Guest guest Posted September 8, 2004 Report Share Posted September 8, 2004 I don't know whether his finger sucking is OCD related or not, but it certainly tore at my heart : I sucked my thumb until I was ?11? or somewhere around there. My family tried everything under the sun. I only did it at night and I still vividly remember the comforting sensation. I was a very timid kid and very afraid of the dark - it probably helped with that. I remember feeling instant comfort and peace when I had my thumb in my mouth and my special blanket under my head. Anyway, my gut feeling is to leave it alone if he only does it at home and when he sleeps. If he sucks his fingers in public, he'll be stopped by peer pressure soon enough! Lots of kids sleep with special blankets or stuffed animals, and I'd put this in the same category. If he is battling OCD during the day then he is just trying to relax and unwind at night. And he is probably horribly embarassed by doing this at his age, which is why he reacts so badly to discussing it with a doctor. This may fly in the face of what his therapist or doctor is saying, so take it as coming from a former thumb-sucker who is clearly biased!! in NV Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 8, 2004 Report Share Posted September 8, 2004 I don't know whether his finger sucking is OCD related or not, but it certainly tore at my heart : I sucked my thumb until I was ?11? or somewhere around there. My family tried everything under the sun. I only did it at night and I still vividly remember the comforting sensation. I was a very timid kid and very afraid of the dark - it probably helped with that. I remember feeling instant comfort and peace when I had my thumb in my mouth and my special blanket under my head. Anyway, my gut feeling is to leave it alone if he only does it at home and when he sleeps. If he sucks his fingers in public, he'll be stopped by peer pressure soon enough! Lots of kids sleep with special blankets or stuffed animals, and I'd put this in the same category. If he is battling OCD during the day then he is just trying to relax and unwind at night. And he is probably horribly embarassed by doing this at his age, which is why he reacts so badly to discussing it with a doctor. This may fly in the face of what his therapist or doctor is saying, so take it as coming from a former thumb-sucker who is clearly biased!! in NV Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 8, 2004 Report Share Posted September 8, 2004 Hi , has the doc or therapist termed this an OCD compulsion? The fact your son does not want to stop it (does not bother him), plus that it dates from babyhood makes me think it's more a self-soothing behavior or a plain habit rather than a compulsion. Or something along the line of trich, pulling and twisting pillow and quilt batting fibers rather than hair. The meltdown when this behavior is discussed in a doctor's office could be plain embarrassment at his age. Most with trich are embarrassed by their behavior and try to hide it from others. Interestingly lots of hair-pullers also twist or sniff the hair, and/or put it in the mouth/eat it. My daughter has had/has similar behaviors/habits and all I've done so far is limit where and when. As she's gotten older and more socially aware, she has taken this type of behavior " underground " . I've noticed it escalates when she is stressed or ill, and there are times when it is nearly nonexistent. SSRI meds have not seemed to affect it one way or the other. She's also a thumb-sucker from before birth who switched to nail biting at about age four. Some sort of habit-reversal approach may work better to reduce this behavior than CBT/ERP, if your son becomes motivated to reduce or eliminate it. Take care, Kathy R. in Indiana ----- Original Message ----- > I need advice. My 11 year old son, since babyhood, has sucked his fingers and has been attached to a pillow. We took the pillows away and he steals batting from quilts and other pillows and twists and wraps and sniffs the cotton batting. Of course, we've tried to break this habit and now, with a diagnosis, we know its OCD-related. > > He never does this in public and before medication had become a complete hermit (we homeschool) and virtually nonfunctioning, suicidal, etc. He wouldn't go anywhere b/c it was too difficult not to practice his OCD outside the home. With 100 mg Zoloft this is now better with regards to life in general and social behavior, depression, anxiety, etc. but he still is gripped by this habit. He doesn't want to stop. He sees no need to stop. It makes him " feel better " and when we mention it to any doctor, he has a huge meltdown and refuses to see that doc ever again (but of course we make him.) Therapy is very unsuccessful b/c he doesn't want to talk to that " mean person " who knows his secret, etc. We have him going to a private school for an hour and a half a day and he does very well with this (tho it's about all he can handle now.) > > Has anyone dealt with this and have any advice? > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 8, 2004 Report Share Posted September 8, 2004 Hi , has the doc or therapist termed this an OCD compulsion? The fact your son does not want to stop it (does not bother him), plus that it dates from babyhood makes me think it's more a self-soothing behavior or a plain habit rather than a compulsion. Or something along the line of trich, pulling and twisting pillow and quilt batting fibers rather than hair. The meltdown when this behavior is discussed in a doctor's office could be plain embarrassment at his age. Most with trich are embarrassed by their behavior and try to hide it from others. Interestingly lots of hair-pullers also twist or sniff the hair, and/or put it in the mouth/eat it. My daughter has had/has similar behaviors/habits and all I've done so far is limit where and when. As she's gotten older and more socially aware, she has taken this type of behavior " underground " . I've noticed it escalates when she is stressed or ill, and there are times when it is nearly nonexistent. SSRI meds have not seemed to affect it one way or the other. She's also a thumb-sucker from before birth who switched to nail biting at about age four. Some sort of habit-reversal approach may work better to reduce this behavior than CBT/ERP, if your son becomes motivated to reduce or eliminate it. Take care, Kathy R. in Indiana ----- Original Message ----- > I need advice. My 11 year old son, since babyhood, has sucked his fingers and has been attached to a pillow. We took the pillows away and he steals batting from quilts and other pillows and twists and wraps and sniffs the cotton batting. Of course, we've tried to break this habit and now, with a diagnosis, we know its OCD-related. > > He never does this in public and before medication had become a complete hermit (we homeschool) and virtually nonfunctioning, suicidal, etc. He wouldn't go anywhere b/c it was too difficult not to practice his OCD outside the home. With 100 mg Zoloft this is now better with regards to life in general and social behavior, depression, anxiety, etc. but he still is gripped by this habit. He doesn't want to stop. He sees no need to stop. It makes him " feel better " and when we mention it to any doctor, he has a huge meltdown and refuses to see that doc ever again (but of course we make him.) Therapy is very unsuccessful b/c he doesn't want to talk to that " mean person " who knows his secret, etc. We have him going to a private school for an hour and a half a day and he does very well with this (tho it's about all he can handle now.) > > Has anyone dealt with this and have any advice? > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 8, 2004 Report Share Posted September 8, 2004 Hi , I meant to say in my other post, could therapy focus on other compulsions/behaviors to begin with, saving the finger-sucking and pulling fibers to address later? In other words, these would be at the top of his hierarchy, to be approached later once he has some successes with ERP under his belt. If these are OCD compulsions, it may be that right now they seem impossibly big to your son. Successful therapy starts with a compulsion just a bit above a child's comfort level, and then gradually moves on to bigger challenges. Kathy R. in Indiana ----- Original Message ----- > Hi , has the doc or therapist termed this an OCD compulsion? The fact > your son does not want to stop it (does not bother him), plus that it dates > from babyhood makes me think it's more a self-soothing behavior or a plain > habit rather than a compulsion. Or something along the line of trich, > pulling and twisting pillow and quilt batting fibers rather than hair. The > meltdown when this behavior is discussed in a doctor's office could be plain > embarrassment at his age. Most with trich are embarrassed by their behavior > and try to hide it from others. Interestingly lots of hair-pullers also > twist or sniff the hair, and/or put it in the mouth/eat it. > > My daughter has had/has similar behaviors/habits and all I've done so far is > limit where and when. As she's gotten older and more socially aware, she > has taken this type of behavior " underground " . I've noticed it escalates > when she is stressed or ill, and there are times when it is nearly > nonexistent. SSRI meds have not seemed to affect it one way or the other. > She's also a thumb-sucker from before birth who switched to nail biting at > about age four. > > Some sort of habit-reversal approach may work better to reduce this behavior > than CBT/ERP, if your son becomes motivated to reduce or eliminate it. > > Take care, > Kathy R. in Indiana > > ----- Original Message ----- > > > > I need advice. My 11 year old son, since babyhood, has sucked his fingers > and has been attached to a pillow. We took the pillows away and he steals > batting from quilts and other pillows and twists and wraps and sniffs the > cotton batting. Of course, we've tried to break this habit and now, with a > diagnosis, we know its OCD-related. > > > > He never does this in public and before medication had become a complete > hermit (we homeschool) and virtually nonfunctioning, suicidal, etc. He > wouldn't go anywhere b/c it was too difficult not to practice his OCD > outside the home. With 100 mg Zoloft this is now better with regards to > life in general and social behavior, depression, anxiety, etc. but he still > is gripped by this habit. He doesn't want to stop. He sees no need to > stop. It makes him " feel better " and when we mention it to any doctor, he > has a huge meltdown and refuses to see that doc ever again (but of course we > make him.) Therapy is very unsuccessful b/c he doesn't want to talk to that > " mean person " who knows his secret, etc. We have him going to a private > school for an hour and a half a day and he does very well with this (tho > it's about all he can handle now.) > > > > Has anyone dealt with this and have any advice? > > > > > > > > > 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@... .. > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 8, 2004 Report Share Posted September 8, 2004 Hi, My daughter also chews her finger nails, sucks her thumb at home only, what is the integration catalogue Lori T Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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