Re: OCD & Paranoia

[Guest guest]

I don't have enough experience with paranoia to say if your son's

experience qualifies, but I do know that closing the blinds, not

sitting by a window, etc. is one of my FIL's " OCD things " . His

secretiveness about all sorts of stuff helped hide his OCD for years.

I think your therapist's reaction is outrageous, totally

inappropriate for dealing with someone in such a crisis. I would

start looking for someone new ASAP. Maybe even complain to some

governing board (is she a social worker? psychologist?) if you have

the energy after dealing with OCD.

I hope things get better soon...Sandy

[Guest guest]

I bet you hate this!! It's horrible to watch your child suffer.

I think I'd go see a child psychiatrist (has he been diagnosed by one?) or if

that's not an option, then an experienced adult psychiatrist. While your

son's worries about murderous types my be OCD, it is pretty severe for a child

who

has been on medication and in therapy for three months. If nothing else, a

thorough review of his treatment would be worthwhile. I would also get a new

therapist. You should see results within five sessions or so if the therapist

knows what he/she is doing.

The behavior you describe of your son feeling as if he is going to crawl out

of his skin, and thrashing his head back and forth must be very scary. It

sounds to me as if he might be having a reaction to the increased medication. At

any rate, that is not a normal reaction to anxiety and I'd want it checked out,

if it was my child.

Let us know how things progress, and don't let the that therapist put you

off. If a therapist doesn't work with you, find another. You need all the help

you can get in this battle!!

in NV

[Guest guest]

Thank you all for the kind responses.

We continue to be told we need to give the Lexapro more time, the

latest increase only being a week old.

DW & I absolutely intend to put the doc & therapist on the spot at

next week's appt. If they are too busy to help us help him, then

they need to refer us to someone else or something. As I wrote

previously, the psych/med doc came highly recommended by peers from

the local chapter of the OC Foundation.

The therapist is a nurse who has been working with the psych with OCD

kids for the past 2-3 years.

I understand their case load is increasing, but I try to only call

during office hours and only when DS is having an extreme crisis we

don't feel capable of handling. We don't feel like we have the tools

or knowledge to get him through and usually hit max. dosages on his

meds. During yesterday's worst time, she gave him 3mg of Xanax, a

dose that should put him to sleep fairly quickly. It managed to calm

him down enough and make him amenable, but he still was up until

9.30p, when the Seroquel kicked in to put him to sleep. 3mg Xanax is

our max. daily dose and heaven help us if its not enough.

I work an hour from home and DW is usually dealing with this alone

and calling me for support.

Thanks, again, for being here.

[Guest guest]

My son is 24 and was put on Xanax (along with Risperdal and Celexa) when his

OCD started 3 years ago. He is now off the Xanax, but he was only on a .25

and had to be weaned off of it. I would just caution you and ask the doctor.

It can be a miracle drug for short term usage in reducing anxiety, however,

it can make the anxiety level worse once it starts getting out of their

system and the ocd will skyrocket. Good luck- there is nothing worse than

seeing your child suffer and feeling so helpless. Sheila W.

Re: OCD & Paranoia

> Thank you all for the kind responses.

>

> We continue to be told we need to give the Lexapro more time, the

> latest increase only being a week old.

>

> DW & I absolutely intend to put the doc & therapist on the spot at

> next week's appt. If they are too busy to help us help him, then

> they need to refer us to someone else or something. As I wrote

> previously, the psych/med doc came highly recommended by peers from

> the local chapter of the OC Foundation.

>

> The therapist is a nurse who has been working with the psych with OCD

> kids for the past 2-3 years.

>

> I understand their case load is increasing, but I try to only call

> during office hours and only when DS is having an extreme crisis we

> don't feel capable of handling. We don't feel like we have the tools

> or knowledge to get him through and usually hit max. dosages on his

> meds. During yesterday's worst time, she gave him 3mg of Xanax, a

> dose that should put him to sleep fairly quickly. It managed to calm

> him down enough and make him amenable, but he still was up until

> 9.30p, when the Seroquel kicked in to put him to sleep. 3mg Xanax is

> our max. daily dose and heaven help us if its not enough.

>

> I work an hour from home and DW is usually dealing with this alone

> and calling me for support.

>

> Thanks, again, for being here.

>

>

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[Guest guest]

Hi, the paranoia-type symptoms are familiar to me from my OCD child, I do

think they are common enough in OCD kids. It doesn't matter that you don't

live in a violent area, OCD can still make your son terrified of *not

knowing for sure* that no one will shoot through your windows or etc. This

is my experience, I am not a doctor just another parent.

It's long past time to move on from this therapist IMO. Three months is way

too long to not see any improvement in your son's anxiety level and OCD

symptoms, indeed he is worse you say. If the therapist was being effective,

I might be more conflicted about putting up with her attitude, but the fact

that your son is no better makes moving on a no-brainer. This therapist

*is* busy--blaming your son's anxiety for the fact that she hasn't engaged

him in therapy (duh, you are seeing her to have your son's anxiety disorder

treated), and you for being a phone pest because your family is living with

escalating, untreated OCD--a situation she has helped create by not treating

your son and not providing a referral since she was unable to benefit him.

Folks! It is the responsibility of the helping professionals we consult to

treat our kids!! If they accept our child as a patient, it is their

responsibility to treat them. As parents we do not have to shoulder the

responsibility of balancing our kids' meds or engage them in therapy. (Yes

we can be very helpful by accurately reporting effects and side effects, and

supporting therapy by easing out of participating in rituals and assisting

in homework.) If a doctor can't or won't prescribe medications to

successfully reduce your kid's symptoms, or a therapist can't or won't

provide effective CBT/ERP, move on. You wouldn't keep taking your car to a

mechanic who couldn't get it running, would you?? :-)

OK, end of rant...

My daughter also had the uncomfortable skin sensations. Some kids do

actually engage in self-harm ex. scratching, pulling at their skin,

pinching, cutting. I would be most suspicious this was a med-side effect

since that was our experience, but I am not a doctor. Did it start abruptly

shortly after a med change or dose increase? In any case it is something to

report to his prescribing doctor, and of course in the meanwhile do what you

need to do to keep him safe.

I hate OCD too, but truly it is livable once adequately treated. Once your

son and your family experience some effective treatment, OCD and anxiety

will never again get the drop on you the way it has this time. There's

nothing like knowing the enemy and knowing through experience how to

vanquish it, to bring normality back to your lives.

Kathy R. in Indiana

----- Original Message -----

> Continuing to get worse and unable to even attempt therapy,

> relaxation, bossing or any of it, DS seems to be drifting into

> paranoia, i.e. won't sit near a window, wants all the blinds

> closed...he's absolutely convinced that a mysterious " someone " is

> either going to break into our house and murder him or shoot him

> through one of the windows. We do NOT live in a violent area.

>

> Is this the OCD or is he drifting into real paranoia and something

> else?

>

> Side note: We're beginning to lose faith in his current therapist.

> Its been 3 months and all we've done is lose ground. His fears and

> anxiety are greater now than ever. DW spent 10-15 min. yesterday

> explaining how and why it was impossible for a shark to be in the

> bath water he drew for himself and was sitting in. We live in SW

> PA...hardly shark encounter territory.

>

> Current daily meds:

>

> 40mg Lexapro (started @ 10mg back in Nov., been on 40 for a week)

> 75mg Seroquel (just started this two days ago to help get him to

> sleep)

>

> Yesterday he had a crisis feeling like he needed to rip his skin off,

> repeated saying he was going crazy and he didn't know if he was doing

> all this on purpose, twisting his head from side to side...horrible

> scary stuff.

>

> Called the therapist that we just saw yesterday morning and she

> seemed annoyed that I was calling. She commented yesterday about how

> busy she is and made a sort of off-hand remark about how much I call

> which is usually when he's in that sate of mind and we don't know

> what to do with him or how to help him.

>

> I HATE THIS!!!