Waxing OCD-Seasonal

[Guest guest]

Hello Everyone

I haven't written to this board in 8 months. I have an almost 9 year

old son , who has been doing so well for the past 7 months that

I thought that perhaps the OCD symptoms he had last year might have

been a fluke. had some short term therapy with a cognitive

therapist who did mostly exposure therapy which was very effective.

His symptoms centered around " air " or figure writing, counting

compulsions with steps and other number type compulsions.

responded very well to the therapy plus he had a change of

environment (got out of a particularly bad school).

However, what is so interesting is that now at exactly the same time

as last year some of the symptoms have started to come back. (I have

started to do an informal observation of when these symptoms come--

and when I look back I see that since kindergarten there has been

something (such as shirt sucking in kindergarten) which has started

around this time.

I find this so strange--that the symptoms can go away--and then come

back at a similar time--as if there is some seasonal factor going on

with this. We women are familiar with hormonal fluctuations. But is

there something in the light (or less light) which affects the brain?

Anyway, I think I need to get him back into therapy. The therapist

we used was very far away and I am in search of someone in our area.

(There were also a couple things I didn't like about her, so we won't

return to her).

One symptom that has started to come up again is the air or figure

writing. He does this in his mind even if he is barely moving his

fingers. The therapist gave him the technique last year of imagining

a waterfall and seeing the figures just swish away. However, that

technique has worn off for him.

Does anyone have any suggestions for how to combat this? With

counting steps, for example, there are a variety of techniques to

mess up the steps.

Last year before we found the adequate therapist, we wasted perhaps

1500 dollars on two other therapists who weren't helpful.

Financially, I find this frustrating. It is so expensive to get

therapy (the one contact I have in our area charges 160 dollars a

session). The way therapy goes, you could be out 400-600 dollars

(with their expensive initial intake) before you realize this person

isn't helpful.

If this is a waxing-waning disorder (as they say), then we just need

to budget money for this--but I hate having it go to ineffective

therapy.

I find the seasonal pattern so interesting. I wonder what research is

being done on this aspect.

Sincerely,

Alyssa