Re: Bipolar/OCD/rage/ Khris

[Guest guest]

Hello Khris,

I was interested to read your post. We are still trying to puzzle

out the anger/rage part and had thought it was more based on manic

revving that seems to come through with OCD wave. For us the 2 seem

to go together. I have even read that OCD can be worse when

depressed and better when manic, so I guess it depends on the

person...

The " fight or flight " instict with the OCD is huge for sure. Since we

have a written contract in place for behavior it is really helping

to " boss " back some of the OCD stuff. When the options are reduced to

behave or else you can't live here, and where you will live you will

have fewer or no options, personal survival takes precedence to the

OCD.

Not sure which is the greater challenge sometimes, the OCD or the

teen, to be sure the two together trump both my and my husbands

endurance and ingenuity! And we have a good kid, no drugs, alcohol,

sex, negative peer influence - OCD by far takes the cake...

Hope your son is doing well these days.

warm regards,

Barb

>

> Kath, yes we see it here in relation to OCD. I'd like to mention

> that my son has a mood disorder - Bipolar Disorder - and he does

not

> rage/experience extreme meltdowns when his mood is unstable. The

> ONLY time we see this behavior is when his mood is fine and his

> anxiety/OCD is severe. OCD is his greatest frustration by far. I

> think it is the triggering of amygdala - the fight or flight

response

> that just takes over. Things...must...be...a...certain...way - for

> SURVIVAL! At least it feels that way to him.

>

> Besides the standard medication and CBT/ERP to address the OCD -

> absolutely work on coping skills. Self calming skills (deep

> breathing, squeezing a soft ball), safe outlets for frustration

> (puching pillow, drawing, throwing a tennis ball against a wall,

etc)

> and insight into when to remove themselves from a situation can be

> taught. This is an ongoing project with our son - and he's 12 now.

>

> Good luck. You're on the right track.

>

> Khris

>