Guest guest Posted May 19, 2000 Report Share Posted May 19, 2000 Dear Amy: This is a tough question. In the case of my 7-year-old, Charlie (mild PDD-NOS/ Aspergers), it has gotten better since he was four. With maturity and patience (and the passing of time), he has made great strides. Having him around other children as much as possible has helped him the most, even though it has been difficult at times. I can also relate to the problems with your older son. I have a brilliant NT 10-year-old. He has next to no patience with Charlie, as he thinks Charlie does the things he does strictly to irritate him. It helps with my older one if I spend as much time as possible alone just with him. But, honestly, they do fight like cats and dogs sometimes. Good luck to you. Try to have faith that it will get better. That is what gets me through. Best regards, Betty Jo Marshall (unknown) Hi All! Just wanted to know how other parents deal with major behavoir problems with their Autistic child? My child is 4 with PDD-NOS. He acts more like a 2 year old. I love my child very much, but he is so difficult to handle almost all of the time. He spits, hits, destroys, has tantrums, and is just plain mean to family members. My husband and I work opposite shifts so that one of us is always with our son, but it is like we are single parents. Some nights I just can't handle the bad behavior. And no I have no help from other family members. I know it's easy say just be patient, and I have been - but it is difficult not to lose it with him. Any advice? He is in special ed pres-school and is learning to talk, and he does go to all the necessary therapies! And he is on meds! Still, he is out of control. If anyone has any positive suggestions please let me know. I could do without the negativity though! I also have a 8 year old son who has difficulty with his brother. Thanks for listening! Amy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 19, 2000 Report Share Posted May 19, 2000 Dear Amy: This is a tough question. In the case of my 7-year-old, Charlie (mild PDD-NOS/ Aspergers), it has gotten better since he was four. With maturity and patience (and the passing of time), he has made great strides. Having him around other children as much as possible has helped him the most, even though it has been difficult at times. I can also relate to the problems with your older son. I have a brilliant NT 10-year-old. He has next to no patience with Charlie, as he thinks Charlie does the things he does strictly to irritate him. It helps with my older one if I spend as much time as possible alone just with him. But, honestly, they do fight like cats and dogs sometimes. Good luck to you. Try to have faith that it will get better. That is what gets me through. Best regards, Betty Jo Marshall (unknown) Hi All! Just wanted to know how other parents deal with major behavoir problems with their Autistic child? My child is 4 with PDD-NOS. He acts more like a 2 year old. I love my child very much, but he is so difficult to handle almost all of the time. He spits, hits, destroys, has tantrums, and is just plain mean to family members. My husband and I work opposite shifts so that one of us is always with our son, but it is like we are single parents. Some nights I just can't handle the bad behavior. And no I have no help from other family members. I know it's easy say just be patient, and I have been - but it is difficult not to lose it with him. Any advice? He is in special ed pres-school and is learning to talk, and he does go to all the necessary therapies! And he is on meds! Still, he is out of control. If anyone has any positive suggestions please let me know. I could do without the negativity though! I also have a 8 year old son who has difficulty with his brother. Thanks for listening! Amy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 19, 2000 Report Share Posted May 19, 2000 Hello, I’m sorry to bother you, but what does “NT” stand for? Josh -----Original Message----- From: Betty Jo Marshall Sent: Thursday, May 18, 2000 8:55 PM To: autism-aspergersegroups Subject: Re: (unknown) Dear Amy: This is a tough question. In the case of my 7-year-old, Charlie (mild PDD-NOS/ Aspergers), it has gotten better since he was four. With maturity and patience (and the passing of time), he has made great strides. Having him around other children as much as possible has helped him the most, even though it has been difficult at times. I can also relate to the problems with your older son. I have a brilliant NT 10-year-old. He has next to no patience with Charlie, as he thinks Charlie does the things he does strictly to irritate him. It helps with my older one if I spend as much time as possible alone just with him. But, honestly, they do fight like cats and dogs sometimes. Good luck to you. Try to have faith that it will get better. That is what gets me through. Best regards, Betty Jo Marshall ----- Original Message ----- From: Amy Schilling To: autism-aspergersegroups Sent: Thursday, May 18, 2000 9:50 PM Subject: (unknown) Hi All! Just wanted to know how other parents deal with major behavoir problems with their Autistic child? My child is 4 with PDD-NOS. He acts more like a 2 year old. I love my child very much, but he is so difficult to handle almost all of the time. He spits, hits, destroys, has tantrums, and is just plain mean to family members. My husband and I work opposite shifts so that one of us is always with our son, but it is like we are single parents. Some nights I just can't handle the bad behavior. And no I have no help from other family members. I know it's easy say just be patient, and I have been - but it is difficult not to lose it with him. Any advice? He is in special ed pres-school and is learning to talk, and he does go to all the necessary therapies! And he is on meds! Still, he is out of control. If anyone has any positive suggestions please let me know. I could do without the negativity though! I also have a 8 year old son who has difficulty with his brother. Thanks for listening! Amy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 19, 2000 Report Share Posted May 19, 2000 Hello, I’m sorry to bother you, but what does “NT” stand for? Josh -----Original Message----- From: Betty Jo Marshall Sent: Thursday, May 18, 2000 8:55 PM To: autism-aspergersegroups Subject: Re: (unknown) Dear Amy: This is a tough question. In the case of my 7-year-old, Charlie (mild PDD-NOS/ Aspergers), it has gotten better since he was four. With maturity and patience (and the passing of time), he has made great strides. Having him around other children as much as possible has helped him the most, even though it has been difficult at times. I can also relate to the problems with your older son. I have a brilliant NT 10-year-old. He has next to no patience with Charlie, as he thinks Charlie does the things he does strictly to irritate him. It helps with my older one if I spend as much time as possible alone just with him. But, honestly, they do fight like cats and dogs sometimes. Good luck to you. Try to have faith that it will get better. That is what gets me through. Best regards, Betty Jo Marshall ----- Original Message ----- From: Amy Schilling To: autism-aspergersegroups Sent: Thursday, May 18, 2000 9:50 PM Subject: (unknown) Hi All! Just wanted to know how other parents deal with major behavoir problems with their Autistic child? My child is 4 with PDD-NOS. He acts more like a 2 year old. I love my child very much, but he is so difficult to handle almost all of the time. He spits, hits, destroys, has tantrums, and is just plain mean to family members. My husband and I work opposite shifts so that one of us is always with our son, but it is like we are single parents. Some nights I just can't handle the bad behavior. And no I have no help from other family members. I know it's easy say just be patient, and I have been - but it is difficult not to lose it with him. Any advice? He is in special ed pres-school and is learning to talk, and he does go to all the necessary therapies! And he is on meds! Still, he is out of control. If anyone has any positive suggestions please let me know. I could do without the negativity though! I also have a 8 year old son who has difficulty with his brother. Thanks for listening! Amy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 19, 2000 Report Share Posted May 19, 2000 > >Hello, I'm sorry to bother you, but what does " NT " stand for? > >Josh Hi Josh NT stands for Neuro Typical another way of saying normal. It comes from a satirical web site run by an Aspie treating normalicy as a disease with symptoms from an autistic point of view. Ric BTW your email is followed by a huge amount of mark up code. Enough that i recieved your email in 2 portions. Is there anyway you can keep from sending html code to the list? Text only? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 19, 2000 Report Share Posted May 19, 2000 > >Hello, I'm sorry to bother you, but what does " NT " stand for? > >Josh Hi Josh NT stands for Neuro Typical another way of saying normal. It comes from a satirical web site run by an Aspie treating normalicy as a disease with symptoms from an autistic point of view. Ric BTW your email is followed by a huge amount of mark up code. Enough that i recieved your email in 2 portions. Is there anyway you can keep from sending html code to the list? Text only? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 19, 2000 Report Share Posted May 19, 2000 rferris@... wrote: > > > >Hello, I'm sorry to bother you, but what does " NT " stand for? > > > >Josh > > Hi Josh > > NT stands for Neuro Typical another way of saying normal. It comes from a > satirical web site run by an Aspie treating normalicy as a disease with > symptoms from an autistic point of view. > > Ric Um, I beg to differ. The definition is correct, but the etymology isn't. I've been using NT and it's sister acronym NDA (not diagnosed with anything) since I first saw them on a private autism list in 1993. It was a shorthand way of saying neurotypical, and is not another way of saying normal. The idea is that there is no such thing as normal, a stance in which I believe whole-heartedly, because if you accept the concept of normalcy, then you must also accept the idea that anything other than that is abnormal. My son is not abnormal, he's just not typical of your average person (another mythic creature). " Normal is a setting on the dryer " IOW. And I defy anyone to show me a single normal person anywhere in the world. " Typical " is the word that a lot of public schools came to use in the 80's and early 90's, and neurotypical is just an extension of that. Sorry to get on the soapbox, but sometimes you just gotta. Annie, who loves ya annie@... -- If Bill Gates had a nickel for every time Windows crashed... Oh wait! He does! --- anon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 19, 2000 Report Share Posted May 19, 2000 rferris@... wrote: > > > >Hello, I'm sorry to bother you, but what does " NT " stand for? > > > >Josh > > Hi Josh > > NT stands for Neuro Typical another way of saying normal. It comes from a > satirical web site run by an Aspie treating normalicy as a disease with > symptoms from an autistic point of view. > > Ric Um, I beg to differ. The definition is correct, but the etymology isn't. I've been using NT and it's sister acronym NDA (not diagnosed with anything) since I first saw them on a private autism list in 1993. It was a shorthand way of saying neurotypical, and is not another way of saying normal. The idea is that there is no such thing as normal, a stance in which I believe whole-heartedly, because if you accept the concept of normalcy, then you must also accept the idea that anything other than that is abnormal. My son is not abnormal, he's just not typical of your average person (another mythic creature). " Normal is a setting on the dryer " IOW. And I defy anyone to show me a single normal person anywhere in the world. " Typical " is the word that a lot of public schools came to use in the 80's and early 90's, and neurotypical is just an extension of that. Sorry to get on the soapbox, but sometimes you just gotta. Annie, who loves ya annie@... -- If Bill Gates had a nickel for every time Windows crashed... Oh wait! He does! --- anon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 20, 2000 Report Share Posted May 20, 2000 Dear Josh: Funny you should ask what NT stands for, because I didn't know myself until a couple of weeks ago when I also had to ask someone on the list!! I was told that it means "neuro typical", which I assume means that you have no known neurological problem. I suppose you could just say "presumed normal" or "typical." Best regards, Betty Jo Marshall (unknown) Hi All! Just wanted to know how other parents deal with major behavoir problems with their Autistic child? My child is 4 with PDD-NOS. He acts more like a 2 year old. I love my child very much, but he is so difficult to handle almost all of the time. He spits, hits, destroys, has tantrums, and is just plain mean to family members. My husband and I work opposite shifts so that one of us is always with our son, but it is like we are single parents. Some nights I just can't handle the bad behavior. And no I have no help from other family members. I know it's easy say just be patient, and I have been - but it is difficult not to lose it with him. Any advice? He is in special ed pres-school and is learning to talk, and he does go to all the necessary therapies! And he is on meds! Still, he is out of control. If anyone has any positive suggestions please let me know. I could do without the negativity though! I also have a 8 year old son who has difficulty with his brother. Thanks for listening! Amy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 20, 2000 Report Share Posted May 20, 2000 Dear Josh: Funny you should ask what NT stands for, because I didn't know myself until a couple of weeks ago when I also had to ask someone on the list!! I was told that it means "neuro typical", which I assume means that you have no known neurological problem. I suppose you could just say "presumed normal" or "typical." Best regards, Betty Jo Marshall (unknown) Hi All! Just wanted to know how other parents deal with major behavoir problems with their Autistic child? My child is 4 with PDD-NOS. He acts more like a 2 year old. I love my child very much, but he is so difficult to handle almost all of the time. He spits, hits, destroys, has tantrums, and is just plain mean to family members. My husband and I work opposite shifts so that one of us is always with our son, but it is like we are single parents. Some nights I just can't handle the bad behavior. And no I have no help from other family members. I know it's easy say just be patient, and I have been - but it is difficult not to lose it with him. Any advice? He is in special ed pres-school and is learning to talk, and he does go to all the necessary therapies! And he is on meds! Still, he is out of control. If anyone has any positive suggestions please let me know. I could do without the negativity though! I also have a 8 year old son who has difficulty with his brother. Thanks for listening! Amy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 20, 2000 Report Share Posted May 20, 2000 Dear Josh: Funny you should ask what NT stands for, because I didn't know myself until a couple of weeks ago when I also had to ask someone on the list!! I was told that it means "neuro typical", which I assume means that you have no known neurological problem. I suppose you could just say "presumed normal" or "typical." Best regards, Betty Jo Marshall (unknown) Hi All! Just wanted to know how other parents deal with major behavoir problems with their Autistic child? My child is 4 with PDD-NOS. He acts more like a 2 year old. I love my child very much, but he is so difficult to handle almost all of the time. He spits, hits, destroys, has tantrums, and is just plain mean to family members. My husband and I work opposite shifts so that one of us is always with our son, but it is like we are single parents. Some nights I just can't handle the bad behavior. And no I have no help from other family members. I know it's easy say just be patient, and I have been - but it is difficult not to lose it with him. Any advice? He is in special ed pres-school and is learning to talk, and he does go to all the necessary therapies! And he is on meds! Still, he is out of control. If anyone has any positive suggestions please let me know. I could do without the negativity though! I also have a 8 year old son who has difficulty with his brother. Thanks for listening! Amy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 28, 2000 Report Share Posted July 28, 2000 Welcome Stacie and Sherry, I would also like to welcome you. I am usually pretty good about welcoming all new members and asking everyone who hasn't done so to introduce themselves. When I say welcome to all new members, if you are new then that would include you, so I'm not exactly sure what you mean by no one said hi when you joined. I have posted many greetings to all. Evidently they must have missed you. so if you feel as if you were overlooked, then please accept my apologies. i agree with you, ask questions, because that is how we learn. i always welcome all, and always ask the rest of the members to please post an update. I can't always mention every name, but all usually means everyone where I come from. Hope everyone is having a great day, and look forward to hearing some updates from everyone. O.k. Trish, Ric, freestone, where are you all? I don't mean to sound sarcastic or rude, because I started this list as a way of parents to share. I have 4 special needs boys myself, and we all need to support each other. That's what I love about this list. Everyone is very supportive, and everyone is welcome to share anything or to ask anything, even to email me privatelyI have always stressed this. Well got to run, look forward to hearing from all, God bless, Sharon (moderator) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 28, 2000 Report Share Posted July 28, 2000 Welcome Stacie and Sherry, I would also like to welcome you. I am usually pretty good about welcoming all new members and asking everyone who hasn't done so to introduce themselves. When I say welcome to all new members, if you are new then that would include you, so I'm not exactly sure what you mean by no one said hi when you joined. I have posted many greetings to all. Evidently they must have missed you. so if you feel as if you were overlooked, then please accept my apologies. i agree with you, ask questions, because that is how we learn. i always welcome all, and always ask the rest of the members to please post an update. I can't always mention every name, but all usually means everyone where I come from. Hope everyone is having a great day, and look forward to hearing some updates from everyone. O.k. Trish, Ric, freestone, where are you all? I don't mean to sound sarcastic or rude, because I started this list as a way of parents to share. I have 4 special needs boys myself, and we all need to support each other. That's what I love about this list. Everyone is very supportive, and everyone is welcome to share anything or to ask anything, even to email me privatelyI have always stressed this. Well got to run, look forward to hearing from all, God bless, Sharon (moderator) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 28, 2000 Report Share Posted July 28, 2000 Welcome Stacie and Sherry, I would also like to welcome you. I am usually pretty good about welcoming all new members and asking everyone who hasn't done so to introduce themselves. When I say welcome to all new members, if you are new then that would include you, so I'm not exactly sure what you mean by no one said hi when you joined. I have posted many greetings to all. Evidently they must have missed you. so if you feel as if you were overlooked, then please accept my apologies. i agree with you, ask questions, because that is how we learn. i always welcome all, and always ask the rest of the members to please post an update. I can't always mention every name, but all usually means everyone where I come from. Hope everyone is having a great day, and look forward to hearing some updates from everyone. O.k. Trish, Ric, freestone, where are you all? I don't mean to sound sarcastic or rude, because I started this list as a way of parents to share. I have 4 special needs boys myself, and we all need to support each other. That's what I love about this list. Everyone is very supportive, and everyone is welcome to share anything or to ask anything, even to email me privatelyI have always stressed this. Well got to run, look forward to hearing from all, God bless, Sharon (moderator) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 19, 2003 Report Share Posted August 19, 2003 No you are right. Get the book OCD in children and adolescents by Dr. March and read it or just go to any informative site re symptoms of ocd. Best of luck to you...diagnosing is a long path and much of it is obscured by our desire as parents to wish it to be something else. Lynne > >Reply-To: >To: >Subject: (unknown) >Date: Tue, 19 Aug 2003 16:59:55 -0000 > >in answer to Lyn or s question my son is 6 years of age. the >doctor says he has OCD and referred him to a Mental Health Team >where by i was told by the specialist to basically ignore the >behaviour and he was told it does not matter and he does not need to >do it. >this behaviour is - that when his hands have got wet they do not >feel right, and he has to lick them until they do, this can take >anything from ten minutes to a couple of hours. he has always not >liked the wrinkling of his skin after a bath, but this went from me >noticing he was licking them to in a couple of weeks him not being >able to wash them. i can know get him to wash them but can not avoid >the licking. (also sometimes on washing them he puts a cross in the >soap on the palm of his hand-to keep him safe, he says).After asking >for advice on these pages, and my son disclosing last week that if >he does not lick them we may be burgled,also i know that when he >returns to school after the summer holidays if this is not dealt >with, he will stop washing them again so as not to be seen licking >them in front of his friends, i have rang the specialist to try and >talk and discuss another way to deal with this, so far i have had no >reply. What you all said does make sense about other people not >understanding because i can only just get my head round it and still >have doubts over whether he has OCD, but if i am honest most of the >time i think he has, then i think, when friends react as they have, >is it me, am i looking for something to be wrong with him and is he >just going through a stage and manipulating me in the process. >the joys of parenthood, thanks for all listening > _________________________________________________________________ <b>Get MSN 8</b> and help protect your children with advanced parental controls. http://join.msn.com/?page=features/parental Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 20, 2003 Report Share Posted August 20, 2003 Alison, is it possible for you to go to another doctor? I don't know how your system works--can you go back to the doctor who sent you to the specialist? By telling your son over and over again that the house hasn't been broken into, you could actually be encouraging another complusion. Some kids ask for constant reassurance and that is a symptom as well. Don't give up--there is relief somewhere for you and your son. Kelley in NV Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 20, 2003 Report Share Posted August 20, 2003 Hi Ali: Using logic to counteract our loved one's urges to perform compulsions is frankly a waste of time and effort. OCD is so tricky that it laughs at logic. We found using paradoxical humor was much more helpful than explaining logic. Our kids usually have enough insight about their symptoms that they know that they are not likely nor logical. However OCD is cruel and makes them feel uncertain and tells them they must perform compulsions or else.... Feeling anxious about a sick child who is not getting the right treatment is a normal response. It is also common for family members of those with OCD to also suffer from a variety of anxiety disorders. I have GAD - generalized anxiety disorder - and have been treated with E & RP for this and it has been very helpful. Having lived in both England and the US I can tell you that disagreeing with experts is not a socially accepted behavior in either country :-) All kidding aside, we are really the experts on our children, and sometimes this can put us at cross purposes with a treatment provider. I encourage you to contact Obsessive Action and find other parents with kids with OCD and a support group where you can get moral support from others in the same situation. When we do not feel so alone, we get the courage to find what our kids need, even in the face of " experts " who may be mistaken. Getting an official diagnosis is usually the starting point in getting help from any bureaucracy. Then you will want to ask for some treatment goals and timelines so you can track Henry's progress in bossing back OCD. When you use paradoxical humor about OCD it makes it feel less scary. You need to warn Henry you are going to use this technique and encourage him to do the same thing. It needs to be respectful, but in the same way young children joke about monsters to make them less scary this technique can help turn around everyone's fear of OCD in the family. For example, you might want to suggest to Henry that the local burglars better watch out as everyone will be licking their hands and the burglars don't stand a chance at having a successful break-in in the neighborhood. It has to be said in a lighthearted way and signals to Henry that OCD is being silly and is not something to be feared. My son had lots of fears about killing me. So I would joke with him that we were both dead already and only communicating through the psychic 900 network. Then he knew I was teasing OCD and not him, and it was easier for him to recognize that his fears were not based in reality. After a while the family can really get going with making jokes and things lighten up. Good luck, take care, aloha, Kathy (h) kathy.hi@... -Original Message----- From: ali7196 Sent: Wednesday, August 20, 2003 1:29 AM To: Subject: (unknown) Spoke to Henrys specialist today on the phone about ignoring his handlicking and that he has now said we will be burgled if he does not do it. I have expressed my concern that when he returns to school he will stop washing his hands again. She praised me for pointing out that for 6 years he has not licked his hands and we have not been burgled but again repeated that i should ignore this behaviour (the hand licking) and concentrate on Henrys postive personality. This she said will keep my anxiety down, not that i have an anxiety problem. I feel worse now than i did before. After hearing everyones advise i was hopeful that we could start some kind of therapy, and i feel like a right wimp just agreeing with everything she said. I am really grateful for everyones advise but would particularly welcome some from some one in Englad where it is diffreent with not having to go through insurance and everything. Also it is really frowned upon here to not agree with a specialist. She is going to be intouch next week before henry returns to school and has said i may need to go back in to discuss things if i feel they are not getting any better. This time i really need an action plan and to know exactly what i want from her for henry. Do i ask for a diagnosis to be made by her? In three months our life seems to have been turned upside down, and i feel obsessive about finding out everything there is to know about OCD and how best to help my son. Any advice is gratefully received, and thanks for all your support so far. Alison Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 20, 2003 Report Share Posted August 20, 2003 > We found using paradoxical humor was much more helpful than > explaining logic. I agree. I have to say that humor has been THE best way to handle 's OCD and intrusive thoughts. An example, thinks he has a huge freakishly big head (sounds funny...but it is VERY traumatic for ). He would constantly ask " Mom, is my head weird? " or " Mom, does my head look big?? " . After awhile, I got tired of reassuring him...and I just looked at him, and said over-dramatically " OH MY GOD!!! ITS HUUUUUUUGE!!!!!! How the heck did you get through your bedroom door this morning!??! " We both had a big laugh, and it seemed to ease his tension ALOT. I'm not saying that this works for every single one of his worries...but, if he's repeating the same worry over and over...it does help. He KNOWS he has OCD and he KNOWS that his thoughts are not rational. He still can't help asking or thinking about them. Dealing with them with a bit of humor lets him know that even though OCD " sucks " ...its not the end of the world and we can deal with it and get through it. --Tina Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 26, 2003 Report Share Posted August 26, 2003 My pharmacist told me about a coming dna? test (using swabbed cells from inner cheek) that will give on the spot? info on med metabolism and which meds would be best and which to avoid for a particular person. As I understood this would not be specific to psych meds though, also will be some years in the future. I haven't heard of CAT scans for determining med dosage before, this is new to me. Kathy R. in Indiana ----- Original Message ----- From: , I read something about that also. It might have been in Medscape that there was an article. Either that or I saw it in a " google " search for articles on OCD. I can't recall if it was dosage related. But I think it might have also pertained to which medication will work best on a person for treatment. > I also have a question. Someone told me that they saw something on > t.v. about future treatment for ocd. They said in about 5 years from > now they would be able to do a cat scan on patients and be able to > tell a great deal about the individuals ocd and know the exact dosage > of medication that person would need. Does anyone here know anything > about this? Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 26, 2003 Report Share Posted August 26, 2003 Don't know the difference between all the types of scans but here's a portion of one article I'd read and this research was done using Paxil: " The study demonstrates the potential of functional brain imaging to predict how a patient will respond to treatment, " said lead investigator Dr. Sanjaya Saxena, director of the UCLA Neuropsychiatric Institute's OCD Research Program and associate professor-in-residence of psychiatry and biobehavioral sciences at UCLA's Geffen School of Medicine. " Pretreatment brain scans hold promise for accelerating the sometimes painstaking process of identifying the best treatment for an individual patient and speeding development of new interventions. " http://www.npi.ucla.edu/news/paxil.html Seems like I read somewhere that since different medications (like SSRIs) affect different brain chemicals (something like that or else one would work for all....like they all affect serotonin but each has a different pathway or affect....????), that imaging can possibly be used in the future to determine which medication will work best for a person or give a good idea of which med to try first. Of course, these days, I always seem to remember only bits of what I've read and can be totally off on what I " thought " I read! Hope it's just age! > My pharmacist told me about a coming dna? test (using swabbed cells from inner cheek) that will give on the spot? info on med metabolism and which meds would be best and which to avoid for a particular person. As I understood this would not be specific to psych meds though, also will be some years in the future. > > I haven't heard of CAT scans for determining med dosage before, this is new to me. > > Kathy R. in Indiana > ----- Original Message ----- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 26, 2003 Report Share Posted August 26, 2003 LOL Now I do remember reading this...and thinking of the practical problems of getting an untreated child with OCD to stick her head into a CT scanner... I've got the same problems remembering only bits and pieces of things I've read, and I'm near hopeless in finding them again. You seem to be aces at that :-) Kathy R. in Indiana ----- Original Message ----- From: Don't know the difference between all the types of scans but here's a portion of one article I'd read and this research was done using Paxil: " The study demonstrates the potential of functional brain imaging to predict how a patient will respond to treatment, " said lead investigator Dr. Sanjaya Saxena, director of the UCLA Neuropsychiatric Institute's OCD Research Program and associate professor-in-residence of psychiatry and biobehavioral sciences at UCLA's Geffen School of Medicine. " Pretreatment brain scans hold promise for accelerating the sometimes painstaking process of identifying the best treatment for an individual patient and speeding development of new interventions. " http://www.npi.ucla.edu/news/paxil.html Seems like I read somewhere that since different medications (like SSRIs) affect different brain chemicals (something like that or else one would work for all....like they all affect serotonin but each has a different pathway or affect....????), that imaging can possibly be used in the future to determine which medication will work best for a person or give a good idea of which med to try first. Of course, these days, I always seem to remember only bits of what I've read and can be totally off on what I " thought " I read! Hope it's just age! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 28, 2003 Report Share Posted August 28, 2003 Hi Sheila and welcome to the group! First I want to say, (((hugs))) you and your family are in probably the worse point of dealing with OCD, it's been diagnosed (very frightening) yet treatment is just getting started and of course there hasn't been much if any improvement yet. I know when I was at that point, I couldn't begin to imagine better days and felt very depressed about my child's suffering and her chances to live a normal life. I can promise however that your daughter is one of the lucky ones, you have started her in the right type of therapy and soon you will begin to see benefits from that. Many, many children flounder around for a long while with " wrong " therapists or " wrong " types of therapy before they are hooked up with competent behavior therapists. You wrote: > Hi. My name is Sheila and I have a dd 11 1/2 that has just been diagnosed with OCD. She has just started behavioral therapy. She met her therapist for the first time on Monday (kicking and screaming) but afterwards felt calmer and really clicked with him. I was happy for that. *****This is a great start! My daughter also was so anxious to even walk into the therapist's office that she would be in tears or making angry, rude comments, totally unlike her. I would suggest that you keep an eye that actual therapy (making a heirarchy of symptoms, getting exposure homework) begins within five or so appointments as a general rule of thumb. > I guess I'd just like to say that I've suspected this for several years now. I question whether she has SID with it. But like I said, we are at the beginning of evaluation at this point. It seems puberty has really escalated it. *****Puberty is a common time for symptoms to " explode " in intensity, and many OCD kids also have clothing and/or other sensory challenges. I read recently that if SID (or DSI it's being called now I guess for Disorders of Sensory Integration) is admitted into the DSM, it will probably be grouped with the anxiety disorders. I thought that makes a lot of sense since so many anxious kids have SID symptoms too. > She had a " meltdown " today because we were invited to a friends house at the last moment. She does not do well with change. But I truly believe the melt-down is showing me that she feels the " gig is up " and she's allowing us to see what's really been on her mind. I told my husband I think all symptoms will get worse before they get better during the beginnings of this therapy. *****My child's ability to be flexible and handle unanticipated events and change increased dramatically once her OCD symptoms and general anxiety were lower with SSRI treatment and CBT/ERP. I have in fact recently been amazed at how " laid back " and unreactive she is to " surprises " which used to set her off. Ex: yesterday morning as she was eating breakfast and watching TV before school, we had a lightening strike nearby that suddenly knocked out our cable service in the middle of her program. I *know* that less than a year ago, she would have had an angry anxious meltdown due to not being able to see the show to completion, probably she would then have missed the bus and perhaps been late to school before she could have calmed herself down. Yesterday she said Oh crud, cable's out, finished breakfast and went upstairs to get dressed for school. She's 9 and has had a year and a half of professional CBT/ERP. At her appointment last week, her therapist suggested going out six weeks for her next appointment toward " graduating " from therapy and moving toward an " as needed " schedule. > My question is: when the Behaviorial Therapy starts, does it get worse before it gets better? *****Possibly because effective CBT/ERP does provoke anxiety which the kids then learn to accommodate to. With continued CBT/ERP their anxiety levels fall though as they have fewer and fewer remaining obsessions and compulsions. They also begin to have a sense of mastery and control over the OCD and this really boosts their self-confidence as well as lowers overall anxiety. > We are trying to make our enviornment as relaxed as possible as she begins this. *****That's really smart. It's helpful to pare down the schedule and let things that are not absolutely necessary go as you focus on getting your child's symptoms under control. This may include speaking to her teachers if doing homework, writing papers or whatever become unnecessarily burdensome during these early weeks of therapy. Therapy takes up a lot of time and energy but is an appropriate priority at this point in your daughter's recovery. > I'm doing my homework- signing up on the OCD loops and reading, reading, reading. Then when I am alone, all I feel like doing is crying. Any input would be greatly appreciated. *****I did a lot of crying in the shower, my child was pretty young when she had an overnight onset of OCD and I didn't want to further upset her :-) As I said at the top, you can look forward to feeling less and less like crying as your daughter begins to make progress and her symptom level falls. OCD can become all-consuming around the time of diagnosis and beginning treatment, so please don't forget to find some time for you, to do things that you enjoy--read an interesting novel among all the OCD books! Also please feel free to post here as often as you want, for support, to ask questions or just vent. We've all been where you and your family are now and are happy to help in any way we can. Again, welcome, Kathy R. in Indiana Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 30, 2003 Report Share Posted August 30, 2003 Hi Sheila: Hugs to you! Our family certainly felt that things got worse before they got better. And we certainly weren't ready for things to get any worse. We had great hopes/desperation for the CBT (E & RP) to work as life was hell; we had little resources for things to get worse again. However looking back on it, that was our way out of the jungle/quagmire or whatever that OCD had turned Steve's and our lives into. Any temporary worsening was worth it because the improvement is nothing short of amazing. What also shocked me was how long the recovery was. Before OCD my timing for recovery with my kids was an ear infection treated by antibiotics etc, or sore throats with lozenges and TLC. It was a long, long time before the recovery was clear and sustained, it truly tested Steve's resolve and ours. I believed books, therapist, others were just being unrealistic when they spoke of the improvements possible..however hanging in there taught our family so much. Tears are important for healing IMO. Hang in there, you are on the path to a much better life for your beloved child and the whole family. Please keep us posted about your daughter's recovery - I know you will have good news to share before too long. It is sometimes a one step forward two steps back situation, but over the long haul you will be moving in the right direction. Take care, aloha, Kathy (h) kathy.hi@... (unknown) Hi. My name is Sheila and I have a dd 11 1/2 that has just been diagnosed with OCD. She has just started behavioral therapy. She met her therapist for the first time on Monday (kicking and screaming) but afterwards felt calmer and really clicked with him. I was happy for that. I guess I'd just like to say that I've suspected this for several years now. I question whether she has SID with it. But like I said, we are at the beginning of evaluation at this point. It seems puberty has really escalated it. She had a " meltdown " today because we were invited to a friends house at the last moment. She does not do well with change. But I truly believe the melt-down is showing me that she feels the " gig is up " and she's allowing us to see what's really been on her mind. I told my husband I think all symptoms will get worse before they get better during the beginnings of this therapy. My question is: when the Behaviorial Therapy starts, does it get worse before it gets better? We are trying to make our enviornment as relaxed as possible as she begins this. I'm doing my homework- signing up on the OCD loops and reading, reading, reading. Then when I am alone, all I feel like doing is crying. Any input would be greatly appreciated. Sheila Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 30, 2003 Report Share Posted August 30, 2003 Hi Sheila: Hugs to you! Our family certainly felt that things got worse before they got better. And we certainly weren't ready for things to get any worse. We had great hopes/desperation for the CBT (E & RP) to work as life was hell; we had little resources for things to get worse again. However looking back on it, that was our way out of the jungle/quagmire or whatever that OCD had turned Steve's and our lives into. Any temporary worsening was worth it because the improvement is nothing short of amazing. What also shocked me was how long the recovery was. Before OCD my timing for recovery with my kids was an ear infection treated by antibiotics etc, or sore throats with lozenges and TLC. It was a long, long time before the recovery was clear and sustained, it truly tested Steve's resolve and ours. I believed books, therapist, others were just being unrealistic when they spoke of the improvements possible..however hanging in there taught our family so much. Tears are important for healing IMO. Hang in there, you are on the path to a much better life for your beloved child and the whole family. Please keep us posted about your daughter's recovery - I know you will have good news to share before too long. It is sometimes a one step forward two steps back situation, but over the long haul you will be moving in the right direction. Take care, aloha, Kathy (h) kathy.hi@... (unknown) Hi. My name is Sheila and I have a dd 11 1/2 that has just been diagnosed with OCD. She has just started behavioral therapy. She met her therapist for the first time on Monday (kicking and screaming) but afterwards felt calmer and really clicked with him. I was happy for that. I guess I'd just like to say that I've suspected this for several years now. I question whether she has SID with it. But like I said, we are at the beginning of evaluation at this point. It seems puberty has really escalated it. She had a " meltdown " today because we were invited to a friends house at the last moment. She does not do well with change. But I truly believe the melt-down is showing me that she feels the " gig is up " and she's allowing us to see what's really been on her mind. I told my husband I think all symptoms will get worse before they get better during the beginnings of this therapy. My question is: when the Behaviorial Therapy starts, does it get worse before it gets better? We are trying to make our enviornment as relaxed as possible as she begins this. I'm doing my homework- signing up on the OCD loops and reading, reading, reading. Then when I am alone, all I feel like doing is crying. Any input would be greatly appreciated. Sheila Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 6, 2003 Report Share Posted September 6, 2003 Hi Alison, I heard you moaning clear across the Atlantic LOL! You wrote: > Just writing for a moan really, Henrys hand licking is no better and it is four weeks till we see the specialist again. *****Refresh my memory, has the specialist agreed to treat Henry for OCD? (SSRI medication or CBT/ERP therapy?) If so, can you tell her you need to see her more often than monthly at least until Henry's symptoms start to improve? Or can you arrange to contact her if you have problems inbetween appointments? I am constantly amazed that psychiatrists etc. don't realize that until symptoms are improving, the family is really in a crisis and deserves top-priority scheduling. > We would not have a problem if he never had to get his hands wet, ever, but that is not really practical, is it? *****No it's not practical plus it is avoidance of the trigger to do the compulsion, which we have all learned the hard way just reinforces the obsession and makes everything worse. HOWEVER as a nod to practicality, until treatment starts having its effect, could you identify a minimum number of times that Henry must wash his hands and let other times slide? Ultimately to extinguish this compulsion, Henry must get his hands wet and not lick, living with the anxiety this produces until it falls on its own without doing the compulsion. This is how you uncouple the obsession from the compulsion, and finally Henry will no longer even think of licking when his hands are wet. > I'm sick and tired of hearing it may just be a phase he is going through or attention seeking behaviour, (how many children on their 7th birthday complain of voices telling them they must 'do it,' repeatedly, or could think to make that up. *****Who on Earth is telling you this? If it's the specialist, cut your losses and find another who understands that OCD is not behavioral but is instead a brain-based disorder. If it's friends, teachers, family I suggest finding a short explaination of OCD by an unassailable authority and handing these out. > Just feeling really fustrated at the whole situation and feeling too tired to ever see an end to this. Henry has only been having these compulsions for 4 months, five maximum, how you all keep such humor i really don't know. *****When you child is suffering and has not yet begun to improve, it is next to impossible to be calm I know. Those of us who seem more lighthearted and steady have been dealing with this awhile now and realize some humor and stepping out of the situation helps us cope. It also helps our kids by lifting some of the doom-and-gloom atmosphere. Especially with young kids, if you act overwhelmed by this problem, Henry will likely pick this up. You can go back through the archives and find posts from me five years ago, just a few months after my child's onset of OCD. I guarantee they are not calm at all, I was devastated and desperate, and in constant " emergency mode. " Back then I wondered the same thing as you, and thought my child must have some different type of OCD than the others' on this list did. I couldn't begin to fathom how the folks responding to my posts were on such an even keel if they were dealing with what I was dealing with in my child. > I seem to be picking up that other things are now bothering him like he has gone particular about drinking after somebody else from the same bottle (because of their germs), this never bothered him before, and he is always complaing regularly about labels in clothes itching, again something he has never done before. *****I was so depressed when the scales fell from my eyes and I realized how many obsessions and compulsions my child had. > Also today when he was told he was being taken to the zoo, he really cried because he said he was so happy, is this a normal reaction for a seven year old, or aren't they just really excited about things they love doing. It is difficult to not look for OCD symptoms in everything yet try not miss anything that may be an OCD symptom, if that makes sense. *****I can't really say how this is related to OCD except that my child's emotions have been set on " high " since it hit. Crying for joy, or being moved to tears by slow stately music, I thought were just expressions until Kel began doing these things following OCD onset. > Well moan over, they say a problem shared is a problem halved, so thank you for sharing my fustration. It will all probably look a lot better in the morning. thanks again for the support i have had from the group *****You are welcome :-) Did you ever get hold of Obsessive Action? Since it is based in Britian they should be a great source of info, doctor suggestions and perhaps even a way to hook up with other families with OCD kids. I looked at the site and they had a great page about OCD in kids that perhaps could sway your specialist's opinion about treatment and etc. or help in explaining the disorder to friends and family. (((((Hugs))))) Kathy R. in Indiana Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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