Re: Parent w/ 6 yo dx'd w/ OCD

[Guest guest]

, Hi, My name is a and I have a daughter with OCD. Her name is

Kendall and she was diagnoised when she was 5 and 9 months, she is now 7 and

4mths. She is in 1st grade, we decided to have her wait one year, the cut off

here in Calif. is Dec. 2nd. I think it is common to be in denial, my husband

was, he kept saying, " oh, she's doing better, maybe they're wrong... " OCD is

also so insidious, that I think we as parents are sucked in to enabling the

compulsoins and don't realize how much a part of daily life they become. We

do it to keep peace and I feel I do because it clearly calms my distraught

daughter, and isn't that what parents do? comfort their children. It almost

goes against our nature as parents to refuse to be engaged in the obsessions

or compulsions, as they [initially] comfort our children. I am a pediatric

and neonatal Registered Nurse [haven't worked for 6 years since I have 3

girls, 4,7, and 9] I think that my limited knowledge of mental illness [and

this was information learned 15 years ago! , how much more they know now}

helped me to realize that the compulsions were not " normal " behavior. Kendall

often has obsessions with out any noticable compulsions. She at times

constantly asks for reassurance. When are we going? What time is it? Also her

OCD changes, first it was reassurance and order, the doorknob in her room had

to touch the wall. She would not bend her shoes for fear they would come

untied. No zippers or bows for the same reason. Now it is catastrophic fears,

getting lost or the car running out of gas,and we just recently overcame the

fear of the bath water overflowing and burning the house when cooking. We

have an appt.the 8th of this month at Stanford . Through my review of her

medication history[ nothing seemed to work for long, and she couldn't take

SSRI's] and behavior, and illnesses, I believe she has PANDAS OCD, which is

triggered by Strep infections and possibly other viral infections. We now are

10 1/2 weks post Strep infection and she is 80% better. This is something I

want to hopefully confirm at Stanford. Gotta go...please respond back...a

[Guest guest]

, Hi, My name is a and I have a daughter with OCD. Her name is

Kendall and she was diagnoised when she was 5 and 9 months, she is now 7 and

4mths. She is in 1st grade, we decided to have her wait one year, the cut off

here in Calif. is Dec. 2nd. I think it is common to be in denial, my husband

was, he kept saying, " oh, she's doing better, maybe they're wrong... " OCD is

also so insidious, that I think we as parents are sucked in to enabling the

compulsoins and don't realize how much a part of daily life they become. We

do it to keep peace and I feel I do because it clearly calms my distraught

daughter, and isn't that what parents do? comfort their children. It almost

goes against our nature as parents to refuse to be engaged in the obsessions

or compulsions, as they [initially] comfort our children. I am a pediatric

and neonatal Registered Nurse [haven't worked for 6 years since I have 3

girls, 4,7, and 9] I think that my limited knowledge of mental illness [and

this was information learned 15 years ago! , how much more they know now}

helped me to realize that the compulsions were not " normal " behavior. Kendall

often has obsessions with out any noticable compulsions. She at times

constantly asks for reassurance. When are we going? What time is it? Also her

OCD changes, first it was reassurance and order, the doorknob in her room had

to touch the wall. She would not bend her shoes for fear they would come

untied. No zippers or bows for the same reason. Now it is catastrophic fears,

getting lost or the car running out of gas,and we just recently overcame the

fear of the bath water overflowing and burning the house when cooking. We

have an appt.the 8th of this month at Stanford . Through my review of her

medication history[ nothing seemed to work for long, and she couldn't take

SSRI's] and behavior, and illnesses, I believe she has PANDAS OCD, which is

triggered by Strep infections and possibly other viral infections. We now are

10 1/2 weks post Strep infection and she is 80% better. This is something I

want to hopefully confirm at Stanford. Gotta go...please respond back...a

[Guest guest]

Dear ,

Welcome! I hope this group helps you as much as it has helped me.

Feeling alone with this is the worst part - and you're NOT alone. I want to

reassure you that your daughter will get better - probably much better. It

may not feel like it now, but having her diagnosed at a young age means that

she will get a handle on this OCD thing early. It seems to be easier to

squash it early.

I too have a daughter with OCD. She is now nine, and has had it

since she was four. She probably had a subclinical version of it since birth,

but at four she had encephalitis and in one day, she was a different child.

We didn't get a diagnosis for three more years, but since she started on meds

and in therapy she is a relatively happy, normal kid. Relatively. Finding a

therapist experienced in treating OCD with exposure and response prevention

seems to be the key, and seems to be quite difficult. I am saddened to keep

reading posts on this list from people who can't locate such a treasure. We

couldn't get a diagnosis for years, but once we got a pediatrician to listen

(which only happened once we moved from the suburbs of Philadelphia, home to

many experts in OCD and several outstanding childrens' hospitals, to Reno NV

of all places) we were immediately sent to a neurologist, a psychiatrist and

an experienced therapist. And it's been uphill ever since,more or less. So

you are on the right track and you should feel very hopeful that things will

improve for your daughter.

The problem with your husband also seems very common. If he would

read it, I'd suggest finding some pretty simple material on OCD and giving it

to him (you probably already have done). There is a great website with

pamphlets on pediatric psychiatric disorders by Dr. Jim Chandler. The one on

OCD is very readable (good for teachers):

http:/www.klis.com/chandler/pamphlet/ocd/ocdpamphlet.htm

I like this because it shows all the different ways OCD can manifest itself

in children.

Best wishes to you - write more! Happy New Year!

in Nevada

mom to Annie (9 with OCD, sensory difficulties and a touch of ADD) and Ben

(6, who just got a new spiked haircut and a drum set and thinks he is the

coolest dude on the planet).

[Guest guest]

Dear ,

Welcome! I hope this group helps you as much as it has helped me.

Feeling alone with this is the worst part - and you're NOT alone. I want to

reassure you that your daughter will get better - probably much better. It

may not feel like it now, but having her diagnosed at a young age means that

she will get a handle on this OCD thing early. It seems to be easier to

squash it early.

I too have a daughter with OCD. She is now nine, and has had it

since she was four. She probably had a subclinical version of it since birth,

but at four she had encephalitis and in one day, she was a different child.

We didn't get a diagnosis for three more years, but since she started on meds

and in therapy she is a relatively happy, normal kid. Relatively. Finding a

therapist experienced in treating OCD with exposure and response prevention

seems to be the key, and seems to be quite difficult. I am saddened to keep

reading posts on this list from people who can't locate such a treasure. We

couldn't get a diagnosis for years, but once we got a pediatrician to listen

(which only happened once we moved from the suburbs of Philadelphia, home to

many experts in OCD and several outstanding childrens' hospitals, to Reno NV

of all places) we were immediately sent to a neurologist, a psychiatrist and

an experienced therapist. And it's been uphill ever since,more or less. So

you are on the right track and you should feel very hopeful that things will

improve for your daughter.

The problem with your husband also seems very common. If he would

read it, I'd suggest finding some pretty simple material on OCD and giving it

to him (you probably already have done). There is a great website with

pamphlets on pediatric psychiatric disorders by Dr. Jim Chandler. The one on

OCD is very readable (good for teachers):

http:/www.klis.com/chandler/pamphlet/ocd/ocdpamphlet.htm

I like this because it shows all the different ways OCD can manifest itself

in children.

Best wishes to you - write more! Happy New Year!

in Nevada

mom to Annie (9 with OCD, sensory difficulties and a touch of ADD) and Ben

(6, who just got a new spiked haircut and a drum set and thinks he is the

coolest dude on the planet).

[Guest guest]

Dear ,

Welcome! I hope this group helps you as much as it has helped me.

Feeling alone with this is the worst part - and you're NOT alone. I want to

reassure you that your daughter will get better - probably much better. It

may not feel like it now, but having her diagnosed at a young age means that

she will get a handle on this OCD thing early. It seems to be easier to

squash it early.

I too have a daughter with OCD. She is now nine, and has had it

since she was four. She probably had a subclinical version of it since birth,

but at four she had encephalitis and in one day, she was a different child.

We didn't get a diagnosis for three more years, but since she started on meds

and in therapy she is a relatively happy, normal kid. Relatively. Finding a

therapist experienced in treating OCD with exposure and response prevention

seems to be the key, and seems to be quite difficult. I am saddened to keep

reading posts on this list from people who can't locate such a treasure. We

couldn't get a diagnosis for years, but once we got a pediatrician to listen

(which only happened once we moved from the suburbs of Philadelphia, home to

many experts in OCD and several outstanding childrens' hospitals, to Reno NV

of all places) we were immediately sent to a neurologist, a psychiatrist and

an experienced therapist. And it's been uphill ever since,more or less. So

you are on the right track and you should feel very hopeful that things will

improve for your daughter.

The problem with your husband also seems very common. If he would

read it, I'd suggest finding some pretty simple material on OCD and giving it

to him (you probably already have done). There is a great website with

pamphlets on pediatric psychiatric disorders by Dr. Jim Chandler. The one on

OCD is very readable (good for teachers):

http:/www.klis.com/chandler/pamphlet/ocd/ocdpamphlet.htm

I like this because it shows all the different ways OCD can manifest itself

in children.

Best wishes to you - write more! Happy New Year!

in Nevada

mom to Annie (9 with OCD, sensory difficulties and a touch of ADD) and Ben

(6, who just got a new spiked haircut and a drum set and thinks he is the

coolest dude on the planet).

[Guest guest]

Awww ,

Her name is ?? Such a great name.

Annie also asked reassurance questions and repeated questions. It

was after her three year old brother asked one day " why do you have to keep

asking if we're going to be late?? You're driving me crazy!!! " that I

realized we should maybe call the doctor. When she first got sick she would

ask the same question ( " What if I throw up? Where are we going? What time is

it? " ) so many times that one day I asked her " why do you keep asking the same

question? You know the answer! " She said,

" I don't know. It just makes me feel better! " Three years later, when we

finally realized she had OCD, I looked back at that moment and thought, 'geez

- if only I had listened to what she was telling me. I should have figured it

out then!' Oh well. Live and learn.

'Til later -

[Guest guest]

Awww ,

Her name is ?? Such a great name.

Annie also asked reassurance questions and repeated questions. It

was after her three year old brother asked one day " why do you have to keep

asking if we're going to be late?? You're driving me crazy!!! " that I

realized we should maybe call the doctor. When she first got sick she would

ask the same question ( " What if I throw up? Where are we going? What time is

it? " ) so many times that one day I asked her " why do you keep asking the same

question? You know the answer! " She said,

" I don't know. It just makes me feel better! " Three years later, when we

finally realized she had OCD, I looked back at that moment and thought, 'geez

- if only I had listened to what she was telling me. I should have figured it

out then!' Oh well. Live and learn.

'Til later -

[Guest guest]

Awww ,

Her name is ?? Such a great name.

Annie also asked reassurance questions and repeated questions. It

was after her three year old brother asked one day " why do you have to keep

asking if we're going to be late?? You're driving me crazy!!! " that I

realized we should maybe call the doctor. When she first got sick she would

ask the same question ( " What if I throw up? Where are we going? What time is

it? " ) so many times that one day I asked her " why do you keep asking the same

question? You know the answer! " She said,

" I don't know. It just makes me feel better! " Three years later, when we

finally realized she had OCD, I looked back at that moment and thought, 'geez

- if only I had listened to what she was telling me. I should have figured it

out then!' Oh well. Live and learn.

'Til later -

[Guest guest]

Hi a,

Thanks for responding. My daughter was diagnosed after showing signs of

facial tics and having difficulty in school (which is so unlike her). Her

neurologist sent her to a pediatric neurologist who diagnosed her w/ OCD and

Tourettes. He then referred her to a psychiatrist and therapist. My daughter

constantly does the reassurance. She asks her teacher and others repeated

questions. She will ask the same question over and over again. Sometimes

changing the formation of the words, but still asking the same question. Before

her diagnosis, I would get so irritated after answering the same question

several times. She also does when are we going? What time does the clock have

to say? " So at 3:00, right? " etc. Over and over until we leave. I use to get

notes from her teacher daily. This or that and so on...Now that her teacher

knows her reasoning for the behavior, I have yet to get a note. The teacher

communicates to me if has not had an OC day by stamping her hand.

Needless to say, we haven't received very many stamps.

I had company step in, I'll talk with you later.

CroninPE@... wrote: , Hi, My name is a and I have a daughter

with OCD. Her name is

Kendall and she was diagnoised when she was 5 and 9 months, she is now 7 and

4mths. She is in 1st grade, we decided to have her wait one year, the cut off

here in Calif. is Dec. 2nd. I think it is common to be in denial, my husband

was, he kept saying, " oh, she's doing better, maybe they're wrong... " OCD is

also so insidious, that I think we as parents are sucked in to enabling the

compulsoins and don't realize how much a part of daily life they become. We

do it to keep peace and I feel I do because it clearly calms my distraught

daughter, and isn't that what parents do? comfort their children. It almost

goes against our nature as parents to refuse to be engaged in the obsessions

or compulsions, as they [initially] comfort our children. I am a pediatric

and neonatal Registered Nurse [haven't worked for 6 years since I have 3

girls, 4,7, and 9] I think that my limited knowledge of mental illness [and

this was information learned 15 years ago! , how much more they know now}

helped me to realize that the compulsions were not " normal " behavior. Kendall

often has obsessions with out any noticable compulsions. She at times

constantly asks for reassurance. When are we going? What time is it? Also her

OCD changes, first it was reassurance and order, the doorknob in her room had

to touch the wall. She would not bend her shoes for fear they would come

untied. No zippers or bows for the same reason. Now it is catastrophic fears,

getting lost or the car running out of gas,and we just recently overcame the

fear of the bath water overflowing and burning the house when cooking. We

have an appt.the 8th of this month at Stanford . Through my review of her

medication history[ nothing seemed to work for long, and she couldn't take

SSRI's] and behavior, and illnesses, I believe she has PANDAS OCD, which is

triggered by Strep infections and possibly other viral infections. We now are

10 1/2 weks post Strep infection and she is 80% better. This is something I

want to hopefully confirm at Stanford. Gotta go...please respond back...a

[Guest guest]

Hi a,

Thanks for responding. My daughter was diagnosed after showing signs of

facial tics and having difficulty in school (which is so unlike her). Her

neurologist sent her to a pediatric neurologist who diagnosed her w/ OCD and

Tourettes. He then referred her to a psychiatrist and therapist. My daughter

constantly does the reassurance. She asks her teacher and others repeated

questions. She will ask the same question over and over again. Sometimes

changing the formation of the words, but still asking the same question. Before

her diagnosis, I would get so irritated after answering the same question

several times. She also does when are we going? What time does the clock have

to say? " So at 3:00, right? " etc. Over and over until we leave. I use to get

notes from her teacher daily. This or that and so on...Now that her teacher

knows her reasoning for the behavior, I have yet to get a note. The teacher

communicates to me if has not had an OC day by stamping her hand.

Needless to say, we haven't received very many stamps.

I had company step in, I'll talk with you later.

CroninPE@... wrote: , Hi, My name is a and I have a daughter

with OCD. Her name is

Kendall and she was diagnoised when she was 5 and 9 months, she is now 7 and

4mths. She is in 1st grade, we decided to have her wait one year, the cut off

here in Calif. is Dec. 2nd. I think it is common to be in denial, my husband

was, he kept saying, " oh, she's doing better, maybe they're wrong... " OCD is

also so insidious, that I think we as parents are sucked in to enabling the

compulsoins and don't realize how much a part of daily life they become. We

do it to keep peace and I feel I do because it clearly calms my distraught

daughter, and isn't that what parents do? comfort their children. It almost

goes against our nature as parents to refuse to be engaged in the obsessions

or compulsions, as they [initially] comfort our children. I am a pediatric

and neonatal Registered Nurse [haven't worked for 6 years since I have 3

girls, 4,7, and 9] I think that my limited knowledge of mental illness [and

this was information learned 15 years ago! , how much more they know now}

helped me to realize that the compulsions were not " normal " behavior. Kendall

often has obsessions with out any noticable compulsions. She at times

constantly asks for reassurance. When are we going? What time is it? Also her

OCD changes, first it was reassurance and order, the doorknob in her room had

to touch the wall. She would not bend her shoes for fear they would come

untied. No zippers or bows for the same reason. Now it is catastrophic fears,

getting lost or the car running out of gas,and we just recently overcame the

fear of the bath water overflowing and burning the house when cooking. We

have an appt.the 8th of this month at Stanford . Through my review of her

medication history[ nothing seemed to work for long, and she couldn't take

SSRI's] and behavior, and illnesses, I believe she has PANDAS OCD, which is

triggered by Strep infections and possibly other viral infections. We now are

10 1/2 weks post Strep infection and she is 80% better. This is something I

want to hopefully confirm at Stanford. Gotta go...please respond back...a

[Guest guest]

Hi a,

Thanks for responding. My daughter was diagnosed after showing signs of

facial tics and having difficulty in school (which is so unlike her). Her

neurologist sent her to a pediatric neurologist who diagnosed her w/ OCD and

Tourettes. He then referred her to a psychiatrist and therapist. My daughter

constantly does the reassurance. She asks her teacher and others repeated

questions. She will ask the same question over and over again. Sometimes

changing the formation of the words, but still asking the same question. Before

her diagnosis, I would get so irritated after answering the same question

several times. She also does when are we going? What time does the clock have

to say? " So at 3:00, right? " etc. Over and over until we leave. I use to get

notes from her teacher daily. This or that and so on...Now that her teacher

knows her reasoning for the behavior, I have yet to get a note. The teacher

communicates to me if has not had an OC day by stamping her hand.

Needless to say, we haven't received very many stamps.

I had company step in, I'll talk with you later.

CroninPE@... wrote: , Hi, My name is a and I have a daughter

with OCD. Her name is

Kendall and she was diagnoised when she was 5 and 9 months, she is now 7 and

4mths. She is in 1st grade, we decided to have her wait one year, the cut off

here in Calif. is Dec. 2nd. I think it is common to be in denial, my husband

was, he kept saying, " oh, she's doing better, maybe they're wrong... " OCD is

also so insidious, that I think we as parents are sucked in to enabling the

compulsoins and don't realize how much a part of daily life they become. We

do it to keep peace and I feel I do because it clearly calms my distraught

daughter, and isn't that what parents do? comfort their children. It almost

goes against our nature as parents to refuse to be engaged in the obsessions

or compulsions, as they [initially] comfort our children. I am a pediatric

and neonatal Registered Nurse [haven't worked for 6 years since I have 3

girls, 4,7, and 9] I think that my limited knowledge of mental illness [and

this was information learned 15 years ago! , how much more they know now}

helped me to realize that the compulsions were not " normal " behavior. Kendall

often has obsessions with out any noticable compulsions. She at times

constantly asks for reassurance. When are we going? What time is it? Also her

OCD changes, first it was reassurance and order, the doorknob in her room had

to touch the wall. She would not bend her shoes for fear they would come

untied. No zippers or bows for the same reason. Now it is catastrophic fears,

getting lost or the car running out of gas,and we just recently overcame the

fear of the bath water overflowing and burning the house when cooking. We

have an appt.the 8th of this month at Stanford . Through my review of her

medication history[ nothing seemed to work for long, and she couldn't take

SSRI's] and behavior, and illnesses, I believe she has PANDAS OCD, which is

triggered by Strep infections and possibly other viral infections. We now are

10 1/2 weks post Strep infection and she is 80% better. This is something I

want to hopefully confirm at Stanford. Gotta go...please respond back...a

[Guest guest]

,

I know you requested parents of younger children, but thot I'd share w/you

that my 16y/o son (diagnosed last January) also has germ obsessions, did not

like to eat at school (he hid his food behind his lunchbox lid in grade

school - I picked him up every day for lunch at home from 5th grade on),

took frequent showers (as soon as he got home from middle school he would

strip off his clothes and go straight to the shower), and still, today,

won't use the bathroom anywhere but at home, or in our motel room if we are

on a trip. That means when traveling we can't go more than 3 hrs w/o a

motel room. As a single mom, that can get quite expensive, so needless to

say we don't travel much He also has counting rituals as he washes. Take

heart though - has been on Luvox since last January with the dosage

being gradully raised. The doc got him stabilized on his dose a couple of

months ago and we are now seeing very good results. He has been able to

give up several of his rituals and is working up the courage and strength to

use the bathroom at my parents house for a beginning. He also has cut down

on the sets of numbers he counts while he washes. He went from a 1 1/2 hour

handwash to a 10 minute handwash. I want to offer you encouragement, it

does get better with time. You caught it early with your daughter and are

getting her help a lot sooner than I did for my son and look at the progress

he has had - hang in there and have hope - you are headed in the right

direction.

Sharon

>

>Reply-

>

>Subject: Parent w/ 6 yo dx'd w/ OCD

>Date: Tue, 01 Jan 2002 16:07:46 -0000

>

>Hello,

>I would like to correspond with other parents of younger children

>with OCD. My daughter is six and was diagnosed this fall. She has

>germ obsessions, counting, touching, showering as often as she can

>daily, she has obsessions about eating and refuses to eat at school,

>echolaelia, she won't use the restroom anywhere but her house, and so

>on. She has been in therapy since November, and started with the

>psychiatrist in December. She is currently on 25mg of Zoloft,

>however I feel she will have to be increased at her next visit. She

>started on 12.5 mg for two weeks and the week before Christmas was

>increased to 25mg daily. This has been real hard for her father to

>understand. He thinks " all " kids are this way, and she is acting no

>differently than any other six year old. So, not only have I been

>concentrating on helping her cognitivly, but also stressed with my

>husband. If there is anyone who can offer some advice I would

>greatly appreciate it.

>

>THANKS!

>

>

_________________________________________________________________

Send and receive Hotmail on your mobile device: http://mobile.msn.com

[Guest guest]

Sharon,

Thanks for the nice words of encouragment. Your son is very similar to .

She has not shown handwashing obsessively (in terms of how long it takes), but

has shown to wash her hands after she touches the dog, playdough anything that

she thinks is " dirty " . She also has to smell everything. It's been hard over

the holiday break. I'm looking forward to school starting tomorrow. That way

she is back in routine. I'll talk with you soon.

Sharon wrote: ,

I know you requested parents of younger children, but thot I'd share w/you

that my 16y/o son (diagnosed last January) also has germ obsessions, did not

like to eat at school (he hid his food behind his lunchbox lid in grade

school - I picked him up every day for lunch at home from 5th grade on),

took frequent showers (as soon as he got home from middle school he would

strip off his clothes and go straight to the shower), and still, today,

won't use the bathroom anywhere but at home, or in our motel room if we are

on a trip. That means when traveling we can't go more than 3 hrs w/o a

motel room. As a single mom, that can get quite expensive, so needless to

say we don't travel much He also has counting rituals as he washes. Take

heart though - has been on Luvox since last January with the dosage

being gradully raised. The doc got him stabilized on his dose a couple of

months ago and we are now seeing very good results. He has been able to

give up several of his rituals and is working up the courage and strength to

use the bathroom at my parents house for a beginning. He also has cut down

on the sets of numbers he counts while he washes. He went from a 1 1/2 hour

handwash to a 10 minute handwash. I want to offer you encouragement, it

does get better with time. You caught it early with your daughter and are

getting her help a lot sooner than I did for my son and look at the progress

he has had - hang in there and have hope - you are headed in the right

direction.

Sharon

>

>Reply-To:

>To:

>Subject: Parent w/ 6 yo dx'd w/ OCD

>Date: Tue, 01 Jan 2002 16:07:46 -0000

>

>Hello,

>I would like to correspond with other parents of younger children

>with OCD. My daughter is six and was diagnosed this fall. She has

>germ obsessions, counting, touching, showering as often as she can

>daily, she has obsessions about eating and refuses to eat at school,

>echolaelia, she won't use the restroom anywhere but her house, and so

>on. She has been in therapy since November, and started with the

>psychiatrist in December. She is currently on 25mg of Zoloft,

>however I feel she will have to be increased at her next visit. She

>started on 12.5 mg for two weeks and the week before Christmas was

>increased to 25mg daily. This has been real hard for her father to

>understand. He thinks " all " kids are this way, and she is acting no

>differently than any other six year old. So, not only have I been

>concentrating on helping her cognitivly, but also stressed with my

>husband. If there is anyone who can offer some advice I would

>greatly appreciate it.

>

>THANKS!

>

>

_________________________________________________________________

Send and receive Hotmail on your mobile device: http://mobile.msn.com