Re: did we do the right thing?

[Guest guest]

Kim,

I think it's the right tactic, as long as it works! We are in the

process of learning how to say " NO " to OCD and I anticipate having to

do something similar to what you did when new things crop up. (since

my daughter's 7, I think I'll omit the FU part!) Her Dr. has told

her that OCD is a bully, and how do you handle a bully? You stand up

to him, tell him to go away, and you are NOT putting up with his crap!

I take it he was fine after you left the room? If so, continue with

that strategy. I would only worry that he may yell that phrase in

public!

Good Luck,

nna.

>

> I'm looking for advice as I'm really new to all this. I'd posted a

> while back about my 14-year-old son with aspergers who'd started

> seeing a psychiatrist for OCD symptoms. She was doing CBT with him,

> but he said that he no longer needs to do a lot of the things he

was

> doing (wiping toiet seat certain number of times etc.) and the

major

> concerns were blinking and word repetitions that most of you here

> suggested sounded more like tourrettes. We wrote a letter and spoke

> with the psychiatrist and decided to stop seeing her for a bit and

> just ignore the tourrettes-like tics.

> Well...

> The tics continue. Quite bad, in fact.

> I hadn't noticed much in the way of known OCDs (granted, he keeps

> most of them secret) but I noticed last night he was very bothered

> that I was going to turn out the lights and say goodnight before he

> had a chance to see the temperature on his clock. I believe he has

an

> OCD related to the room temperature. Most of his OCDs are numbers-

> related. For a while now he's been needing to see the numbers

before

> he goes to sleep.

> So here's what I did - don't know if it was right or not:

> I said. " S, that's an OCD and you can don't have to listen to it.

> Just say 'FU OCD'. Say it! " He took great delight in saying the

> entire (not my politer version) swear at the OCD. Then I shut off

the

> light before he saw the numbers.

> Do you think this is how we should be handling these

> little 'supersitions' of his? He is adament that he doesn't want to

> go back to the psychiatrist. He hates 'wasting an hour' talking

about

> himself, and doesn't believe the CBT will work. Do you think we can

> just help him get over the OCDs as they crop up, on our own like

> this, or am I being naive?

> Thanks.

> kim

[Guest guest]

Kim,

I think it's the right tactic, as long as it works! We are in the

process of learning how to say " NO " to OCD and I anticipate having to

do something similar to what you did when new things crop up. (since

my daughter's 7, I think I'll omit the FU part!) Her Dr. has told

her that OCD is a bully, and how do you handle a bully? You stand up

to him, tell him to go away, and you are NOT putting up with his crap!

I take it he was fine after you left the room? If so, continue with

that strategy. I would only worry that he may yell that phrase in

public!

Good Luck,

nna.

>

> I'm looking for advice as I'm really new to all this. I'd posted a

> while back about my 14-year-old son with aspergers who'd started

> seeing a psychiatrist for OCD symptoms. She was doing CBT with him,

> but he said that he no longer needs to do a lot of the things he

was

> doing (wiping toiet seat certain number of times etc.) and the

major

> concerns were blinking and word repetitions that most of you here

> suggested sounded more like tourrettes. We wrote a letter and spoke

> with the psychiatrist and decided to stop seeing her for a bit and

> just ignore the tourrettes-like tics.

> Well...

> The tics continue. Quite bad, in fact.

> I hadn't noticed much in the way of known OCDs (granted, he keeps

> most of them secret) but I noticed last night he was very bothered

> that I was going to turn out the lights and say goodnight before he

> had a chance to see the temperature on his clock. I believe he has

an

> OCD related to the room temperature. Most of his OCDs are numbers-

> related. For a while now he's been needing to see the numbers

before

> he goes to sleep.

> So here's what I did - don't know if it was right or not:

> I said. " S, that's an OCD and you can don't have to listen to it.

> Just say 'FU OCD'. Say it! " He took great delight in saying the

> entire (not my politer version) swear at the OCD. Then I shut off

the

> light before he saw the numbers.

> Do you think this is how we should be handling these

> little 'supersitions' of his? He is adament that he doesn't want to

> go back to the psychiatrist. He hates 'wasting an hour' talking

about

> himself, and doesn't believe the CBT will work. Do you think we can

> just help him get over the OCDs as they crop up, on our own like

> this, or am I being naive?

> Thanks.

> kim

[Guest guest]

Hi Kim, yes we have been successful in having an " ERP lifestyle " following

my child's therapy, and addressing things with ERP techniques as they crop

up. So yes you did the right thing, you relabeled the problem as OCD,

reminded him that he didn't have to pay attention to this, and gave him a

memorable way to boss it back :-) I've done something similar with my

young girl--10 now--since I don't typically use profanity she was very

impressed that I would use cruder language when referring to the hated,

beneath contempt OCD LOL. Of course in a child with tics and TS leanings,

there is the chance of echoing crude language but in my child, using it

occasionally for emphasis seems to have functioned more as ERP. She hasn't

so far latched onto " bad words " and felt urges to say them in inappropriate

situations since I took them out of the " absolutely forbidden, the worse

thing anyone can do " category.

You can always reconsider the idea of therapy if his OCD seems to mushroom

in the future.

Has he tried any medications for tics?

Take care,

Kathy R. in Indiana

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

> I'm looking for advice as I'm really new to all this. I'd posted a

> while back about my 14-year-old son with aspergers who'd started

> seeing a psychiatrist for OCD symptoms. She was doing CBT with him,

> but he said that he no longer needs to do a lot of the things he was

> doing (wiping toiet seat certain number of times etc.) and the major

> concerns were blinking and word repetitions that most of you here

> suggested sounded more like tourrettes. We wrote a letter and spoke

> with the psychiatrist and decided to stop seeing her for a bit and

> just ignore the tourrettes-like tics.

> Well...

> The tics continue. Quite bad, in fact.

> I hadn't noticed much in the way of known OCDs (granted, he keeps

> most of them secret) but I noticed last night he was very bothered

> that I was going to turn out the lights and say goodnight before he

> had a chance to see the temperature on his clock. I believe he has an

> OCD related to the room temperature. Most of his OCDs are numbers-

> related. For a while now he's been needing to see the numbers before

> he goes to sleep.

> So here's what I did - don't know if it was right or not:

> I said. " S, that's an OCD and you can don't have to listen to it.

> Just say 'FU OCD'. Say it! " He took great delight in saying the

> entire (not my politer version) swear at the OCD. Then I shut off the

> light before he saw the numbers.

> Do you think this is how we should be handling these

> little 'supersitions' of his? He is adament that he doesn't want to

> go back to the psychiatrist. He hates 'wasting an hour' talking about

> himself, and doesn't believe the CBT will work. Do you think we can

> just help him get over the OCDs as they crop up, on our own like

> this, or am I being naive?

> Thanks.

> kim