We upped the dose because her anxiety was > getting worse, but maybe too much is not good. Her physciatrist > wants to see about using an anti-anxiety med along with the ssri. > She too, is getting stir crazy, but not enough to get back to school. > Try to get him out even for walks. He should also keep in touch with > his friends. Please keep me updated. It's such a blessing to find > someone that completely understands what we are going through! > God Bless, > Becky in Mi. > Hi Becky, This is amazing - kind of like a parallel universe! It's been really tough as you already know - The OCD and panic is so strong that it paralyzes the child. Our therapist has been urging us to try every day to get in to the school. We tried for 2 months straight some days with parking lot visits, some with first period, some with just the guidance office visit. It literally wore us both out. The repeated failures and anxiety just made my son feel rotten about himself despite my coaching (which he grew to dislike by the way). When the Lexapro was over 5 mg his symptoms got worse. He even had panic attacks for no reason at all at home. Now we have him at 5 again. It took a week to get from 10 to 5. He's been at 5 for almost 2 weeks now. We are seeing a bit of hyper (That can happen at the beginning of an SSRI, I understand), but he is still resistant to even going out for a walk. I'm still waiting for the OCD symptoms to lessen so I can say " The medicine's working " . I know it takes therapy as well but my son is having a hard time separating the OCD from himself so he can fight it. He feels that if he doesn't feel exactly " Perfect " in the morning, there is no way he can even go anywhere , not to mention go to school! I thought of other medicines in addition to the Lexapro like Klonopin for the anxiety. My other son had success with the Klonopin for a time. But we tried it and didn't see any immediate results. Just about 5 hours after the dose, he was sliding down the stairs on his behind - something that he would not normally do... Anyway, we are starting the home instruction next week. I am told it will be one hour a day and I'm not sure how he will feel about going to the school after hours. But we'll just have to try. Why did your therapist want your daughter home til the middle of Januray? I have no idea at all how long my son will be home. It's like we're living a bad dream. Hope it ends soon. Take care and keep in touch. Robin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 23, 2006 Report Share Posted November 23, 2006 In Michigan they will do it. But even still, it depends upon the district. I'm very fortunate to live in Livonia. They take you seriously and will provide you with everything they can to help your child stay in school. Take Care, Becky " autumn71A@... " <autumn71A@...> wrote: do the schools have to send a teacher/tutor to anyone if they're ever having issues???? eileen Quoting gladtobegreek <gladtobegreek@...>: > >> > >> > Hi, >> > I have a 12year old son who has a very severe case of school >> phobia. >> > His OCD has always been manageable and he has attended very well > in >> > past years. It just seemed that the transition to middle school > was >> > too much for him. He came home the first day totally overwhelmed >> and >> > didn't go back the second day. He has only been there for 3 full >> days >> > so far. He has panic attacks and after trying for 2 months to > get >> him >> > in to the building even just to sit in the office, we are taking > a >> > break. He was able to get to one class for a few days here and >> there. >> > We see a psychologist once a week. The school is going to > provide >> > tutoring 5 hours a week starting next week. We decided to start > him >> > on an SSRI (Lexapro) and are still not sure if it is working. He >> > started very slowly 1/4 of a 5 mg pill at a time since the first >> week >> > of September. He got up to 10 mg and we saw an increase in his > OCD >> > symptoms and his panic. He would start puffing with anxiety at > home >> > for no reason. The doctor called it akathesia and now he is on 5 >> mg. >> > He is having such a tough time with being isolated at home. I am >> > feeling very overwhelmed myself. I was just wondering if anyone > has >> > had any experience with school phobia and what advice they can > give. >> > Thanks, >> > Robin >> > >> Hi Robin, > > Your problem sounds just like mine, except I have a 12 year old > daughter.She also had a very difficult time with school. She didn't > go very much and is now homebound. The school will be sending a > teacher out weekly. Her therapist wants her home until the middle of > Jan. She is also on Lexapro 15mg. What you've said about the lexapro > is very interesting. We upped the dose because her anxiety was > getting worse, but maybe too much is not good. Her physciatrist > wants to see about using an anti-anxiety med along with the ssri. > She too, is getting stir crazy, but not enough to get back to school. > Try to get him out even for walks. He should also keep in touch with > his friends. Please keep me updated. It's such a blessing to find > someone that completely understands what we are going through! > God Bless, > Becky in Mi. > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 23, 2006 Report Share Posted November 23, 2006 Thanks so much, . I will definitely look into this. Happy Thanksgiving! Robin > www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/thyroid-depression-mental-health/ > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 23, 2006 Report Share Posted November 23, 2006 Hey Becky, unless you have an extraordinary doctor I doubt that you will find that they ran the FREE T3 and FREE T4, most docs seem to run the TSH and T3 Uptake, and maybe Total T4, but please give the exact lists of tests as I had listed (and is listed at stopthethyroidmadness) and ask your doc to run those exact tests. Could you possibly get a copy of the blood work that was done on your daugther and let me take a look at it. Post the name of the test, the result and the lab range (as they vary) and let me take a look at what they did do. You can email the info to me if you would like. The fact that your daughter has OCD symptoms, panic attacks, etc. and that thyroid problems run in your family.....well odds are that you will find she has a thyroid problem, if the correct tests are run. Please be sure to always get a copy of all blood work that is done. For over 20 years they only ran the TSH and T3 Uptake on me and said my thyroid " was fine " . I never knew to question it or even to take a look at the results myself - but boy do I know better now. ;-) I hope to hear from you. take care, Dear , Thank you so much for the info. I have the same problem with my daughter that Robin has with her son. My mother, aunt and two cousins have thyroid problems. My daughter just had a blood work up done, so I am going to make sure these test were run. If not, I'm going to tell them to do it . I pray this might be our miracle, too! Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! God Bless, Becky Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 25, 2006 Report Share Posted November 25, 2006 Hi Robin, You need to find homeschoolers in your area, maybe goggle homeschooling and New Jersey to start, or join a homeschooling email group, and ask if there are people in your area. You may be able to get contact name from nature centers, museums or other organizations who offer classes to homeschooling. I know there are many religious groups here in Cincinnati, but I was interested in non-religious groups, and I was able to find many in this category. Good Luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 25, 2006 Report Share Posted November 25, 2006 Hello Robin, My 13 year old son had a sudden severe attack of OCD symptoms right when school started this year. After 3 weeks and misery we decided to homeschool. We have had our ups-and-downs because of the OCD. But, we have the flexibility to get help and to work around OCD. I truly think our son is learning more in this environment than he would have at school. We are part of a couple of homeschool groups - none are a perfect fit but that is OK. Most groups organize social activities from which you can pick and choose. Some of the options we've either done or considered: classes taught by other parents, roller skating, laser tag, hiking, board game group, educational field trips (like to TV stations, museums, etc.) It takes a lot of work on the parent's part! But, no more work than dealing with school-ocd-daily misery and probably less. A thought for you ... would your son be interested in a pen pal? My son might be interested. This could be either snail or email. Just a thought. > > Hi, > I have a 12year old son who has a very severe case of school phobia. > His OCD has always been manageable and he has attended very well in > past years. It just seemed that the transition to middle school was > too much for him. He came home the first day totally overwhelmed and > didn't go back the second day. He has only been there for 3 full days > so far. He has panic attacks and after trying for 2 months to get him > in to the building even just to sit in the office, we are taking a > break. He was able to get to one class for a few days here and there. > We see a psychologist once a week. The school is going to provide > tutoring 5 hours a week starting next week. We decided to start him > on an SSRI (Lexapro) and are still not sure if it is working. He > started very slowly 1/4 of a 5 mg pill at a time since the first week > of September. He got up to 10 mg and we saw an increase in his OCD > symptoms and his panic. He would start puffing with anxiety at home > for no reason. The doctor called it akathesia and now he is on 5 mg. > He is having such a tough time with being isolated at home. I am > feeling very overwhelmed myself. I was just wondering if anyone has > had any experience with school phobia and what advice they can give. > Thanks, > Robin > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 26, 2006 Report Share Posted November 26, 2006 Hi Robin. Is your son's school issue specifically school phobia? My daughter has problems attending school whenever her issues are more active. She has depression, as well as OCD. We are going through this right now trying to get her to school. She is in 11th grade though. She didn't miss a day of school until the middle of Oct. Things were going well, then her issues started flaring. First, she couldn't get out of bed because she sleeps a lot more when her depression starts up, then she was having panic and sheer fear trying to get to school. She has missed up to 17 of the last 23 school days in some classes. As a teen, who was ranked in the top 3% of a class of over 400, it is especially difficult. I think her grades and rank will fall, but she received incompletes for 4 classes because she hasn't been able to do the work. Her school has been very supportive. Has yours? Good luck with your son. I hope things turn around soon. Kim In a message dated 11/22/2006 7:30:14 AM Central Standard Time, rbeers@... writes: I am feeling very overwhelmed myself. I was just wondering if anyone has had any experience with school phobia and what advice they can give. Thanks, Robin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 26, 2006 Report Share Posted November 26, 2006 So sorry to hear about this. I really hope it gets better for you soon. I'm wondering about your dose of Lexapro being high enough to do anything about the OCD. Although, if he's suffering side effects at such a low dose, who knows. My son got relief from depression beginning at 10mg but much better at 20mg. However, even at 20 he hasn't had much relief of OCD symptoms. Now we're trying 30 and he's a bit shaky and agitated (been on 30 for four days). We'll try to stay with it, but if he can't tolerate it, dr may switch him to Fluvox, Luvox or fluoxetine. Klonopin helps him get through tough transition times. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 26, 2006 Report Share Posted November 26, 2006 Thanks , I think we'll give the 5mg some more time. He's only 85 pounds if that means anything. My older 16 yo son is on 15 mg (he's an adult size- about 180 pounds) and is doing well. We used Klonopin to help my older son through tough times. It worked well. We tried it with my 12 yo but it didn't do much. Maybe we should try again. When my 12 yo was on the 10mg of Lexapro, he suffered from what the doctor called akathesia which is restlessness. You might watch for that with your son on a higher dose. Everyone is different and every doctor has a different approach I'm learning. Thanks for your advice. Best, Robin ....> wrote: > > So sorry to hear about this. I really hope it gets better for you soon. I'm wondering about your dose of Lexapro being high enough to do anything about the OCD. Although, if he's suffering side effects at such a low dose, who knows. My son got relief from depression beginning at 10mg but much better at 20mg. However, even at 20 he hasn't had much relief of OCD symptoms. Now we're trying 30 and he's a bit shaky and agitated (been on 30 for four days). We'll try to stay with it, but if he can't tolerate it, dr may switch him to Fluvox, Luvox or fluoxetine. Klonopin helps him get through tough transition times. > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 26, 2006 Report Share Posted November 26, 2006 Hi , Yes, I joined the central NJ homeschooling group. They post events in our area. I'm still not sure if this is the route we are going to take. It's a big decision. Thanks so much for your reply. Robin > > Hi Robin, > > You need to find homeschoolers in your area, maybe goggle homeschooling and > New Jersey to start, or join a homeschooling email group, and ask if there > are people in your area. You may be able to get contact name from nature > centers, museums or other organizations who offer classes to homeschooling. > I know there are many religious groups here in Cincinnati, but I was > interested in non-religious groups, and I was able to find many in this > category. Good Luck. > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 26, 2006 Report Share Posted November 26, 2006 Hi, How did you get set up with homeschooling so quickly? We're still going to give the regular school a try at this point. Waiting for the medicine and the therapy to " kick in " . In the meantime, we're planning on getting a tutor from the school to work with him and I'm trying to keep him up-to-date with his studies myself. It's not easy, but hopefully it will stabilize soon. My son may be interested in emailing your son - maybe we could have them send emails. He doesn't have his own but he could use mine. It's worth a try. I'll email you directly if that's okay. Thanks again, Robin in NJ > > > > Hi, > > I have a 12year old son who has a very severe case of school phobia. > > His OCD has always been manageable and he has attended very well in > > past years. It just seemed that the transition to middle school was > > too much for him. He came home the first day totally overwhelmed and > > didn't go back the second day. He has only been there for 3 full days > > so far. He has panic attacks and after trying for 2 months to get him > > in to the building even just to sit in the office, we are taking a > > break. He was able to get to one class for a few days here and there. > > We see a psychologist once a week. The school is going to provide > > tutoring 5 hours a week starting next week. We decided to start him > > on an SSRI (Lexapro) and are still not sure if it is working. He > > started very slowly 1/4 of a 5 mg pill at a time since the first week > > of September. He got up to 10 mg and we saw an increase in his OCD > > symptoms and his panic. He would start puffing with anxiety at home > > for no reason. The doctor called it akathesia and now he is on 5 mg. > > He is having such a tough time with being isolated at home. I am > > feeling very overwhelmed myself. I was just wondering if anyone has > > had any experience with school phobia and what advice they can give. > > Thanks, > > Robin > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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