Guest guest Posted August 21, 2002 Report Share Posted August 21, 2002 Jen, Hi. Since you have other children at the school and are on the PTA that is a help. Did you ever think of having your son where a colorful tag or wrist ban so teachers and or lunch room people can see that as a " red " flag for his allergies. Marily Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 21, 2002 Report Share Posted August 21, 2002 Jen, Hi. Since you have other children at the school and are on the PTA that is a help. Did you ever think of having your son where a colorful tag or wrist ban so teachers and or lunch room people can see that as a " red " flag for his allergies. Marily Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 22, 2002 Report Share Posted August 22, 2002 Jen: Oh my gosh, your son sounds exactly like mine when he was 6 and diagnosed with OCD. was also allergic to basically everything; legumes, wheat, corn, soy, eggs, etc. To my surprise (and I really didn't realize it for quite some time) 's allergies started to disappear when his medicine for OCD and other veggie soup things kicked in. Shortly after that I saw a TV special on some obscure cable channel feature a doctor from the Univ. of Wisc. Hospital of Psychiatry and he confirmed that they have done studies that showed their is a correlation between allergies and status of mental health (he had some long medical term for it that I have since forgotten). He still has an allergy to milk but can periodically eat pizza and ice cream without having a severe reaction. Our son also would not drink out of someone else's cup, or let anyone touch his food, etc. Through therapy we found out that I contaminate some of the foods. Foods that are pre-wrapped by the food companies are " safe " and he'll eat most of the them, but when it comes to meat, no way!!! Oddly, he will eat chicken fingers, corn dogs and hamburgers from restaurants -- but isn't that the story of OCD? No rationale. But there is hope with the right medication to help him confront ERP to beat these food fears. is finally sitting at the table with us and will eat something's that I prepare -- but meat is still giving us problems. It doesn't seem like he's progressed that far until I look back at how things were 4 years ago and I say " wow " ! Well, I'll stop my babbling, but keep posting and we'll all be here to help you through those bumpy times and to celebrate with you when he has his successes. Hang in there. Tamra Omaha, NE new member Hello! I have just found this group and it looks very helpful. I have a 4 1/2 year old son that has recently been diagnosed with ocd. He is also anaphylactic and food allergic. I'm in the process now of getting him ready to start pre-k in about 2 weeks. This is going to be a very " interesting " event. Does anyone have any advice on how to prepare him, or the school for this? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 14, 2002 Report Share Posted October 14, 2002 I would do the questionaire for Bipolar in children. My daughter is BP and OCD. Alot of her OCD behavior could be caused by also being BP. We are now on Celexa for lowest weight gain and will start Topamax-mood stabilizer in 6 wks. Was told this with help OCD. Good luck Ellen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 14, 2002 Report Share Posted October 14, 2002 Hi there, I'm so sorry to hear about all you've been through. I don't have time to respond adequately to your message just now, but I did want to say that you should call the psychiatrist, say it's an emergency and ask to be put on the cancellation list. Sometimes they miraculously " find " appointments if the parent sounds distraught enough, and people DO cancel appointments. Make a pest of yourself - you don't want your daughter to backslide any further. The other thing I'd say is that some of your daughter's behavior (at school for example) sounds a lot like my daughter did last year. She was on Celexa for her OCD, and Adderall for ADHD but was increasingly defiant, irritable and constantly getting in little bits of trouble here and there, particularly at school. Our psychiatrist put her on a tiny dose of Risperdal (0.25 mg.) and it made all the difference in the world - she is a very happy pleasant person again. Of course, your daughter's OCD is not under control at the moment and that makes kids VERY irritable too. But I just thought I'd mention the Risperdal because it's been a Godsend for us. It's often used as an adjunct to the OCD meds. Best wishes to you - you've come to the right place for help. More later, in Nevada Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 14, 2002 Report Share Posted October 14, 2002 Hi, ville! and other new members, You mention so many things! I am going to respond to a couple: 1) If you call your professional and they say there are no appointments, keep calling. Daily, if you feel that necessary. You will be surprised that a cancellation suddenly comes up, or the person will agree to see you before or after usual hours. If necessary, ask them for a referral to someone who can see you sooner. 2) I highly recommend that you take some time to review the Obsessive-Compulsive Foundations website. http://www.ocfoundation.org You will find links to referrals for local support groups, Ask the Experts, etc. It is an award winning website that will keep you busy for hours and hours! 3) Go into our home page, click on FILES and read a variety of articles related to finding therapists, medication in children, abbriviations, Dr. Herb Gravitz's article on Help for the Family, etc. Sunday evenings there is a CHAT that you can ask other members in 'realtime' for their opinions. http://groups.yahoo.com/group// 4) When your child's personality has made an obvious turn for the worse, remember that this is not 'your child' but the disorder/s. Identifying the reaction as OCD related, stress related, etc. can help you remain calm, and teach her to work on control. a maybe reacting to the increase in Zoloft, struggling to find peace in a very chaotic world, or so exhausted that she can't function as before. In most cases, this is a temporary stage, and it too shall pass. When you see her begin to react, that is the best time to have her back down, go to another room, or in some way change directions. Try to avoid the full reaction of a meltdown. Both of you will appreciate it. Remember not to become ingaged in any rituals/compulsions that will cause a meltdown if you dont comply!! Reassurance seeking is a perfect example. 5) Try to find time to spend alone with the other family members. It is very important to allow them time to vent, to help you problem solve and feel wanted and needed. If you have a partner, try and engage them in your team - co-parenting VS doing it on your own. If necessary, find a therapist (social worker, psychologist, clergy, ...) who can do some family work to help build the team. If this person is experienced with ocd in the family its better, but with any mental health experiences is fine too. With any professional, interview them in advance either by telephone or in person. The kids will be experiencing many 'professionals' throughout their lives and you want to narrow the choices down to the best. Be an educated consumer, purchase the services wisely. I like to use the expression: " Do you conduct CBT for OCD using ERP? If you understood this, please call back! " If they can respond with " Yes, I use cognitive behavioural therapy for obsessive-compulsive disorder using the exposure and response/ritual prevention method. " then you have a match!! Most importantly, take care of yourself. As the primary care giver, you are the pillar that everyone leans on. If you collaps, well you know what happens! take care, wendy birkhan, BSW;RSW --- youcantalk2 wrote: .... I called her psych's office and they told me they had no openings until our next scheduled med check appointment in December! I could not even talk to him! The message was to increase her Zoloft to 150 mg until we see him. I have done that but I do not see any change. In fact, I think she is worse because now she is acting defiant and is lying! This is not the personality of my daughter. She used to be so sweet! .... It is tearing the family apart. She has a 16 yr old sister and a 13 year old brother. I am trying to get her a new psychiatrist and a psychologist who are experienced with OCD. It has been so difficult. I live in ville, FL. Any advice? ______________________________________________________________________ Post your free ad now! http://personals.yahoo.ca Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 14, 2002 Report Share Posted October 14, 2002 Hi and welcome! I don't have much time now but wanted to quickly comment. I have a 13 y/o son who was diagnosed with OCD 2 years ago. He also had the tendencies at an earlier age but nothing that interfered with daily life until he began 6th grade and then suddenly all these new behaviors began and were just a constant thing. In his case, I don't know of any particular event/thing triggering it. I wanted to say that my also held it together pretty well at school but would just " let it all out " at home. Hard to explain to the teachers when they can't " see it " at school, especially if they don't know what to look for. I remember some 2-3 hour long episodes at home back then, sigh! Also, the few months before his OCD seemed to hit " overnight " his temper was beginning to show. And this was the one of my 3 sons who never had a temper!! He was my patient, calm, GOOD child! I will say that after these 2 very long years, he's doing so much better now. But I do notice that he's got a short fuse at times when his OCD is waxing some. As someone already said, keep calling about getting an appointment. I would think they would have someone to handle " emergencies " or would work you in. If the increase in the Zoloft seems to have made things worse, perhaps she'll settle down after she adjusts to the change. You might call and leave a message for her psych about it and see if at least his office can call you back with a reply. Gotta go, let us know how things progress! - single mom to 3 sons - > Hi, everyone. This is a first for me--writing about my daughter to a > group of strangers. But I am hopeful that you can help me. I have a > 10 year old daughter that was formally diagnosed with OCD one year > ago. I actually diagnosed her several years ago after watching a > program on television. At that time she had " tendencies " . She was > in kindergarten then. She did not want to touch anything dirty, > would put her socks on 50 times until the seam on the toes was > straight, etc. However, she was happy and functional and > these " quirks " did not interefere with life. Then the " quirks " went > away for a few years and started up slightly in the summer of 2001. > Well, in August she took her first plane ride by herself to visit my > mother in Baltimore (I live in FL). She wanted to do this for > several years and I finally felt she was old enough. Well, she was > afraid on the plane and missed me tremendously in Balto. She would > not eat because my Mom's dishes were not " clean " and would not take a > bath because of the " dirty " tub and would not sit on my mom's > furniture because it was full of cat hair. My mom is 75 and I did > not realize that she had started to really deteriorate and housework > was not a priority. Plus her vision was getting poor and she probably > did not see the dirt. My mom did not recognize these acts as OCD but > as defiant behavior and treated my daughter with a stern hand and > said " fine, then you won't eat. " My daughter did not eat for 7 days-- > --she only drank lemonade from a carton. She also did not sleep well > at all. I did not know any of this was happening----too many details > to bore you with. Bottom line, my daughter came off the airplane > after a 10 day trip in a condition that was shocking--she was not > talking, glazed eyes, drooling, sores all over her body, wearing her > cousin's big boy's clothing, hair knotted. She could only walk with > her shirt covering her mouth. Three steps forward, stop, three deep > breaths, two steps backward. Everything was being done in sets of 3. > An emergency psychiatric visit ended with a suggestion for admission > to a psych unit in a hospital, which I denied. She was put on > Cloni...and Paxil. She became functional within two weeks but the > Paxil was making her sleepy and gave her stomach aches. She was > switched to 50mg of Zoloft. She made miraculous improvement on the > med. The only remaining oddity was that nothing from Baltimore could > be seen. Items were either thrown away or stored in the attic. We > could not talk about any thing dealing with Grandma or Baltimore for > 8 months. (She did try 2 mental health counselors who both > discharged her after a few sessions because she was so good in > therapy-----they were not, I know now, really experienced with OCD > and did nothing to help her.) She continued to improve and then > started to fall, Zoloft was increased to 100 mg. and she was doing > great. In fact, this past summer I praised God because she was > almost " normal " . She talked to Grandma for the first time on the > phone. She even saw her for an hour 3x when I took her to Baltimore > this past August. Things were great-----and then she started back to > school (which she was excited to do) and things have been going down > hill since. She got a detention the first week because she called a > girl a witch. She got suspended from choir for 4 weeks because she > was talking during Mass. She got in trouble for humming during a > test and another time because she did not ask a girl to remove her > belongings from her desk " nicely. " Now, a is back to saying > things 2x, will avoid things, rooms, or people " BECAUSE " . She will > not wear any of her clothes unless they have been removed from her > room by a person wearing gloves and washed and then she will wear > them. I can not wash them ahead of time; it must be right before she > wears them before the " contamination " sets in. One week she avoided > the kitchen. She would go through the windows of the florida room to > get to and from the rest of the house. She will not sit in the back > left seat of the car. She can only use one hairbrush, one fork, one > plate, etc. I called her psych's office and they told me they had no > openings until our next scheduled med check appointment in December! > I could not even talk to him! The message was to increase her Zoloft > to 150 mg until we see him. I have done that but I do not see any > change. In fact, I think she is worse because now she is acting > defiant and is lying! This is not the personality of my daughter. > She used to be so sweet! The problem is that her teacher never got > to meet the " sweet " girl a. She acts so head strong in school > and then she melts at night at home and cries in her closet. Is any > one else experiencing symptoms like this? It is tearing the family > apart. She has a 16 yr old sister and a 13 year old brother. I am > trying to get her a new psychiatrist and a psychologist who are > experienced with OCD. It has been so difficult. I live in > ville, FL. Any advice? 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Guest guest Posted October 14, 2002 Report Share Posted October 14, 2002 Hello. I wanted to welcome you to the group. Finding this group when my son, Luke's, OCD was at its worst was a God send. Please write with your questions or concerns, and most of all, keep us posted on your progress. Luke was at 200 mg of Zoloft at age 7 1/2-8 and eventually the psych added Risperdal, which mentioned. This did help him a lot, but in the end it did not turn out to be a great med for him (weight gain, lethargic, tired, unmotivated). Therefore, we completely changed meds last year to Luvox. One thing I've learned from this group is that all SSRIs affect all individuals differently. Also, an SSRI that has been working may seem to quit working after a period of time. When Luke was first put on meds I thought to myself... " okay, he has a condition, now we have the meds to " fix " it and everything will be okay. " Well, everything was and is going to be okay (and for you and your family too), but not in the way I was thinking. The meds have to be constantly monitored, and we have had a very difficult time finding a therapist trained to work with kids with OCD. I can't speak from a therapy standpoint, but many on this group have had great success with either therapy alone or in conjunction with meds. Is your daughter in therapy? (thanks for the blurb to leave on the answering machine of all these therapists!) It sounds like your main goal right now, however, is to get some control on the situation. Do be persistent with the psych's office as it seems you have every right to be seen right away in a situation like this. Take care. Warmly, in Missouri (9 year old Luke's mom) New Member Hi, everyone. This is a first for me--writing about my daughter to a group of strangers. But I am hopeful that you can help me. I have a 10 year old daughter that was formally diagnosed with OCD one year ago. I actually diagnosed her several years ago after watching a program on television. At that time she had " tendencies " . She was in kindergarten then. She did not want to touch anything dirty, would put her socks on 50 times until the seam on the toes was straight, etc. However, she was happy and functional and these " quirks " did not interefere with life. Then the " quirks " went away for a few years and started up slightly in the summer of 2001. Well, in August she took her first plane ride by herself to visit my mother in Baltimore (I live in FL). She wanted to do this for several years and I finally felt she was old enough. Well, she was afraid on the plane and missed me tremendously in Balto. She would not eat because my Mom's dishes were not " clean " and would not take a bath because of the " dirty " tub and would not sit on my mom's furniture because it was full of cat hair. My mom is 75 and I did not realize that she had started to really deteriorate and housework was not a priority. Plus her vision was getting poor and she probably did not see the dirt. My mom did not recognize these acts as OCD but as defiant behavior and treated my daughter with a stern hand and said " fine, then you won't eat. " My daughter did not eat for 7 days-- --she only drank lemonade from a carton. She also did not sleep well at all. I did not know any of this was happening----too many details to bore you with. Bottom line, my daughter came off the airplane after a 10 day trip in a condition that was shocking--she was not talking, glazed eyes, drooling, sores all over her body, wearing her cousin's big boy's clothing, hair knotted. She could only walk with her shirt covering her mouth. Three steps forward, stop, three deep breaths, two steps backward. Everything was being done in sets of 3. An emergency psychiatric visit ended with a suggestion for admission to a psych unit in a hospital, which I denied. She was put on Cloni...and Paxil. She became functional within two weeks but the Paxil was making her sleepy and gave her stomach aches. She was switched to 50mg of Zoloft. She made miraculous improvement on the med. The only remaining oddity was that nothing from Baltimore could be seen. Items were either thrown away or stored in the attic. We could not talk about any thing dealing with Grandma or Baltimore for 8 months. (She did try 2 mental health counselors who both discharged her after a few sessions because she was so good in therapy-----they were not, I know now, really experienced with OCD and did nothing to help her.) She continued to improve and then started to fall, Zoloft was increased to 100 mg. and she was doing great. In fact, this past summer I praised God because she was almost " normal " . She talked to Grandma for the first time on the phone. She even saw her for an hour 3x when I took her to Baltimore this past August. Things were great-----and then she started back to school (which she was excited to do) and things have been going down hill since. She got a detention the first week because she called a girl a witch. She got suspended from choir for 4 weeks because she was talking during Mass. She got in trouble for humming during a test and another time because she did not ask a girl to remove her belongings from her desk " nicely. " Now, a is back to saying things 2x, will avoid things, rooms, or people " BECAUSE " . She will not wear any of her clothes unless they have been removed from her room by a person wearing gloves and washed and then she will wear them. I can not wash them ahead of time; it must be right before she wears them before the " contamination " sets in. One week she avoided the kitchen. She would go through the windows of the florida room to get to and from the rest of the house. She will not sit in the back left seat of the car. She can only use one hairbrush, one fork, one plate, etc. I called her psych's office and they told me they had no openings until our next scheduled med check appointment in December! I could not even talk to him! The message was to increase her Zoloft to 150 mg until we see him. I have done that but I do not see any change. In fact, I think she is worse because now she is acting defiant and is lying! This is not the personality of my daughter. She used to be so sweet! The problem is that her teacher never got to meet the " sweet " girl a. She acts so head strong in school and then she melts at night at home and cries in her closet. Is any one else experiencing symptoms like this? It is tearing the family apart. She has a 16 yr old sister and a 13 year old brother. I am trying to get her a new psychiatrist and a psychologist who are experienced with OCD. It has been so difficult. I live in ville, FL. Any advice? 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Guest guest Posted October 14, 2002 Report Share Posted October 14, 2002 Hi and Welcome! All the advise has been great. The only thing I can add is about Grandma's House. A little background first-- I have an 11 year old son with severe contamination issues. He will FIND things wrong and " dirty " in the simplest of things. Example: You know those itty bitty wheat specks in a piece of bread? My son thinks it's a germ - and it will most surely kill him dead! Last summer, he refused to go swimming in the pool because ONE boy said that if you swallow cholorine, his stomach would have to be pumped out at the hospital. He had the worst meltdown last summer when I said " let's go to the pool " - and I had no idea why!! Sooooooo.... I've had to realize that my son has a whole different reality than I do. In hindsight, I know now that when I say " pool " - he thinks " septic tank. " When I say " flu " - he thinks " death. " It's over-the-top stuff like that. In addition, my house is pretty clean and orderly, but before he got the right medication, he would find a speck on the couch and blow it out of preportion! So, your 75 year old mother's house may not be perfect, but that's not what caused your daughter's OCD. Her condition may have been aggitated or triggered by the " mess " but we all know that dirt happens! It's a *genetic* condition, and It's No one's Fault. It's not your fault. It's not your daughter's fault. (((lots of hugs))) Your mother is probably from the old school that your daughter's " behavior " is a result of a defiant child. I wish you lots of luck in educating her, but it's going to be hard to change her beliefs, especially at her age. It took a long time to get my family members to believe that my son's contamination fears weren't the result of a severely spoiled child. (he's the youngest too) In fact, they still slip up occasionally and say I need to " spank " or discipline him more often. Right! Don't you wish it were that simple? A little time-out in his room, and *poof* no more OCD!! Wow, I wish!! Good luck, and call those doctors and bug the heck out of them for an emergency appt. Keep us posted too! Joni in VA Mom of (11, OCD+TS+Moods), (19, ADHD) and (21) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 16, 2002 Report Share Posted October 16, 2002 Hi there, it sounds like you and your daughter have been through the wringer. As you probably know, OCD is a waxing and waning disorder and additional stress--such as the trip to Grandmas and the school year starting--can kick off a waxing phase. My first thought is, you are so right to look around now for a new psychiatrist. Any worth his/her salt will understand that during a crisis phase it's possible that a patient will need to be seen more often or unexpectedly and will need to be worked in. The regularly-scheduled appointments are for medication checks etc., not for emergencies. I would be calling the current psychiatrist's office daily asking for cancellation appointments. You might want to call The Brain Institute (U of Fla Gainesville)--there is a wonderful (IMO) doctor there named . If that's too far or she's not taking new patients, you could ask for a referral in your area. Secondly, your daughter would benefit from Cognitive Behavior Therapy with Exposure and Response Prevention. Usually this is done by a therapist, not a psychiatrist, so many of our kids have two professionals involved in the treatment of their OCD--one overseeing medications and one providing CBT/ERP. This type of therapy is the only one that reduces/eliminates OCD obsessions and compulsions, other types do not. All the behaviors you mentioned in your post are classic OCD compulsions and it's easy to see that OCD is taking up much of a's day. The personality change is also pretty common since when our kids are having high symptoms, they are tense, irritable and very uncomfortable. It's not unusual for them to lash out or mouth off or otherwise act out of character when " triggered " i.e. someone inadvertently interrupts an OCD ritual, or does something to set off an obsessional thought. (Your daughter probably didn't speak kindly to the girl who put her things on her desk because the girl's things were " contaminated " and sparked anxiety in your daughter.) I don't have OCD but I'm more likely to say or do things I otherwise wouldn't when I'm anxious, I think most people are like this, and kids with OCD are anxious a lot and to a greater degree than " normals " . The humming could be a tic, many OCD kids also have tics if not full-blown Tourette syndrome. My own daughter spent a lot of time out in the hallway as a preschooler for making noises (vocal tics) during story time. I've wished too that teachers could have known my daughter before her OCD onset! But even without that, they can learn about OCD, common obsessions and compulsions, and take these into account during this worsening phase your daughter is having. It sounds as though your daughter is getting punished a lot for showing OCD symptoms at school, which adds to her stress and is not helpful in the big picture--you can not punish OCD symptoms away. The OC Foundation is a credible source of info and has many resources you might want to print out for them to read: www.ocfoundation.org SSRIs sometimes just quit working and this may be what has happened with your daughter's Zoloft. Doctors may increase the dose when this happens (as yours did) and/or add an augmenting med such as another SSRI or perhaps a med such as Risperdal. But sometimes it's necessary to switch to a new SSRI. HTH, Kathy R. in Indiana p.s. Yes we are a group of strangers, but ones who have " been there, done that " when it comes to OCD in our kids and how that affects the child, schooling, and the family in general. In a way we know more about each other than real-life best friends do! :-) ----- Original Message ----- From: youcantalk2 Hi, everyone. This is a first for me--writing about my daughter to a group of strangers. But I am hopeful that you can help me. I have a 10 year old daughter that was formally diagnosed with OCD one year ago. I actually diagnosed her several years ago after watching a program on television. At that time she had " tendencies " . She was in kindergarten then. She did not want to touch anything dirty, would put her socks on 50 times until the seam on the toes was straight, etc. However, she was happy and functional and these " quirks " did not interefere with life. Then the " quirks " went away for a few years and started up slightly in the summer of 2001. Well, in August she took her first plane ride by herself to visit my mother in Baltimore (I live in FL). She wanted to do this for several years and I finally felt she was old enough. Well, she was afraid on the plane and missed me tremendously in Balto. She would not eat because my Mom's dishes were not " clean " and would not take a bath because of the " dirty " tub and would not sit on my mom's furniture because it was full of cat hair. My mom is 75 and I did not realize that she had started to really deteriorate and housework was not a priority. Plus her vision was getting poor and she probably did not see the dirt. My mom did not recognize these acts as OCD but as defiant behavior and treated my daughter with a stern hand and said " fine, then you won't eat. " My daughter did not eat for 7 days-- --she only drank lemonade from a carton. She also did not sleep well at all. I did not know any of this was happening----too many details to bore you with. Bottom line, my daughter came off the airplane after a 10 day trip in a condition that was shocking--she was not talking, glazed eyes, drooling, sores all over her body, wearing her cousin's big boy's clothing, hair knotted. She could only walk with her shirt covering her mouth. Three steps forward, stop, three deep breaths, two steps backward. Everything was being done in sets of 3. An emergency psychiatric visit ended with a suggestion for admission to a psych unit in a hospital, which I denied. She was put on Cloni...and Paxil. She became functional within two weeks but the Paxil was making her sleepy and gave her stomach aches. She was switched to 50mg of Zoloft. She made miraculous improvement on the med. The only remaining oddity was that nothing from Baltimore could be seen. Items were either thrown away or stored in the attic. We could not talk about any thing dealing with Grandma or Baltimore for 8 months. (She did try 2 mental health counselors who both discharged her after a few sessions because she was so good in therapy-----they were not, I know now, really experienced with OCD and did nothing to help her.) She continued to improve and then started to fall, Zoloft was increased to 100 mg. and she was doing great. In fact, this past summer I praised God because she was almost " normal " . She talked to Grandma for the first time on the phone. She even saw her for an hour 3x when I took her to Baltimore this past August. Things were great-----and then she started back to school (which she was excited to do) and things have been going down hill since. She got a detention the first week because she called a girl a witch. She got suspended from choir for 4 weeks because she was talking during Mass. She got in trouble for humming during a test and another time because she did not ask a girl to remove her belongings from her desk " nicely. " Now, a is back to saying things 2x, will avoid things, rooms, or people " BECAUSE " . She will not wear any of her clothes unless they have been removed from her room by a person wearing gloves and washed and then she will wear them. I can not wash them ahead of time; it must be right before she wears them before the " contamination " sets in. One week she avoided the kitchen. She would go through the windows of the florida room to get to and from the rest of the house. She will not sit in the back left seat of the car. She can only use one hairbrush, one fork, one plate, etc. I called her psych's office and they told me they had no openings until our next scheduled med check appointment in December! I could not even talk to him! The message was to increase her Zoloft to 150 mg until we see him. I have done that but I do not see any change. In fact, I think she is worse because now she is acting defiant and is lying! This is not the personality of my daughter. She used to be so sweet! The problem is that her teacher never got to meet the " sweet " girl a. She acts so head strong in school and then she melts at night at home and cries in her closet. Is any one else experiencing symptoms like this? It is tearing the family apart. She has a 16 yr old sister and a 13 year old brother. I am trying to get her a new psychiatrist and a psychologist who are experienced with OCD. It has been so difficult. I live in ville, FL. Any advice? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 20, 2002 Report Share Posted November 20, 2002 Hi Everyone, I'm so glad I found you. (Thanks to Tamar E. Chansky's great book) I thought it was time for me to introduce myself and stop lurking in the backround. My son was diagnosed about a month and a half ago that he has OCD. I guess as all of you have felt, I was in a complete state of confusion and well, upset...I guess I felt a lot of things! I'm working hard on " Freeing Your Child From OCD " and my son is taking a homeopathic supplement. He seems to be getting better. At least he got dressed yesterday (partially) and went outside. It's sad to think that this is what brings me great joy. Who would have ever guessed. He has the contamination and routine trouble. LONG routine trouble. And water is quite a problem right now. We live in Burbank,CA, so if anyone has any tips or help in this area I would greatly appreciate it. Thanks for listening, Beverly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 20, 2002 Report Share Posted November 20, 2002 Hi Beverly, welcome! I have a 13 y/o son who was diagnosed 2 years ago with OCD. didn't have the contamination issues, that I've noticed to be a problem. But I AM watching how often he washes his hands now as he seems like he's doing it more recently..... But we did have those LONG drawn-out times. With it was having to do something the " right way " as he had to get some " just right " feeling; or he'd repeat and repeat. It was frustrating for him and for us. Just getting on the bed or getting up off a bed was a problem for him at times. And he said everything he did was to keep " something bad from happening " to him. Is the reason your son is staying inside now mostly or all contamination issues? Glad he's doing better on it. I'm sure it's a confusing time for him too. I think that sometimes once a child has some successes in " bossing back " OCD (as in going outside), that it really helps them gain some confidence to keep fighting it. Back in 6th grade, seemed to suddenly one day just have ALL these OCD behaviors/compulsions. BUT I knew he'd had minor ones back in elementary school - erasing, rewriting perfectly fine letters, tracing over letters....- and then when he " got " OCD in 6th and I learned more about it, I realized he had some behaviors I didn't know at the time were OCD - LOTS of reassurance questions for instance. But there had never been a day-to-day, driving-you-crazy (and him!!) OCD going on. It's a very tough time for the child and family. I also read and read and read...all I could find on OCD, searched the internet (found this GREAT group, who have been the BEST support thru all this and so knowledgeable!!!), and we sort of did the " therapy " on our own; as there was no one near us trained/skilled in it. ANYWAY, I'm glad to tell you that has come a long way, and compared to 6th & 7th grades, I feel like OCD is almost nonexistent a lot of times. So take hope!! (of course, says it's still " there " but it's improved sooooo much.) How old is your son? I was wondering if he's being affected at school or other places also? Gotta go, again, welcome! - single mom to 13, with OCD, dysgraphia and to be evaluated for Aspergers; 13-twin, a little of this/that at times; Randall 17 and sometimes that " teenage, I'm grownup " bit is harder to take than OCD, or at least tied with OCD!! But a good kid! - Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 20, 2002 Report Share Posted November 20, 2002 Dear Thanks for the nice letter. My son is 9 3/4. I homeschool him. Not because of the OCD, I always have. He's always been extremely sensitive. Maybe it was OCD and I didn't know. I was so excited yesterday, we went out to the backyard and everything. Today major meltdown and I'm lucky to get him out of his room. It's hard when you have things to do and can't leave your house. Am I really going to be stuck in my house for years? How long before I see a change? You sure have a full house! We were in Wilmington, NC last year for about 3 months for my husbands work. We also stayed in Asheville was it? NC is so beautiful. We loved it there. Thanks again for your support, you have no idea how much it means to me!!!!! Sincerely, Beverly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 20, 2002 Report Share Posted November 20, 2002 Dear Beverly, Hello, and welcome! I remember discovering something about this group in Tamar Chansky's book at 2 a.m. when I was up worrying about my daughter - I ran into the study and logged on then and there!! It was what I had been looking for for years, and it has been a wonderful source of support for me. When your child has just been diagnosed is perhaps the lowest point on this whole OCD journey. He is probably as bad as he's ever been (which is when most people finally get a diagnosis) and you are reeling from the shock of the diagnosis. But believe me, it DOES get better. You are doing the best thing you can do in reading Dr. Chansky's book. I think it is probably the best place to start in learning about OCD. Does your child have a therapist experienced in treating OCD? Is he on any medication? With good treatment your son's symptoms can become so minor that they scarcely interfere with his life anymore. I have a ten year old daughter who has had OCD since she had a viral illness when she was four. She was clearly predisposed to it - extremely sensitive and fearful from birth. She has been in therapy for almost three years, and on medication for nearly that long (first Paxil, then Luvox, now Celexa) and she is much, much better than when we finally got a diagnosis. Although she has periods during the year when her OCD flares up, the majority of the time OCD just disappears from our lives altogether. Keep writing and tell us how your son is doing! in Nevada Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 20, 2002 Report Share Posted November 20, 2002 Beverly, you may have seen more of NC than me! I've never been to the NC coast, seems we always headed to South Carolina! Well, take that back, we did go to Beaufort, NC, once. I remember the same with regarding doing well in some OCD behavior thing and then later a major meltdown. I don't know if that's typical of all OCD, maybe some of the other parents can say. I know I wished OCD would go away as quickly as it " seemed " to come! Those were long months for us, with some better days thrown in. My own worst times - or some of the worst - was that at bedtime where was so tired, it seemed OCD got worse for him and there were major 1-2 hr and even a 3 hr meltdowns. And me, well, when I'm tired I don't want to be kept UP, so neither one of us were at our best! But we make it through and so will you! Once we found something that worked for , I gave it a good 4-6 weeks or so to build up in his system to a level I felt that it should begin working. Different meds/therapies and each person being " unique " and then I guess the severity of the OCD- well, I guess we all just pray for a change soon! I hope you can find someone near who is experienced in dealing with OCD (the cognitive behavioral therapy and then the exposure & response prevention). If not, as you read and learn about OCD you can come up with some things to try on your own at home. We had no one near our location and did this though I wasn't the most dedicated therapist some days! But I picked compulsions/behaviors I felt would be the easiest to work on and we began there. And I'd tell (who hated to hear about OCD!) what " I " planned for him to work on, did he have any input?! No, fine. Since he had repetitive things he would do and would AVOID things so that he wouldn't get stuck in some repetitive behaviors, we worked on a couple of those - light switches and TV remote. With light switches he'd turn them on/off repeatedly and the TV remote he totally avoided (wanted everyone else to change channels!) The last thing I planned to work on was the hardest for him - just getting on the bed the " right " way without taking 30+ minutes or tries! And, yes, we are past all that now. Some things I myself avoided too! Like meltdowns when I knew " I " couldn't handle them. had a thing about looking at clocks. I have 2 in my room where the kids watch TV. He'd look back & forth between them. Get upset if he couldn't see them. Well, sometimes (twin) would cover them or one of them so couldn't look at the time. Good exposure, yes, he'd get very anxious; for some reason, he wouldn't uncover the clocks himself. I can remember more than once uncovering them and telling me that I was " enabling " , which I WAS! But some days I was just too tired to deal with OCD myself. So you just begin again. - Of course I could argue with that wasn't WORKING on that behavior yet! Anyway, if you can find one or two things to begin working on (maybe your son can pick), you can decide how often, even daily, time of day, etc. Try to pick a time of day he's less tired though, I think that helps. Some days would just cry and cry, it was so heartbreaking. Or get frustrated and begin hitting himself in the head when he couldn't get " through " the thought or compulsion or something. It was really hard to watch and deal with. BUT WE MADE IT!!!! Progress will be made so take heart! And, as I think I said before, I think once they start succeeding in some area of conquering OCD, it really helps them gain confidence. Your son will get there!! Let us know how things are going! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 21, 2002 Report Share Posted November 21, 2002 Hi Beverly, I was so sorry to hear about your son being diognosed as having OCD. In the same time I was so happy that he is becoming better without any medications except some homeopathic supplements. Dr Tamar Chansly's is great as you mentioned, if you are able to apply what is writtien in it to a certain extant & if your son will respond to you it will be great, especially if you can avoid medications I pray for you to manage with your son without the side effect of all medication & which unfortuanatly in many cases they are to be given. My prayers to you & your son as to everybody on this lis as to my son Amert to promote to the better with God's help. Huda >From: cbhhartley@... >Reply-To: >To: OCDandparenting >Subject: New member >Date: Wed, 20 Nov 2002 12:31:58 EST > >Hi Everyone, > >I'm so glad I found you. (Thanks to Tamar E. Chansky's great book) I >thought >it was time for me to introduce myself and stop lurking in the backround. > >My son was diagnosed about a month and a half ago that he has OCD. I guess >as >all of you have felt, I was in a complete state of confusion and well, >upset...I guess I felt a lot of things! > >I'm working hard on " Freeing Your Child From OCD " and my son is taking a >homeopathic supplement. He seems to be getting better. At least he got >dressed yesterday (partially) and went outside. It's sad to think that this >is what brings me great joy. Who would have ever guessed. He has the >contamination and routine trouble. LONG routine trouble. And water is quite >a >problem right now. > >We live in Burbank,CA, so if anyone has any tips or help in this area I >would >greatly appreciate it. > >Thanks for listening, > >Beverly > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 21, 2002 Report Share Posted November 21, 2002 Hi Beverly, I am fairly new here, and my son was recently diagnosed as well, although in retrospect I can see that this has been going on for sometime. My son will be 8 in a few weeks, and is also homeschooled - something we considered for him (partly because of his " hyper sensitivity " ) from the beginning, but did not make the big change until this year. My son also has problems with contamination and routine (major problems getting ready for school, going to bed, that type of thing), as well as the never ending seeking of reassurance type questions - he is currently having relatively few OCD symptoms, which is lovely! I mostly lurk here, and haven't properly introduced myself (until now), but I have found the discussions here very helpful, if nothing else I am so relieved to hear of others describing their kids going through similar things, it makes you feel much less alone! Oh yes, I wanted to say, we have had the major meltdown thing here too, it used to be EVERYDAY after school, but now that he is home, it is much less often, for which I am very grateful! Ok, back to lurk mode now... ~*~~*~ Proud Mommy of , , and Brittany Cherished Cherubs Child Care - Quality Family Daycare *** ELIMINATE POP UP ADS *** www.eformx.com *** Re: Re: New member Dear Thanks for the nice letter. My son is 9 3/4. I homeschool him. Not because of the OCD, I always have. He's always been extremely sensitive. Maybe it was OCD and I didn't know. I was so excited yesterday, we went out to the backyard and everything. Today major meltdown and I'm lucky to get him out of his room. It's hard when you have things to do and can't leave your house. Am I really going to be stuck in my house for years? How long before I see a change? You sure have a full house! We were in Wilmington, NC last year for about 3 months for my husbands work. We also stayed in Asheville was it? NC is so beautiful. We loved it there. Thanks again for your support, you have no idea how much it means to me!!!!! Sincerely, Beverly _________________________________________________________________ STOP MORE SPAM with the new MSN 8 and get 2 months FREE* http://join.msn.com/?page=features/junkmail Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 4, 2007 Report Share Posted January 4, 2007 <<If you really feel you won't develop a taste for them, ditch 'em and do a protein/carb combo meal instead. >> I don't think I'll develop a taste for them but don't want to waste my money. I'll suck them down and then try regular food. I bought a box of cookies and cream and a box of chocolate. Mine taste gritty for some reason which is what I'm having a hard time with and they just seem to have a funky after taste to them. I'm using fat free milk, maybe that's the problem. My 6 yr old we have trouble keeping weight on her. She asked to taste it and LOVES them! When I'm having my shake my four girls stand around and wait for me to almost finish and then they each get a drink. I told my hubby I have no idea how they aren't gagging..lol I did the same thing with somersweet which is a sugar free sweetner that Suzanne Somers came up with. I made some food with it and the family LOVED it and couldn't tell the difference. I could taste a funky after taste. Maybe this is in my head..LOL Kathy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 4, 2007 Report Share Posted January 4, 2007 <<Yeah, I was going to say the same thing. If you don't like the shakes, definitely don't drink them twice a day. You're better off having whole food whenever possible anyway. I do have some Myoplex Tips if you want to use up what you have:>> Thanks! I'll try some of these and see if I can doctor them up a little. I have some wondercocoa so maybe I'll try adding a little of that and see if it helps. They are coming out really thick. I left one in the fridge longer than I meant to and it was almost like pudding when I took it out. Although I thought it tasted better after sitting a little bit so maybe I'll try putting it in the fridge for a little bit too. Kathy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 5, 2007 Report Share Posted January 5, 2007 You were simply blessed/cursed with a far more sensitive palate than your children were. Obviously they inherited your husbands! Well - at least you found a way to add to your daughters healthy calorie intake!! If you've got time while your in the kitchen making them - and the grittiness is a big factor for you (I know I hate it in shakes) - then try dumping in about a half cup of cottage cheese and blend till smooth. That should help. Some folks use half yogurt and half cottage cheese. If that helped, but gave you too many calories, you may try mixing them with water instead of milk when your using the cottage cheese. Also - protein powders often dissolve better in warm or hot water (gotta try both). Perhaps its the cold milk that isnt helping things along. If you get it dissolved you could then either stick it in the fridge for a while or add ice. Once its dissolved it shouldnt come back out if you chill it. - I did the same thing with somersweet which > is a sugar free sweetner that Suzanne Somers came up with. I made some food > with it and the family LOVED it and couldn't tell the difference. I could > taste a funky after taste. Maybe this is in my head..LOL > Kathy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 5, 2007 Report Share Posted January 5, 2007 Ugh, that thick texture is why I don't really like Myoplex either. I seem to remember it would turn out thinner if I shook it in a shaker bottle versus putting it in a blender or using a handheld " " milkshake " type blender. I think they whip too much air in. Stefanie > > <<Yeah, I was going to say the same thing. If you don't like the shakes, > definitely don't drink them twice a day. You're better off having whole > food > whenever possible anyway. I do have some Myoplex Tips if you want to use > up > what you have:>> > > Thanks! I'll try some of these and see if I can doctor them up a little. I > > have some wondercocoa so maybe I'll try adding a little of that and see if > it > helps. They are coming out really thick. I left one in the fridge longer > than > I meant to and it was almost like pudding when I took it out. Although I > thought it tasted better after sitting a little bit so maybe I'll try > putting it > in the fridge for a little bit too. > > Kathy > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 23, 2012 Report Share Posted July 23, 2012 No, it's still in the same place. The link below works but you may have to try it a couple of times. There is something funky about the web ring code. I will take a look at it tomorrow. > > > > Hi List! > > > > I have returned to the list after a haitus of the " stuff of life " kept me from active involvement. I am sooooo excited to jump into the online community of soap makers again. What a wonderful group. > > > > Years ago I remember a library associated with this group - is that still inexistence? It saved me a ton of posts when needing some great recipes. And, in particular, I remember a recipe for flubber --- can anyone help me out with this? > > > > Thanks, in advance, for any input on this! > > > > Rita > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 23, 2012 Report Share Posted July 23, 2012 Yes, it's not working for me, either. I tried on my iPhone, (nope) but thought it would come up on the PC, (but nope). Thanks for looking into it, x0x Anita @ModelSupplies on eBay, Etsy & Amazon csr@... http://twitter.com/Anita http://facebook.com/eModelSupplies http://pinterest.com/modelsupplies ________________________________ To: 1Toiletries Sent: Monday, July 23, 2012 11:47 PM Subject: Re: New member  No, it's still in the same place. The link below works but you may have to try it a couple of times. There is something funky about the web ring code. I will take a look at it tomorrow. > > > > Hi List! > > > > I have returned to the list after a haitus of the " stuff of life " kept me from active involvement. I am sooooo excited to jump into the online community of soap makers again. What a wonderful group. > > > > Years ago I remember a library associated with this group - is that still inexistence? It saved me a ton of posts when needing some great recipes. And, in particular, I remember a recipe for flubber --- can anyone help me out with this? > > > > Thanks, in advance, for any input on this! > > > > Rita > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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