hand washing

[Guest guest]

My soon to be 5 yod is washing her hands so much more than she

usually does. She started it a couple of weeks ago and it has

increased. Her hands are red and sore. I got some special cream

from Kay that we are using. But I need to get her to stop this

compulsion. She touches the floor, her arm pit, anything she has to

go wash her hands. She has also started changing her panties again

multiple times a day (they are wet she says). She got up Sunday with

a runny nose and cough, which has probably made it even worse now.

She is doing better though as far as the runny nose and cough,

whatever it was never really got her down sick. Which we can not use

the word " sick " around her.

We ran out of the soft soap in the bathroom, so she came into the

kitchen to wash her hands and I was able to stop her from doing it.

(She didn't need to wash them, I ask her why she was washing them). I

think I will not keep any softsoap in the bathroom and just in the

kitchen and then I can monitor and maybe try to stop her again

washing them so much. Anyone have any other ideas or think this

might work?

I can see she is having a hard time " bossing back " the OCD lately. I

don't know why, but she is not wanting to like she usually does.

Nikkie

Nanette

[Guest guest]

Hi, just a thought since you said the word " lately " regarding the

increased handwashing plus her cough/cold.

I think some kids OCD behaviors tend to increase when sick. And

since illness can take a few days to actually show symptoms (cough,

etc.) the increased OCD behaviors can show earlier; and unfortunately

can sometimes stay later than the illness!

Whenever runs a fever, even with no other sick symptoms, his

OCD picks up pace. He actually hasn't had a bad cold for me to note

any changes though. And the strep he got last year really increased

his OCD although he did run a fever with it.

Anyway, just a thought that perhaps your daughter's increased OCD

might settle back down in a few weeks if her illness might be the

cause.

Which reminds me....I THINK there was a post here not too long ago

about cold medicine or something NOT to give our kids who take an

SSRI, some " ingredient " in some cold meds (or was it pain killers)

shouldn't really be taken with an SSRI. I'll have to search the

archives on that later!

Keep us updated!

> My soon to be 5 yod is washing her hands so much more than she

> usually does. She started it a couple of weeks ago and it has

> increased. Her hands are red and sore. I got some special cream

> from Kay that we are using. But I need to get her to stop

this

>

[Guest guest]

For in Houston:

Are you familiar with the Minninger (sp?) clinic in Houston? Do they have any

intensive out-patient therapy for OCD?

Tex in Canada

Re: hand washing

Your daughter is only 5 yoa. OCD is a brain disorder. Five yoa was too

young for my daughter, now 10 to be able to talk back to OCD without the help

of

prozac. At her peak, she was handwashing 35-40 times a day. My daughter

would

hold herself together at school and fall apart at home. She would literally

save up her compulsions until she was in a safe environment. She also would

try really hard not to wash when she went to her dad's for the weekend.

Again,

she would save up her compulsions for me, because it was a safe environment.

The OCD was not my little girl. At 10 yoa she is on 60 mg prozac and hand

washing is not a problem. Every so often she gets stuck on an idea or a

behavior and has a hard time moving on or focusing on her work, but she's

doing

great.

Also, changing clothes may drive some moms and dads crazy, but you know it's

only clothes. Loving your child and taking on the battles you must for their

safety are really the most important, I feel. So what if my child wears the

same clothes to bed that she wore all day, or would not take her socks off to

get into the bathtub. (BTW, the socks eventually did come off before the bath

was over). We need to help our children for the long term, the battle over

the socks one night won't matter next week, or tomorrow. in Houston

[Guest guest]

HI :

Sounds like your beloved daughter is having a waxing of her symptoms

right now. Is she getting regular E & RP? A skilled therapist will be

able to develop a hierarchy of symptoms and teach her how to tackle

them in a progressive way.

As she knows she has been able to boss back in the past you can let

her know that maybe right now is a tougher time and good times will

be around the corner and she will be able to do this again. Giving

rewards/bribes has also been known to help kids boss back their OCD.

Good luck, take care, aloha, kathy (h)

kathy.hi@...

> My soon to be 5 yod is washing her hands so much more than she

> usually does. She started it a couple of weeks ago and it has

> increased. Her hands are red and sore. I got some special cream

> from Kay that we are using. But I need to get her to stop

this

> compulsion. She touches the floor, her arm pit, anything she has

to

> go wash her hands. She has also started changing her panties again

> multiple times a day (they are wet she says). She got up Sunday

with

> a runny nose and cough, which has probably made it even worse now.

> She is doing better though as far as the runny nose and cough,

> whatever it was never really got her down sick. Which we can not

use

> the word " sick " around her.

> We ran out of the soft soap in the bathroom, so she came into the

> kitchen to wash her hands and I was able to stop her from doing it.

> (She didn't need to wash them, I ask her why she was washing them).

I

> think I will not keep any softsoap in the bathroom and just in the

> kitchen and then I can monitor and maybe try to stop her again

> washing them so much. Anyone have any other ideas or think this

> might work?

> I can see she is having a hard time " bossing back " the OCD lately.

I

> don't know why, but she is not wanting to like she usually does.

>

>

> Nikkie

> Nanette