Re: to Patty: explaining disabling OCD

December 13, 2001

Patty,

He wouldn't leave the house for about a year except to go to school. It was

" dirty " outside and there were bugs. By disabling I mean it kept him from

having any sort of a " normal " life. He became unable to leave the house to

go to the show, go bowling (which he loved), skating (which he also loved)

etc. He would no longer get in a swimming pool because of the amount of

work it would take for him to get himself " clean " afterward. Swimming used

to be his most favorite thing to do especially in the summer. He went from

a child that I had trouble getting out of a pool to a child who wouldn't get

in one. He wanted to swim so badly, but the thought of all the required

washing took away the joy of swimming. He no longer went to the lake, or

the park or anything outside. He became unable to touch our front or back

door and was unable to even go outside on the driveway or in the back yard.

Even trips to the doctor's office resulted in panic attacks (because he had

to sit in a chair where others had sat and it was " contaminated " ).

No one could touch him (still can't). Sometimes when he is upset he wants a

hug, but will not permit anyone to touch him because it will get him

" dirty " .

Because of excessive absenses at school caused by the lengthy amount of time

it took to wash his hands after using the bathroom, I had to withdraw him

from public school in the middle of his freshman year. And he was a

straight " A " student.

Hope this helps - he has contamination obsessions/decontamination

compulsions.

Sharon

>

>Reply-

>< >

>Subject: Re: New to Group and already worried about

>college

>Date: Mon, 10 Dec 2001 22:13:32 -0800

>

> Hi, Execuse me for asking but what do you mean disabling for your sons

>condition how bad did it get, concerned parent thank you Patty in

>calif.(daughter with ocd 12yrs old)

>

> Re: New to Group and already worried about

> >college

> >Date: Mon, 10 Dec 2001 13:54:19 EST

> >

> >Hi,

> >

> >I'm new to the group. My 16 year old daughter was diagnosed with OCD one

> >year

> >ago, but had signs of it before that we didn't recognize.

> >

> >She also was diagnosed with bipolar disorder at age 10, but that's almost

> >completely under control with lithium. Since bipolar disorder in kids was

> >barely recognized, I was one of the founders of the Child & Adolescent

> >Bipolar Foundation. Its website is bpkids.org. We've come a long way

>since

> >the non profit corporation got off the ground, with now over one million

> >hits

> >to the website every month. (Apparently there's a huge overlap between

> >those

> >having OCD and bipolar or other mood disorders.)

> >

> >So, after learning all about bipolar and being an activist in that cause,

> >our

> >family has to deal with a new issue - - OCD -- and start all over.

> >

> >Her OCD went from mild to bad to extremely bad in a year's time. In

> >November,

> >it became disabling. The medication (luvox) and the OCD exposure/response

> >therapy once or twice a week was not enough and not working.

> >

> > I found out about the Menninger Clinic program in Topeka, Kansas, the

> >only

> >program in the United States for OCD particularly geared to teenagers

>(with

> >an accredited school on the beautiful 250 acre campus which the kids

>attend

> >two hours per day) and using exposure-response and cognitive therapy.

> >Despite

> >separation anxiety, our daughter wanted to go immediately, which must

>have

> >been an indication of how much pain the OCD was causing. She's been there

> >about 6 weeks, and I think the average stay in about 3 months. I can't

>say

> >enough about how wonderful the program at Menniger's is.

> >

> >I have a special concern and maybe some of you have thoughts. Our

>daughter

> >is

> >smart, and before the OCD hit was on honor roll, etc. In the past year,

> >we've

> >needed all sorts of accommodations, including taking three subjects

> >privately

> >on a one-to-one basis. Her classmates are now taking SAT's and thinking

> >about

> >colleges to apply to this coming Fall.

> >

> >Do any of you have ideas about what colleges may be open to a kid like

> >this?

> >I know she's worried about whether she'll have a future, and though I

> >reassure her, I worry as well.

> >

> >-, in California

> >

>

>_________________________________________________________________

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

>

>You may subscribe to the Parents of Adults with OCD List at

>parentsofadultswithOCD-subscribe . You may subscribe to

>the OCD and Homeschooling List at

>ocdandhomeschooling-subscribe . You may subscribe to the

>OCD Kids Support Group at OCDKidsSupportGroup-subscribe .

>You may change your subscription format or access the files, bookmarks, and

>archives for our list at .

>Our list advisors are Tamar Chansky, Ph.D., Aureen Pinto Wagner, Ph.D., and

>Dan Geller, M.D. Our list moderators are Birkhan, Kathy Hammes,

> Joye, Kathy Mac, Jule Monnens, Gail Pesses, Kathy ,

>Vivian Stembridge, and Jackie Stout. Subscription issues or suggestions

>may be addressed to Louis Harkins, list owner, at louisharkins@... or

>louisharkins@... .

>

December 15, 2001

Dear Sharon, my prayers are there for you and especially your son, my heart

goes out to you and him. Has he been on meds for a long time and is getting

worse? Im still trying to understand ocd and i am haveing a hard time, with it.

my daughters obsessions are the sexual thoughts and thoughts of harming others,

which since she has been on meds the harming others has really calmed down ,,

BUT the sexual obsessions is still a major problem , also she is showing alot of

anger now like hitting walls, shes been suspended from school twice now and shes

only in 6th grade she is really showing her anger more now then ever and i am

real nervous since she does have thoughts or was haveing thoughts of killing me

etc, i dont know, i get to the point sometimes where i cant even think anymore.

I try to be happy and i cant, i am really confused now and you cant ever get

enough info from the doctors. You take care and write soon ok, hang in there

sharon , I pray that god gives you the strength you need to help your son,

Patty in calif

Re: New to Group and already worried about