I'm new - is this ocd?

[Guest guest]

Hi everyone. I've been reading here for a while, trying to find out

if this is where we belong. My son, 14, is a pretty complex kid

(aren't they all) He was diagnosed recently as gifted, Aspergers -

but not quite - non-verbal learning disorder - but not quite - SID -

but not quite - OCD - but not quite. Everything about him is atypical

and it's driving us nuts, because none of the usual approaches for

his difficulties seem to apply. The psychologist apparently (water-

cooler talk) said he was the most complicated case she's run across.

Anyway, we've just started him seeing a psychiatrist for OCD - if

that's what it is. I've read your posts here and I'm not sure if it's

the same thing. My son has always been extremely anxious. Around Gr.

3 he started clearing his throat constantly. We tried ignoring it,

then suggested he chew gum, be tested for allergies, nothing worked.

Finally he got control of it (because of teasing) and replaced it

with something else. This has been the case for the past six years.

It went to sniffing, to repeating words he just said, to staring at

people, to blinking. He also has a few strange things he'll do, like

wipe the toilet seat a certain number of times. The latter seems like

an OCD. Right now the doc has him in CBT trying to work on the

blinking, which they seem to think is the first one to tackle.

Here's the problem: He's not doing anything about it. Granted, it's

the start of high school and he's stressed. But the blinking is worse

and he isn't using the thoughts the doc suggested to stop. (He must

do it five times or something like that.) I think it happens so quick

and often that it would be incredibly stressful to stop every time

and think to himself " no I don't need to listen to that compulsion " .

Part of his trouble is that he has never been motivated to anything

that requires effort and this is hard work, it seems. He has asked if

we can help (ie medication) him stop it, but we want to avoid drugs

and doc agrees, as the OCDs are mild enough.

This has rambled a bit. Sorry. I'm just wondering if we're heading

down the right road for this. It seems there's no thinking " If I do

this something bad might happen " which is how I view normal OCD. It's

more an unthinking habit.

Does anyone know what this is all about or have suggestions?

Thank you. I really value your collective wisdom/experiences.

kim

[Guest guest]

Hi Kim, and welcome to the list. Reading your post, I thought of Tourette's

Syndrome. Has his doctor assessed him for that? There is medication for

TS, but exposure therapy is not effective for tics. Many people with TS

have some OCD too.

Kathy R. in Indiana

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

> Hi everyone. I've been reading here for a while, trying to find out

> if this is where we belong. My son, 14, is a pretty complex kid

> (aren't they all) He was diagnosed recently as gifted, Aspergers -

> but not quite - non-verbal learning disorder - but not quite - SID -

> but not quite - OCD - but not quite. Everything about him is atypical

> and it's driving us nuts, because none of the usual approaches for

> his difficulties seem to apply. The psychologist apparently (water-

> cooler talk) said he was the most complicated case she's run across.

> Anyway, we've just started him seeing a psychiatrist for OCD - if

> that's what it is. I've read your posts here and I'm not sure if it's

> the same thing. My son has always been extremely anxious. Around Gr.

> 3 he started clearing his throat constantly. We tried ignoring it,

> then suggested he chew gum, be tested for allergies, nothing worked.

> Finally he got control of it (because of teasing) and replaced it

> with something else. This has been the case for the past six years.

> It went to sniffing, to repeating words he just said, to staring at

> people, to blinking. He also has a few strange things he'll do, like

> wipe the toilet seat a certain number of times. The latter seems like

> an OCD. Right now the doc has him in CBT trying to work on the

> blinking, which they seem to think is the first one to tackle.

> Here's the problem: He's not doing anything about it. Granted, it's

> the start of high school and he's stressed. But the blinking is worse

> and he isn't using the thoughts the doc suggested to stop. (He must

> do it five times or something like that.) I think it happens so quick

> and often that it would be incredibly stressful to stop every time

> and think to himself " no I don't need to listen to that compulsion " .

> Part of his trouble is that he has never been motivated to anything

> that requires effort and this is hard work, it seems. He has asked if

> we can help (ie medication) him stop it, but we want to avoid drugs

> and doc agrees, as the OCDs are mild enough.

> This has rambled a bit. Sorry. I'm just wondering if we're heading

> down the right road for this. It seems there's no thinking " If I do

> this something bad might happen " which is how I view normal OCD. It's

> more an unthinking habit.

> Does anyone know what this is all about or have suggestions?

> Thank you. I really value your collective wisdom/experiences.

> kim

[Guest guest]

Hi Kim, and welcome to the list. Reading your post, I thought of Tourette's

Syndrome. Has his doctor assessed him for that? There is medication for

TS, but exposure therapy is not effective for tics. Many people with TS

have some OCD too.

Kathy R. in Indiana

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

> Hi everyone. I've been reading here for a while, trying to find out

> if this is where we belong. My son, 14, is a pretty complex kid

> (aren't they all) He was diagnosed recently as gifted, Aspergers -

> but not quite - non-verbal learning disorder - but not quite - SID -

> but not quite - OCD - but not quite. Everything about him is atypical

> and it's driving us nuts, because none of the usual approaches for

> his difficulties seem to apply. The psychologist apparently (water-

> cooler talk) said he was the most complicated case she's run across.

> Anyway, we've just started him seeing a psychiatrist for OCD - if

> that's what it is. I've read your posts here and I'm not sure if it's

> the same thing. My son has always been extremely anxious. Around Gr.

> 3 he started clearing his throat constantly. We tried ignoring it,

> then suggested he chew gum, be tested for allergies, nothing worked.

> Finally he got control of it (because of teasing) and replaced it

> with something else. This has been the case for the past six years.

> It went to sniffing, to repeating words he just said, to staring at

> people, to blinking. He also has a few strange things he'll do, like

> wipe the toilet seat a certain number of times. The latter seems like

> an OCD. Right now the doc has him in CBT trying to work on the

> blinking, which they seem to think is the first one to tackle.

> Here's the problem: He's not doing anything about it. Granted, it's

> the start of high school and he's stressed. But the blinking is worse

> and he isn't using the thoughts the doc suggested to stop. (He must

> do it five times or something like that.) I think it happens so quick

> and often that it would be incredibly stressful to stop every time

> and think to himself " no I don't need to listen to that compulsion " .

> Part of his trouble is that he has never been motivated to anything

> that requires effort and this is hard work, it seems. He has asked if

> we can help (ie medication) him stop it, but we want to avoid drugs

> and doc agrees, as the OCDs are mild enough.

> This has rambled a bit. Sorry. I'm just wondering if we're heading

> down the right road for this. It seems there's no thinking " If I do

> this something bad might happen " which is how I view normal OCD. It's

> more an unthinking habit.

> Does anyone know what this is all about or have suggestions?

> Thank you. I really value your collective wisdom/experiences.

> kim

[Guest guest]

I just thought I'd put in my " two cents " worth... even though I agree

with the other responses that your son's symptoms sound like Tourette's,

I wouldn't rule out OCD. I usually think of Tourette's as being tics,

sounds, or movements that are involuntary (am I right about that?) In

OCD, intrusive thoughts are certainly involuntary, but compulsions have

a voluntary component. The person with OCD may feel compelled to do the

compulsions and may also despise doing the compulsions, but the

compulsions are still voluntary.

I have OCD, and my 13 yr. old daughter does, as well. Some of her OCD

compulsions have been repeated swallowing, blinking, throat-clearing,

and even spitting. She, too, has had times when she " repeated words. "

These compulsions were voluntary; even though she was embarrassed by

them and didn't enjoy doing them, she still did them voluntarily. In

her case, she did them in response to a " bad thought " (intrusive

thought). The intrusive thought was involuntary... she had no control

over it. But the compulsion was voluntary; she did the compulsion on

purpose as a way to " cancel out " the " bad thought, " so that nothing bad

would happen. Like your son, she has always been anxious and when she

was 3 yrs. old, we were told she might have Asberger's, but then they

later ruled that out. As for " wiping the toilet seat a certain number

of times, " you're right, that does sound like classic OCD. When I was

about 12, one of my biggest compulsions was wiping myself (sorry) a

certain number of times.

I guess I'm thinking that it would help sort out the diagnosis if you

could find out whether or not these behaviors are voluntary or involuntary.

You mentioned that the doc wants to try to tackle the " blinking " first.

The psychologist that does my daughter's CBT had my daughter change the

number of times she was blinking or swallowing (if she was doing it four

times, she told my daughter to choose to do it 2 times, then later

change and do it a different number of times). She also told her to try

changing the way she was doing it (if she was doing it fast, then do it

slowly instead... I know this one would be difficult with the blinking,

but it worked well with the swallowing). My daughter also tried

extending the amount of time between throat-clearings, etc.... first she

did it every it every 2 minutes, then every 3 minutes, etc.

I sure do hope things go well for your son in therapy. Sometimes I get

frustrated with my daughter because I feel she's not putting the CBT

techniques into practice as much as I would like. She has a tendency to

say, " I can just ignore them, " but that only works for a little while.

It's frustrating when yor're getting help for them, but they're not

taking full advantage of it. Good luck... keep us posted. in NC

>Hi everyone. I've been reading here for a while, trying to find out

>if this is where we belong. My son, 14, is a pretty complex kid

>(aren't they all) He was diagnosed recently as gifted, Aspergers -

>but not quite - non-verbal learning disorder - but not quite - SID -

>but not quite - OCD - but not quite. Everything about him is atypical

>and it's driving us nuts, because none of the usual approaches for

>his difficulties seem to apply. The psychologist apparently (water-

>cooler talk) said he was the most complicated case she's run across.

>Anyway, we've just started him seeing a psychiatrist for OCD - if

>that's what it is. I've read your posts here and I'm not sure if it's

>the same thing. My son has always been extremely anxious. Around Gr.

>3 he started clearing his throat constantly. We tried ignoring it,

>then suggested he chew gum, be tested for allergies, nothing worked.

>Finally he got control of it (because of teasing) and replaced it

>with something else. This has been the case for the past six years.

>It went to sniffing, to repeating words he just said, to staring at

>people, to blinking. He also has a few strange things he'll do, like

>wipe the toilet seat a certain number of times. The latter seems like

>an OCD. Right now the doc has him in CBT trying to work on the

>blinking, which they seem to think is the first one to tackle.

>Here's the problem: He's not doing anything about it. Granted, it's

>the start of high school and he's stressed. But the blinking is worse

>and he isn't using the thoughts the doc suggested to stop. (He must

>do it five times or something like that.) I think it happens so quick

>and often that it would be incredibly stressful to stop every time

>and think to himself " no I don't need to listen to that compulsion " .

>Part of his trouble is that he has never been motivated to anything

>that requires effort and this is hard work, it seems. He has asked if

>we can help (ie medication) him stop it, but we want to avoid drugs

>and doc agrees, as the OCDs are mild enough.

>This has rambled a bit. Sorry. I'm just wondering if we're heading

>down the right road for this. It seems there's no thinking " If I do

>this something bad might happen " which is how I view normal OCD. It's

>more an unthinking habit.

>Does anyone know what this is all about or have suggestions?

>Thank you. I really value your collective wisdom/experiences.

>kim

>

>

>

>

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