New to group

[Guest guest]

Hi, Jas and welcome. What a wonderful daughter you have! I am so impressed

that she was able to diagnose herself! I have two daughters with OCD--

(11) was diagnosed at seven (after being very " different " her whole life " ) and

Hannah (13) who was diagnosed at eleven. We were struggling with when

Hannah had her onset and she managed to hide it from us for a year too! I have

OCD as well (so do many family members) and I still wonder how I missed it!

The important thing is that when your daughter came to you, you believed her

and did what was necessary to help her. How awesome is that? She is a lucky

girl. Don't blame yourself for passing it on to her--I know how you feel but

it isn't your fault. I know that I am the reason my girls have OCD but I know

that I am not the blame. We would never intentionally do this to our kids!

My youngest one is also cross-eyed and she got that from me too. Genetically

speaking, I wasn't very considerate as far as is concerned. Our children

not only inherit our weaknesses, they inherit our strengths as well. It is

your strength that has brought her to where she is now. Good luck with the

therapy and pat yourself on the back--you are doing the right things. Kelley in

NV

[Guest guest]

Hi Jas,

Welcome, glad you found this group!

I have a 15 yr old son whom OCD began for back in 6th grade; he's now

in 10th grade. I found this group not long after his behaviors

began, and it has been the BEST support for me since!

My son's OCD at least comes from my side of the family (don't know

enough about my ex's side to determine if he got it from both). I've

always had OCD tendencies, my mom definitely has them. I told my son

where I feel it came from and that " I'm sorry, you just seem to have

got hit full force! " He also had had the " tendencies " at a younger

age but in 6th grade suddenly had OCD 24/7 and severe.

Well I'm so glad your daughter felt she could now open up about it!

With my son's compulsions and meltdowns, he wasn't able to hide it.

Don't feel guilt that you couldn't pick up on it. I went thru a few

OCD episodes (like the counting, a bit about germs) as a teen, but

they were short-lived. I don't think any of it would have been

obvious to anyone in my family, it was so much more internal and

those type things are easy to hide.

How great that you've got someone experienced to help her with CBT.

And since your daughter has sought help, you know she is motivated to

conquer this, that'll be such a huge help in her therapy! We weren't

lucky enough to have anyone near experienced and have dealt with it

all on our own (and the help of this group!).

As we say, there really is a light at the end of this tunnel, things

will improve!! Please keep us updated on how things go, with the

appt, at home, etc.

Again, welcome!

single mom, 3 sons

, 15, with OCD, dysgraphia and Aspergers

, 15, nonidentical twin (OCD tendencies)

Randall, 19 (OCD tendencies)

> Hi,

> I'm new here. My fourteen year old daughter recently told me

and

> my husband that she has OCD. She diagnosed herself after reading

> about a character with OCD in a book with symptoms like hers, then

> looked it up on the internet. That happened about a year ago and

[Guest guest]

Jas:

You're still in the shock and grief stage. But you will get through that.

Thank God, you discovered the OCD while your sweet daughter is still at home and

you have ample years to help her learn to cope. Maybe your gene pool aided the

OCD issues in her life. . . but think of all the things she DOESN'T have to deal

with b/c she is YOUR daughter. She has some great genes, too. We are telling

ourselves (with our ll year old son) that if he can learn at these young years

the discipline and fortitude to fight back OCD, think how far ahead he'll be in

the game of life. So many adults are still victims of their circumstances and

have not learned be be proactive to find solutions to help their lives.

With God's help and with the parents on this list, experienced professionals and

strong family support, you will get through this, too.

Be encouraged,

new to group

Hi,

I'm new here. My fourteen year old daughter recently told me and

my husband that she has OCD. She diagnosed herself after reading

about a character with OCD in a book with symptoms like hers, then

looked it up on the internet. That happened about a year ago and she

has been keeping it a secret since then. She says that she has been

this way for as long as she can remember. She has symmetry issues,

counting rituals, and germ issues among others. My heart breaks for

her that she has been keeping this inside for so long. My husband and

I have been trying to figure out for years what is up with her. She

has been easily frustrated and quick to anger, and it has been

disruptive to the family, although this has improved as she has

matured. She is mildly ADD as well, although she still does well in

school, as she is also intellectually gifted.

I immediately took her to my son's (he is ADHD) psychiatrist who

sent her to a CBT specialist and we had our first appointment.

Although I am hopelul that it will be helpful, I have been very sad.

The OCD predisposition comes from my side of the family, my dad and I

both have some symptoms. I feel guilt for the genes and guilt that I

didn't pick up on the OCD given my family history. I feel sad that

she has been facing this by herself for so long, thinking that she has

had to be alone, although I understand because I have often felt this

way myself.

I have been reading these posts for about a week, and you all are

very supportive. Thanks for listening.

Jas

Our list archives, bookmarks, files, and chat feature may be accessed at:

http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group// .

Our list advisors are Gail B. , Ed.D., Tamar Chansky, Ph.D., Aureen Pinto

Wagner, Ph.D., and Dan Geller, M.D. Our list moderators are Birkhan,

Castle, Fowler, Kathy Hammes, Joye, Kathy Mac, Gail

Pesses, and Kathy . Subscription issues or suggestions may be

addressed to Louis Harkins, list owner, at louisharkins@... ,

louisharkins@... , louisharkins@... .

[Guest guest]

Hi,

I know how hard it is to physically do everything for your daughter;

I was there a few weeks ago with my 7 year old. They are

surprisingly strong at that age, too! I take it the OCD was bad at

school, too, and that's why you took her out? Have you started the

CBT yet?

We are doing better with my daughter, she can get dressed on her own

now, but not on school mornings. I think if she could wake up on her

own and then have a good 2 hours before school she could manage, but

she just can't seem to handle a morning routine. She also has (for

now) eliminated the bathroom saga - we never had a handwashing

problem, it was more hand " drying " .

Hang in there, don't give up on the meds or therapy, it can get worse

before things get better. Good luck!

nna.

NY

>

> My six year old daughter has severe OCD to the point that we have

> recently had to take her out of school. We are lucky to have a

very

> good CBT program at a local university avivalable to us. We spent

> several months with a therapist to no avail. She has had OCD since

> she was 3 and a half years old. Our life is nuts right now. We

have

> to physically remove her from the bathroom and I'm sure I don't

have

> to tell you how distressing that is. Some days we have to

physically

> dress her to be able to make it to therapy. We have recently

started

> her on 25mg. of luvox daily. The medication made her too restless

to

> fall asleep so we have switched to afternoon dosage. Some days are

> better that others but we are trying to take one day at a time. It

> is so comforting to have found this group. Sometimes as parents,

we

> feel so all alone.

[Guest guest]

Hi,

I know how hard it is to physically do everything for your daughter;

I was there a few weeks ago with my 7 year old. They are

surprisingly strong at that age, too! I take it the OCD was bad at

school, too, and that's why you took her out? Have you started the

CBT yet?

We are doing better with my daughter, she can get dressed on her own

now, but not on school mornings. I think if she could wake up on her

own and then have a good 2 hours before school she could manage, but

she just can't seem to handle a morning routine. She also has (for

now) eliminated the bathroom saga - we never had a handwashing

problem, it was more hand " drying " .

Hang in there, don't give up on the meds or therapy, it can get worse

before things get better. Good luck!

nna.

NY

>

> My six year old daughter has severe OCD to the point that we have

> recently had to take her out of school. We are lucky to have a

very

> good CBT program at a local university avivalable to us. We spent

> several months with a therapist to no avail. She has had OCD since

> she was 3 and a half years old. Our life is nuts right now. We

have

> to physically remove her from the bathroom and I'm sure I don't

have

> to tell you how distressing that is. Some days we have to

physically

> dress her to be able to make it to therapy. We have recently

started

> her on 25mg. of luvox daily. The medication made her too restless

to

> fall asleep so we have switched to afternoon dosage. Some days are

> better that others but we are trying to take one day at a time. It

> is so comforting to have found this group. Sometimes as parents,

we

> feel so all alone.

[Guest guest]

Hi,

I know how hard it is to physically do everything for your daughter;

I was there a few weeks ago with my 7 year old. They are

surprisingly strong at that age, too! I take it the OCD was bad at

school, too, and that's why you took her out? Have you started the

CBT yet?

We are doing better with my daughter, she can get dressed on her own

now, but not on school mornings. I think if she could wake up on her

own and then have a good 2 hours before school she could manage, but

she just can't seem to handle a morning routine. She also has (for

now) eliminated the bathroom saga - we never had a handwashing

problem, it was more hand " drying " .

Hang in there, don't give up on the meds or therapy, it can get worse

before things get better. Good luck!

nna.

NY

>

> My six year old daughter has severe OCD to the point that we have

> recently had to take her out of school. We are lucky to have a

very

> good CBT program at a local university avivalable to us. We spent

> several months with a therapist to no avail. She has had OCD since

> she was 3 and a half years old. Our life is nuts right now. We

have

> to physically remove her from the bathroom and I'm sure I don't

have

> to tell you how distressing that is. Some days we have to

physically

> dress her to be able to make it to therapy. We have recently

started

> her on 25mg. of luvox daily. The medication made her too restless

to

> fall asleep so we have switched to afternoon dosage. Some days are

> better that others but we are trying to take one day at a time. It

> is so comforting to have found this group. Sometimes as parents,

we

> feel so all alone.

[Guest guest]

Thanks for your support. We took her out of school because she

couldn't get out of the bathroom. Also, she couldn;t get dressed in

the morning. Just like your daughter the morning routine is

unmanageable right now. We have started the CBT and medication and

we are seeing progress. My daughter doesn't have a handwashing

ritual - it is a wiping ritual. She is now able to get herself out

of the bathroom after about 15-20 minutes and a roll of toilet

paper. The dressing part is still a challenge. We are trying to

take one day at a time and hoping for the best.

Kathy

GA

[Guest guest]

Your mesaage was so good to hear. It's like reading the words from

my own head. When my daughter wears clothes at home during the day

or anything to bed at night we get excited. It's inspiring to hear

about your niece on the " other side " . It gives me hope that maybe

that's were we are headed one day.

Some days I wake up and I think I just don;t want to be a parent of

an OCD child today, I just don;t have the energy. But then I muddle

through and the next day is better. The good news is I can look to

my daughter for inspiration. She is so brave and works so hard!

One thing we have done that seems to help her is to reward her with

really small gifts after a particularly hard therapy session (we're

doing 2 hours every day). Nothing big, just little things like a new

jump rope, a family pillow fight, a family board game, a new sticker

book. It really seems to help and we can see that she appreciates

it. I also use rewards to motivate her to " boss back " OCD. For

instance, if she gets herself out of the bathroom she gets 10 minutes

of play time with Mommy. That sort of thing. It's surprising how

motivating that can be.

THank God for this group and for people like you!

Kathy in GA

age 6 - OCD

[Guest guest]

Your mesaage was so good to hear. It's like reading the words from

my own head. When my daughter wears clothes at home during the day

or anything to bed at night we get excited. It's inspiring to hear

about your niece on the " other side " . It gives me hope that maybe

that's were we are headed one day.

Some days I wake up and I think I just don;t want to be a parent of

an OCD child today, I just don;t have the energy. But then I muddle

through and the next day is better. The good news is I can look to

my daughter for inspiration. She is so brave and works so hard!

One thing we have done that seems to help her is to reward her with

really small gifts after a particularly hard therapy session (we're

doing 2 hours every day). Nothing big, just little things like a new

jump rope, a family pillow fight, a family board game, a new sticker

book. It really seems to help and we can see that she appreciates

it. I also use rewards to motivate her to " boss back " OCD. For

instance, if she gets herself out of the bathroom she gets 10 minutes

of play time with Mommy. That sort of thing. It's surprising how

motivating that can be.

THank God for this group and for people like you!

Kathy in GA

age 6 - OCD

[Guest guest]

Hi Kathy, and belated welcome to the group! In answer to your question

about SSRI effects, most usually I've read 6 weeks to 2 months to have a

good idea of how well (or not) a particular SSRI is going to reduce OCD in a

certain person. Some people see results much sooner than that. I can also

say that in my child, when we finally did find the right SSRI, the positive

effects kept escalating far past the 2 month mark. I do not know how common

that is, but it was a very welcome bonus after trialing and rejecting three

previous SSRIs!

My daughter had an abrupt onset at age four, she is a PANDAS kid--one whose

OCD was kicked off nearly overnight following a strep infection. Have you

considered PANDAS in your daughter? You saying your daughter's onset was

like someone flipped a switch made me think of this possibility. Mine has

been continuously medicated since onset, although these days takes only one

SSRI (for a few years was on a combo of two), and we were able to drop

Risperdal (an atypical antipsychotic prescribed to quiet tics and impulsive

behavior) over a year ago. She's 10 now, will be 11 in January.

At least as important as the right SSRI was finding a competent therapist to

do effective Cognitive Behavior Therapy with Exposure and Response

Prevention. The two interventions together gave her low and stable

symptoms, no more dramatic roller-coaster waxing and waning episodes. I

highly recommend this type of therapy for young kids, though I know from

experience that it can be tough to say the least to find a good therapist

who will accept young children. If your daughter is receiving some other

sort of therapy, or if she is supposedly in CBT/ERP but you do not notice a

reduction in her symptoms, you may want to continue the search to find

someone effective.

Anyway, please know that many of us have been where you and your family are

right now in taming this OCD monster. I know things can seem overwhelming

and bleak in the beginning, and waiting around for an SSRI to kick in and

provide relief for your child is excruciating, but you and she can look

forward to much improvement in the next several months.

Take care, again welcome,

Kathy R. in Indiana

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

> Yes, this is really the most severe her OCD has ever been. Like I

> said she has had it since she was 3 and a half but not nearly to this

> extent. It was as if one day a switch was flipped.

>

> My daughter does miss school. She has always done well in school and

> enjoyed it a lot. I think she really looks forward to getting back,

> or at least she says she does.

>

> Luvox is the first med we've tried. Not sure yet how it is working.

> She's only been taking it for 9 days. I;ve heard so many different

> verions of when we should see the effects? We have noticed that it

> makes her restless, so we had to switch her to an early afternoon

> dose instead of at night.

>

> Thanks so much for you support.

>

> Kathy in GA

> 6 yrs - OCD

[Guest guest]

Hi Kathy, I should have mentioned in my first post that my daughter had

these very same issues. Instead of taking her out of school we just got up

very early to accommodate the rituals, then were able to sleep later and

later as they resolved with SSRI and later, ERP.

These are common ones in the little kids with OCD. Does your daughter wipe

to feel clean, or does she obsess that more urine is there and needs to come

out?

My daughter's dressing problems were solved with ERP--slowly acclimating to

each problematic piece of clothing by wearing it first one minute, then two

and so on until the bad feelings subsided. Others have had luck in

addressing this problem through Occupational Therapy. You might approach

her school, she may qualify for this type of therapy through them since her

inability to get dressed is interfering with her ability to attend school.

Good luck, it sounds like your daughter is on her way.

Kathy R. in Indiana

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

> Thanks for your support. We took her out of school because she

> couldn't get out of the bathroom. Also, she couldn;t get dressed in

> the morning. Just like your daughter the morning routine is

> unmanageable right now. We have started the CBT and medication and

> we are seeing progress. My daughter doesn't have a handwashing

> ritual - it is a wiping ritual. She is now able to get herself out

> of the bathroom after about 15-20 minutes and a roll of toilet

> paper. The dressing part is still a challenge. We are trying to

> take one day at a time and hoping for the best.

>

> Kathy

> GA

[Guest guest]

I read the teenager book " Kissing Doorknobs " a couple weeks ago and

loved it - this weekend I read " Second Star to the Right " and liked

it, too though it is about anorexia, not ocd.

I read " Not as Crazy as I Look " and though I liked it, I'm not likely

to recommend it - It's about an older teenage boy with ocd - It's

hard for me to relate to him since my son is 13. . .

The characters of the other two books are younger....early teens.

>

> Hi,

> Im new to the group. I have been reading over comments and I cant

> believe how alike most of us are! I have a thirteen yr old

daughter

> with ocd-anxiety-depression...diagnosed about 16 months ago. She

is

> on meds and has put on alot of weight the past 6 months. Probably

> from the meds and plus she is at that age. Anyway she is very

upset

> about it so her and I together are working out and watching what we

> eat. We were talking about what foods we " have to have " and she

> just said to me the other night that she craves carbs. I couldnt

> believe that when I read on the forum from one of the moms about

how

> OCD kids crave carbs....had my daughter read it and it made her

feel

> better.

> Everything that I have been reading we have been through....I would

> like names of books if anyone has any. My daughter loves to read

and

> knowing she is not alone helps. Latley she has be up and down. I

> have spoken to Diamond and he feels her meds need

adjusting.

> Has anyone checked out the kids support group?

> Thank you

> Shirley

[Guest guest]

Hi Shirley,

Welcome to the list. I know that you'll find lots of support here. I also have

a 13 yr. old daughter. I am the moderator for the OCDKids group. It was

originally set up for kids 12 and under but we do have a few 13 yr. olds as

well. The kids list tends to be fairly quiet. Usually if someone does post a

message it will get a few responses and then be quiet again for a while. For

safety reasons, messages are reviewed before they are forwarded to the kids.

Please feel free to contact me if you have particular questions. I understand

there is also a teen list but I don't know much about that one.

Kathy

new to group

Hi,

Im new to the group. I have been reading over comments and I cant

believe how alike most of us are! I have a thirteen yr old daughter

with ocd-anxiety-depression...diagnosed about 16 months ago. She is

on meds and has put on alot of weight the past 6 months. Probably

from the meds and plus she is at that age. Anyway she is very upset

about it so her and I together are working out and watching what we

eat. We were talking about what foods we " have to have " and she

just said to me the other night that she craves carbs. I couldnt

believe that when I read on the forum from one of the moms about how

OCD kids crave carbs....had my daughter read it and it made her feel

better.

Everything that I have been reading we have been through....I would

like names of books if anyone has any. My daughter loves to read and

knowing she is not alone helps. Latley she has be up and down. I

have spoken to Diamond and he feels her meds need adjusting.

Has anyone checked out the kids support group?

Thank you

Shirley

Our list archives, bookmarks, files, and chat feature may be accessed at:

http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group// .

Our list advisors are Gail B. , Ed.D., Tamar Chansky, Ph.D.(

http://www.worrywisekids.org ), Dan Geller, M.D.,Aureen Pinto Wagner, Ph.D., (

http://www.lighthouse-press.com ). Our list moderators are Birkhan,

Castle, Fowler, Kathy Hammes, Joye, Kathy Mac, Gail

Pesses, and Kathy . Subscription issues or suggestions may be

addressed to Louis Harkins, list owner, at louisharkins@... ,

louisharkins@... , louisharkins@... .

[Guest guest]

Hi Shirley. Who's Diamond?

Mo

new to group

I have spoken to Diamond and he feels her meds need adjusting.

Has anyone checked out the kids support group?

Thank you

Shirley

[Guest guest]

Hi Shirley. Who's Diamond?

Mo

new to group

I have spoken to Diamond and he feels her meds need adjusting.

Has anyone checked out the kids support group?

Thank you

Shirley

[Guest guest]

---Maureen,

Diamond is an illustionist who was on the Jane ey show

that was about OCD. He has written books and launced the OCD/Amxiety

Awareness foundation. He is full of info and willing to help

anyone. His web site is www.attackanxiety.com In

, " Maureen s "

<maureenpeters@r...> wrote:

> Hi Shirley. Who's Diamond?

>

> Mo

> new to group

>

> I have spoken to Diamond and he feels her meds need

adjusting.

> Has anyone checked out the kids support group?

> Thank you

> Shirley

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Thanks. Now I remember him from the show.

Mo

Re: new to group

---Maureen,

Diamond is an illustionist who was on the Jane ey show

that was about OCD. He has written books and launced the OCD/Amxiety

Awareness foundation. He is full of info and willing to help

anyone. His web site is www.attackanxiety.com In

, " Maureen s "

<maureenpeters@r...> wrote:

[Guest guest]

Thanks. Now I remember him from the show.

Mo

Re: new to group

---Maureen,

Diamond is an illustionist who was on the Jane ey show

that was about OCD. He has written books and launced the OCD/Amxiety

Awareness foundation. He is full of info and willing to help

anyone. His web site is www.attackanxiety.com In

, " Maureen s "

<maureenpeters@r...> wrote:

[Guest guest]

Thanks. Now I remember him from the show.

Mo

Re: new to group

---Maureen,

Diamond is an illustionist who was on the Jane ey show

that was about OCD. He has written books and launced the OCD/Amxiety

Awareness foundation. He is full of info and willing to help

anyone. His web site is www.attackanxiety.com In

, " Maureen s "

<maureenpeters@r...> wrote:

[Guest guest]

Hi welcome!

Is Risperdal the only medication he's taking? I know others have

said it's one that puts on a lot of weight on most people. It seems

I've read that there might be some medication to add to that to

counter the weight gain(?), if the Risperdal is doing fine otherwise

and you don't want to change.

I have a son (16) who OCD seemed to strike overnight back when he

began 6th grade. But, like you, I saw other OCD behaviors at a

younger age. They just weren't really a problem for us. Suddenly in

6th he began getting 24/7 compulsions, etc. Tough year for us all

but we survived!! He's much better now, OCD is there but manageable

and not interfering with the entire family so much.

Does your son understand about OCD? I assume so since he's seeing

someone. When you mention behavior, I guess you're talking about

outbursts due to his OCD? could have some huge crying

meltdowns over things. Mostly when his compulsions/rituals were

lasting WAY too long because he couldn't get them " right " or

whatever.

He managed to hold things together at school or out in the community

pretty well. " Home " was where it all came out though. However, if

someone was over visiting, he managed to do well too. When they

left, his OCD seemed worse sometimes from holding back.

Well, got to get back to work. This support group is a tremendous

help and source of information, especially when you're in the midst

of dealing with OCD!

single mom, 3 sons

, 16, with OCD, dysgraphia and Aspergers

>

> Hello Everyone,

> I'm new to this group, just joined today. I have an eight year old

> son with OCD. It has been a tough couple of years. His OCD didn't

> come out completely until my husband and I split up a little over

two

> years ago. When I first noticed that my son had a touch of OCD, he

> was about 4 or 5. He started with hoarding. My father in law used

> to call him " pockets " because he always had his pockets stuffed

with

[Guest guest]

Hi welcome!

Is Risperdal the only medication he's taking? I know others have

said it's one that puts on a lot of weight on most people. It seems

I've read that there might be some medication to add to that to

counter the weight gain(?), if the Risperdal is doing fine otherwise

and you don't want to change.

I have a son (16) who OCD seemed to strike overnight back when he

began 6th grade. But, like you, I saw other OCD behaviors at a

younger age. They just weren't really a problem for us. Suddenly in

6th he began getting 24/7 compulsions, etc. Tough year for us all

but we survived!! He's much better now, OCD is there but manageable

and not interfering with the entire family so much.

Does your son understand about OCD? I assume so since he's seeing

someone. When you mention behavior, I guess you're talking about

outbursts due to his OCD? could have some huge crying

meltdowns over things. Mostly when his compulsions/rituals were

lasting WAY too long because he couldn't get them " right " or

whatever.

He managed to hold things together at school or out in the community

pretty well. " Home " was where it all came out though. However, if

someone was over visiting, he managed to do well too. When they

left, his OCD seemed worse sometimes from holding back.

Well, got to get back to work. This support group is a tremendous

help and source of information, especially when you're in the midst

of dealing with OCD!

single mom, 3 sons

, 16, with OCD, dysgraphia and Aspergers

>

> Hello Everyone,

> I'm new to this group, just joined today. I have an eight year old

> son with OCD. It has been a tough couple of years. His OCD didn't

> come out completely until my husband and I split up a little over

two

> years ago. When I first noticed that my son had a touch of OCD, he

> was about 4 or 5. He started with hoarding. My father in law used

> to call him " pockets " because he always had his pockets stuffed

with

[Guest guest]

Thank you for your reply. I have ordered some books on the OCD for

kids so I am waiting for them. It just seems that after being

diagnosed with OCD for almost two years now, that everyday there is a

new OCD thing popping up. It can be so overwhelming. It has really

helped reading all these posts from other parents though. I feel a

little better about the Risperdal now, thanks.

Deana

> Hi, Deana and welcome to the group. This is actually a response to

several

> of your posts. Defiant behavior does not necessarily mean ODD--the

two

> disorders (OCD and ODD) are different. Kids who are just starting

treatment

> frequently have " rages " which are emotional temper tantrums caused

by brain overload.

> These should settle down once he responds to treatment. I agree

with Kathy,

> who posted about your son being on Risperdal and not an SSRI.

Risperdal is an

> antipsychotic used to stabilize the mood or to boost an SSRI. My

youngest

> daughter, , takes it along with Luvox. My other daughter,

Hannah, takes

> Abilify for the same reason. The Abilify is suppose to have a

lower likely to

> cause weight gain. Is there a reason your doctor has not put him on

an SSRI?

> As far as cause and blame: I think of OCD as a scratch and sniff--

the smell is

> there and when something scratches it, it really starts to stink.

I think a

> person is born with it (you saw signs of it when your son was four)

and

> sometimes traumatic events trigger it. For my kids (I have two

with OCD) it is

> physical trauma (Hannah had a ruptured appendix and broke her

leg and then

> her wrist.) As far as talking to your son about OCD--I wouldn't

hold back. I

> have found that if my kids don't have a particular compulsion or

obsession,

> telling them about someone else's does not encourage them to do

those things.

> It does make them realize how crazy the OCD can be and it makes

them more

> willing to talk about their own OCD. It has opened many

conversations for me to

> tell either of them something I have read. (Oh, by the way--I heard

about a new

> OCD thing...) Both of my kids have completely different OCD.

is all

> about thoughts and worries and verbal listing while Hannah is

really concerned

> about contamination, evenness, religous issues, and a whole slew

of other

> things. They don't pass different things on to each other at all.

I have OCD

> also and tends to be more like I am. Hannah is another story

and I have to

> really work at understanding her. You have found a great site

here. Kelley

> in NV

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Thank you for your reply. I have ordered some books on the OCD for

kids so I am waiting for them. It just seems that after being

diagnosed with OCD for almost two years now, that everyday there is a

new OCD thing popping up. It can be so overwhelming. It has really

helped reading all these posts from other parents though. I feel a

little better about the Risperdal now, thanks.

Deana

> Hi, Deana and welcome to the group. This is actually a response to

several

> of your posts. Defiant behavior does not necessarily mean ODD--the

two

> disorders (OCD and ODD) are different. Kids who are just starting

treatment

> frequently have " rages " which are emotional temper tantrums caused

by brain overload.

> These should settle down once he responds to treatment. I agree

with Kathy,

> who posted about your son being on Risperdal and not an SSRI.

Risperdal is an

> antipsychotic used to stabilize the mood or to boost an SSRI. My

youngest

> daughter, , takes it along with Luvox. My other daughter,

Hannah, takes

> Abilify for the same reason. The Abilify is suppose to have a

lower likely to

> cause weight gain. Is there a reason your doctor has not put him on

an SSRI?

> As far as cause and blame: I think of OCD as a scratch and sniff--

the smell is

> there and when something scratches it, it really starts to stink.

I think a

> person is born with it (you saw signs of it when your son was four)

and

> sometimes traumatic events trigger it. For my kids (I have two

with OCD) it is

> physical trauma (Hannah had a ruptured appendix and broke her

leg and then

> her wrist.) As far as talking to your son about OCD--I wouldn't

hold back. I

> have found that if my kids don't have a particular compulsion or

obsession,

> telling them about someone else's does not encourage them to do

those things.

> It does make them realize how crazy the OCD can be and it makes

them more

> willing to talk about their own OCD. It has opened many

conversations for me to

> tell either of them something I have read. (Oh, by the way--I heard

about a new

> OCD thing...) Both of my kids have completely different OCD.

is all

> about thoughts and worries and verbal listing while Hannah is

really concerned

> about contamination, evenness, religous issues, and a whole slew

of other

> things. They don't pass different things on to each other at all.

I have OCD

> also and tends to be more like I am. Hannah is another story

and I have to

> really work at understanding her. You have found a great site

here. Kelley

> in NV

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

> But now the doctor isn't sure she has OCD because she can't

> determine the reason my daughter believes she does what she does. 

> The doctor says usually if the child obsesses on something there is

> a reason they believe they have to do something or something bad

> will happen.  My daughter hasn't been able to verbalize what the bad

> thing that she believes will happen is. 

>

> My daughter also has been very hyper so we just took her off the

> Prozac.  Now the " bully " seems to be bothering her again full

> force.  She feels she can't make a decision about anything as " it

> might be a lie "   This includes telling us she loves us because it

> might be a lie.

>

> Sorry to make this so long but I am hoping someone out there has

> experienced some of the same issues.  We don't know if we are

> dealing with OCD or Oppositional Defiance Disorder (everything is a

> struggle) or a little of both.

>

>

I don't have a lot of time to right, but I feel compelled to answer

this. You are writing about my daughter and how she was at 8. Not the

same exact things, but the overall profile. We never identified it as

OCD until she was 11. She has never had specific " fears " that go with

the " just right " OCD. Even, for the most part, when it has involved

germs, she hasn't really expressed a fear of getting sick. But....the

hours of her crying hysterically because she couldn't get the bows on

her shoes even, or her sheets were crooked. The running to the

bathroom every 5 minutes because she had to pee, but nothing would come

out, and she might have to pee.

Especially if the prozac was helping, that would be a clue. My

daughter was able to dress for the first time without falling apart

when she started on zoloft. (We've since dropped it, but that's

another story).

Also, we were told it was ODD (oppositional ); but, outside of the

obsessive episodes, she's a normal cooperative kid. Bunk!! As we've

gotten the OCD in line, the oppositional behavior has gradually

reduced. We used Tamar Chansky's book, " Freeing your Child from

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder " to treat our son (who had more classic

OCD and is part of why we finally realized what it was with my

daughter), fairly effectively before we could find a good therapist.

I so wish that someone had let me know what atypical OCD could look

like in girls. It would have made a huge difference in our lives and

avoided several years of pure misery!!

Jeanne

jwestpha@...

NBCT - Exceptional Needs (2000)

[Guest guest]

Hi , welcome to the group...comments interspersed--

> My daughter just turned 8. She has always been a handfull. A few

> years ago we really started having problems with compulsive issues.

> We went to a therapist who basically made it seem like all of our

> issues were because I am a working parent and my husband and I

> didn't know how to properly discipline.

*****This is a common, wrong, old-school idea. OCD is a neurochemical brain

disorder. OCD is not caused by poor parenting and can not be cured by

expert parenting.

> Many of her issues revolved

> around the bathroom. She refused to learn how to wipe herself when

> she had a bm so she refused to go away from home. She would end up

> so constipated she would make herself physically ill. Other times

> she would go to the bathroom every 5 minutes to pee. She also had a

> fear of getting germs or boogers on things like tables and chairs at

> school. She was also always afraid of breaking or damaging things.

*****<I'm a mom of an OCD child, not a mh professional or doctor.> These

things you mention are very common in OCD: bathroom and elimination

obsessions and compulsions, contamination worries, etc. The peeing symptom

specifically is mentioned in the literature as associated with PANDAS

(Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with

Streptococcus)--infection-caused OCD. My child is a PANDAS child, now 11,

her disorder appeared overnight when she was 4 years, 11 months old. You

can check the files section or Google PANDAS to learn more about this.

> Things seemed to get better for awhile. Then it got bad again.

*****OCD is a waxing and waning disorder. Some of us think we've noticed

correlations to things such as worsenings in spring due to allergies, etc.

Waxing periods sometimes come on with extra stress (moving, new school,

etc.) or sometimes illness.

> She

> was having terrible tantrums. She also said she wished she was

> dead.

*****Children with untreated OCD may tantrum this way when their rituals

(compulsions) are interrupted or interfered with. OCDers do compulsions in

order to reduce their anxiety. When they are prevented for whatever reason,

the anxiety skyrockets causing perhaps anger, tears, etc.

> She also could not make a decision as she was afraid whatever

> she said was a lie.

*****OCD is nicknamed " the doubting disorder " due to this ongoing sense of

being unable to feel sure about things, which causes much distress and

frustration.

> So, we finally fought with insurance enough to

> go to a child physchiatrist. At first she diagnosed my daughter

> with OCD. We even went on Prosac but stayed at a very low dose.

*****SSRIs need to be dosed higher than for depression to treat OCD, even in

children.

> But now the doctor isn't sure she has OCD because she can't

> determine the reason my daughter believes she does what she does.

> The doctor says usually if the child obsesses on something there is

> a reason they believe they have to do something or something bad

> will happen. My daughter hasn't been able to verbalize what the bad

> thing that she believes will happen is.

*****The doctor is wrong. For one thing, your daughter may well know what

the bad thing is but won't discuss it because of the content. My child's

obsessions (bad things) had to do with wanting to kill me, cut out her eyes,

and sexual/elimination themes. Also a lot of OCD is " just right, just so "

without a specific bad thing to avoid, just that it is very uncomfortable to

not do things OCD's way. OCD is ego-dystonic, meaning even your child knows

these " beliefs " are not *her* beliefs and don't make any sense.

> My daughter also has been very hyper so we just took her off the

> Prozac.

*****Please don't rule out another SSRI for her based on this experience.

Prozac wasn't the one for my child either, it caused hyper and a host of

other side effects for her. Prozac is a great med for most, but one of the

pains of treating OCD with SSRIs is the process of trial and error to find a

good fit for a particular child.

> Now the " bully " seems to be bothering her again full

> force. She feels she can't make a decision about anything as " it

> might be a lie " This includes telling us she loves us because it

> might be a lie.

*****Common common common in OCD, as you'll discover if you read through the

archives. It seems plain to me that your child is suffering from OCD.

> Sorry to make this so long but I am hoping someone out there has

> experienced some of the same issues. We don't know if we are

> dealing with OCD or Oppositional Defiance Disorder (everything is a

> struggle) or a little of both.

*****Many times other suspected disorders dissolve once anxiety and OCD are

adequately treated. The first-line treatment for children with OCD is a

certain type of behavior therapy called Cognitive Behavior Therapy with

Exposure and Response Prevention (CBT/ERP). It can be hard to find an

expert practitioner depending on where you live, but this is the only type

of therapy that actually reduces and eliminates OCD obsessions and

compulsions. Dr. Pinto-Wagner adviser to this list suggests searching for

one associated with a med center or teaching hospital. Some kids also need

medication, SSRIs. A poor experience with one does not mean that none will

work well for your daughter.

You've had some less-than-helpful professional help which is unfortunately,

still par for the course in diagnosing and treating children's anxiety

disorders far too often. We frequently have to educate ourselves about

this disorder and its treatment first before we have the understanding to

weed out the poor doctors and therapists from the good ones, who will help

without wasting massive amounts of time, hope and/or money :-(

My daughter is doing very well, long stabilized on an effective SSRI and the

veteran of effective CBT/ERP. Her OCD, termed severe at onset, isn't much

more than a nuisance in her life and she is a happy, healthy fifth-grader.

There is every reason to believe your child will be too with the proper

diagnosis and treatment. OCD is a very treatable disorder.

Again welcome, post again,

Kathy R. in Indiana