Re: OCD is (not) funny

[Guest guest]

Alyssa, it is nice to look on the funny side of things. I think my son's

weirdest OCD ritual was that he could not enter the family room until he saw a

man on the right-hand side of the TV screen. This always got a stunned look from

therapists. It's just so specific.

alyssalwolf wrote: My 6 year

old son has an obsession with genitals. Butts in

particular. He believes that everyone, no matter how far away they

may be standing, has touched his butt. In response to this he needs

to touch your butt back. AT first it was a simple pat or rub but

over the months it has evolved into a full bodily invasion which has

our whole family running for cover - or a seat at least. Tonight, as

I ran from my son, headed for a chair, with my hand over my backside,

with my son screaming at the top of his lungs and his tiny hands

grasping desperately for me, I thought of how this might look if one

were an innocent neighbor , or UPS driver peeking in my window. The

ubsurdity of the whole scene suddenly hit me - ( up until now only

the tragedy has been apparent) and I was overcome with an

uncontrolable fit of laughter. My son was not soothed, he still

managed his full body search, nothing has changed, but for one minute

I was able to really laugh because I was able to take a big step back

from the whole scene for just a minute.

I can only imagine that amidst the saddness and frusteration, there

are a lot of laughs to share that could only really be appreciated by

other OCD families. I am hoping some of you will share some of them -

who knows, we may end the day with a laugh instead of a headache!

Alyssa

[Guest guest]

Alyssa,

That is a riot! And good for you for finding it funny; it really is

amusing.

Okay, here's mine: When my son (9) goes out to eat, he HAS to

investigate the bathroom. He twitches in his seat until he orders and

then it's bathroom time.

A few months ago we were at Legal Seafood's restaurant, and he was

gone just a tad too long so I went to the bathroom to get him back.

There he was, standing near the bathroom in the kitchen doorway,

making friends with all the cooks and waiters, eating a fresh bread

roll, happy as could be.

As I got him back to the table, everyone yelled that it was great to

meet him and hoped he would come back for another visit soon.

At the end of the meal we got a free dessert from the chef who was so

enchanted with my kid. Go figure.

Dana

[Guest guest]

Too funny Alyssa! Thanks for the laugh.

Our son has a great sense of humour and likes to do impressions. He

can do spot on impressions of his doctors that will have us in

stitches. When he was hospitalized last year it was an awful

situation, with the doctor who admitted him being, frankly, a jerk.

The next morning our son was doing his impression, with eyes bugged

out repeating this doctor's words " Wow, that's some serious shit

man... " , can't remember the rest, but as I say he was not very

helpful in an awful situation, but here was our son making light of

it all.

Another is early on when no one knew our son had OCD and his

Grandmother asked my son if he had washed his hands before he started

eating. My son shook his head and said, if you only knew you would

not need to ask that question.

We use humour all the time with our son as stuff comes up. Some times

it's good, but other times it backfires, not always easy to read, but

definitely the way to go if and when you can!

Thanks again for adding some humour!!!

Barb

[Guest guest]

That's funny, Alyssa. It's good to try to find the lighter side of

OCD. Our son can laugh about it, but my husband has a harder time.

Sometimes when he gets very serious and grumpy about it, we will tease

him, and he will finally see how rigid and grumpy he is being and it

helps him to lighten up and laugh it off a bit.

He is really, really rigid about the garbage can. We cannot throw

anything in there unless it is packaged up the way he needs it to be.

We have jokingly nicknamed him the Garbage Nazi. He can see the

humor in that, and is able to laugh about it. It seems to take the

seriousness out of it and help him let some of it go.

Curious. . . What do you do when your son has this behavior in

public? Or does he curb himself in public? Thinking it could be

embarrassing then. lol :::picturing you running and him after you:::

BJ

>

> My 6 year old son has an obsession with genitals. Butts in

> particular. He believes that everyone, no matter how far away they

> may be standing, has touched his butt. In response to this he needs

> to touch your butt back. AT first it was a simple pat or rub but

> over the months it has evolved into a full bodily invasion which has

> our whole family running for cover - or a seat at least. Tonight, as

> I ran from my son, headed for a chair, with my hand over my backside,

> with my son screaming at the top of his lungs and his tiny hands

> grasping desperately for me, I thought of how this might look if one

> were an innocent neighbor , or UPS driver peeking in my window. The

> ubsurdity of the whole scene suddenly hit me - ( up until now only

> the tragedy has been apparent) and I was overcome with an

> uncontrolable fit of laughter. My son was not soothed, he still

> managed his full body search, nothing has changed, but for one minute

> I was able to really laugh because I was able to take a big step back

> from the whole scene for just a minute.

> I can only imagine that amidst the saddness and frusteration, there

> are a lot of laughs to share that could only really be appreciated by

> other OCD families. I am hoping some of you will share some of them -

> who knows, we may end the day with a laugh instead of a headache!

> Alyssa

>

[Guest guest]

Hi Alyssa,

I do beleive that " laughter is the best medicine " at times. I think we all need

it to survive!!!!!!

Hugs to you!

Judy

[Guest guest]

Alyssa,

That is funny, Thanks for sharing. It is good to find humor in all of

this. Our son with

OCD has a good sense of humor. He is usually pretty entertaining. He can

actually joke

about his OCD now and then. He has contamination fears, so he takes long

showers and

uses a lot of bodywash, etc. One evening recently he was lying on the couch and

I was

sitting nearby. He stuck his barefeet up near my face. I told him I didn't

want his dirty

feet by my face. He just looks at me with a grin and says mom, c'mon, you know

my feet

are clean; they are the cleanest feet in the family. And that is definitely

true (but I still

didn't want them in my face LOL).

Take care

Connie

>

> My 6 year old son has an obsession with genitals. Butts in

> particular. He believes that everyone, no matter how far away they

> may be standing, has touched his butt. In response to this he needs

> to touch your butt back. AT first it was a simple pat or rub but

> over the months it has evolved into a full bodily invasion which has

> our whole family running for cover - or a seat at least. Tonight, as

> I ran from my son, headed for a chair, with my hand over my backside,

> with my son screaming at the top of his lungs and his tiny hands

> grasping desperately for me, I thought of how this might look if one

> were an innocent neighbor , or UPS driver peeking in my window. The

> ubsurdity of the whole scene suddenly hit me - ( up until now only

> the tragedy has been apparent) and I was overcome with an

> uncontrolable fit of laughter. My son was not soothed, he still

> managed his full body search, nothing has changed, but for one minute

> I was able to really laugh because I was able to take a big step back

> from the whole scene for just a minute.

> I can only imagine that amidst the saddness and frusteration, there

> are a lot of laughs to share that could only really be appreciated by

> other OCD families. I am hoping some of you will share some of them -

> who knows, we may end the day with a laugh instead of a headache!

> Alyssa

>

[Guest guest]

I love this line about laughing at the OCD.

All three of my children have OCD, but of course exhibit it in

different ways. The funniest thing they do is " attack " each other

through it. My oldest son has contamination issues, so when my

daughter is mad at him she will walk around the dinner table and lick

all the serving spoons making sure he sees her and then put it back

in the bowl. It is really gross, but my son then has a heart

attack. But he usually gets her back by posting all her " failures "

on the refrigerator. She has perfectionist OCD.

It puts a whole new face on sibling rivalry!

> >

> > My 6 year old son has an obsession with genitals. Butts in

> > particular. He believes that everyone, no matter how far away

they

> > may be standing, has touched his butt. In response to this he

needs

> > to touch your butt back. AT first it was a simple pat or rub but

> > over the months it has evolved into a full bodily invasion which

has

> > our whole family running for cover - or a seat at least.

Tonight, as

> > I ran from my son, headed for a chair, with my hand over my

backside,

> > with my son screaming at the top of his lungs and his tiny hands

> > grasping desperately for me, I thought of how this might look if

one

> > were an innocent neighbor , or UPS driver peeking in my window.

The

> > ubsurdity of the whole scene suddenly hit me - ( up until now

only

> > the tragedy has been apparent) and I was overcome with an

> > uncontrolable fit of laughter. My son was not soothed, he still

> > managed his full body search, nothing has changed, but for one

minute

> > I was able to really laugh because I was able to take a big step

back

> > from the whole scene for just a minute.

> > I can only imagine that amidst the saddness and frusteration,

there

> > are a lot of laughs to share that could only really be

appreciated by

> > other OCD families. I am hoping some of you will share some of

them -

> > who knows, we may end the day with a laugh instead of a headache!

> > Alyssa

> >

>

[Guest guest]

t, that's funny! Well I guess it's good exposure for them too,

so good of them to help each other out!

>

> I love this line about laughing at the OCD.

> All three of my children have OCD, but of course exhibit it in

> different ways. The funniest thing they do is " attack " each other

> through it. My oldest son has contamination issues, so when my

> daughter is mad at him she will walk around the dinner table and

lick

> all the serving spoons making sure he sees her and then put it back