Guest guest Posted January 30, 2010 Report Share Posted January 30, 2010 Hi. Our son also suffers from GAD and OCD. He is going to be 18 soon. He takes Celexa. It helped to calm both types of thoughts down for him, making some go completely away, while lowering the intensity of others. He continued to struggle with rituals until he went to see a therapist trained in treating OCD with CBT/ERP (cognitive behavioral therapy / exposure and response prevention). The therapy helped tremendously to get his OCD under control. He still has things flare up here and there, but immediately uses the tools he learned with ERP to try to get it back under control. OCD and GAD both can cause repetitive thoughts that are hard for them to shut out. But, we were told the difference is with OCD the thoughts are irrational, whereas with GAD there is a possibility of " it " happening, but it is a highly exaggerated fear. Both can be devastating. Has your son started the medication yet? Does his therapist use CBT/ERP therapy? It's so important to them getting better. It is exhausting. OCD and anxiety wears everybody out. Hang in there, once the medication kicks in he should start doing better. It can take some time to find the right dosage for him, usually taking 2-3 weeks to see if the current dosage is going to work. Try to find some time for yourself too, to catch your breath and regroup. Glad you found us. BJ > > Hi everyone, > > Our 20 year old son had just been seen and is being treated for general anxiety disorder/OCD. We were caught completely off guard by this and only came to fruition after my son decompensated a few weeks ago. He has since been seen by a psychologist and psychiatrist who has prescribed Remeron. Son has anxiety over taking the med, but after some discussion today, I think he realizes that this will not go away on its own. We have come to find out that he has been covering up his anxieties,compulsions, and rituals for a long time. We had no idea that he has been suffering with this for some time. I now feel like I am walking on eggshells - afraid of doing or saying the wrong thing. The past few weeks have been very surreal and honestly, exhausting. Does anyone have any experience with GAD/OCD and the use of Remeron? I hope to find support and insight through the posts here. > > Thanks so much! > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 31, 2010 Report Share Posted January 31, 2010 Hi , My daughter rook Remeron at age 7 ,for about a year ,for sleep. She was also on the zoloft at that time for her OCD.The Remeron is an antidepressant, so I would think your son would need an SSRI in addition to the remeron. Just some quick thoughts!! Hugs Judy ________________________________ To: Sent: Sat, January 30, 2010 2:38:25 PM Subject: son with GAD/OCD Â Hi everyone, Our 20 year old son had just been seen and is being treated for general anxiety disorder/OCD. We were caught completely off guard by this and only came to fruition after my son decompensated a few weeks ago. He has since been seen by a psychologist and psychiatrist who has prescribed Remeron. Son has anxiety over taking the med, but after some discussion today, I think he realizes that this will not go away on its own. We have come to find out that he has been covering up his anxieties,compulsio ns, and rituals for a long time. We had no idea that he has been suffering with this for some time. I now feel like I am walking on eggshells - afraid of doing or saying the wrong thing. The past few weeks have been very surreal and honestly, exhausting. Does anyone have any experience with GAD/OCD and the use of Remeron? I hope to find support and insight through the posts here. Thanks so much! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 31, 2010 Report Share Posted January 31, 2010 Hi again. Had a rough start this week. Son not at home for 2 days and did not start med because he was worried about the side effects. He did take his first pill last night. Very difficult because of his age - not like I can sneak it to him.. I am pretty concerned about thoughts that he is having and the fact that he is really not coping on a daily basis. Seems to me that this could be more than GAD. Not sure that he can wait 2-3 weeks for the medication to start working. Keep us in your prayers please. Thank you for your input! Subject: Re: son with GAD/OCD To: Date: Sunday, January 31, 2010, 12:07 AM  Hi. Our son also suffers from GAD and OCD. He is going to be 18 soon. He takes Celexa. It helped to calm both types of thoughts down for him, making some go completely away, while lowering the intensity of others. He continued to struggle with rituals until he went to see a therapist trained in treating OCD with CBT/ERP (cognitive behavioral therapy / exposure and response prevention). The therapy helped tremendously to get his OCD under control. He still has things flare up here and there, but immediately uses the tools he learned with ERP to try to get it back under control. OCD and GAD both can cause repetitive thoughts that are hard for them to shut out. But, we were told the difference is with OCD the thoughts are irrational, whereas with GAD there is a possibility of " it " happening, but it is a highly exaggerated fear. Both can be devastating. Has your son started the medication yet? Does his therapist use CBT/ERP therapy? It's so important to them getting better. It is exhausting. OCD and anxiety wears everybody out. Hang in there, once the medication kicks in he should start doing better. It can take some time to find the right dosage for him, usually taking 2-3 weeks to see if the current dosage is going to work. Try to find some time for yourself too, to catch your breath and regroup. Glad you found us. BJ > > Hi everyone, > > Our 20 year old son had just been seen and is being treated for general anxiety disorder/OCD. We were caught completely off guard by this and only came to fruition after my son decompensated a few weeks ago. He has since been seen by a psychologist and psychiatrist who has prescribed Remeron. Son has anxiety over taking the med, but after some discussion today, I think he realizes that this will not go away on its own. We have come to find out that he has been covering up his anxieties,compulsio ns, and rituals for a long time. We had no idea that he has been suffering with this for some time. I now feel like I am walking on eggshells - afraid of doing or saying the wrong thing. The past few weeks have been very surreal and honestly, exhausting. Does anyone have any experience with GAD/OCD and the use of Remeron? I hope to find support and insight through the posts here. > > Thanks so much! > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 1, 2010 Report Share Posted February 1, 2010 , have you or your son been able to do any reading about OCD? There are some great books available that can help you to understand it better, and explain the treatment required. Here are the names of a few of our favorites, that I've read. . . What to do when your Child has Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder by Aureen Pinto Wagner Ph.D. Freeing Your Child from Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder by Tamar E. Chansky Helping Your Child With Ocd: A Workbook for Parents of Children With Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder by Lee Fitzgibbons and Cherry Pedrick Talking Back to OCD by March The last two are workbooks that walk you through CBT and ERP, the recommended treatment for OCD. The thoughts are horrible, but they are just thoughts. Not trying to minimize the agony he is going through at all. . We've been there, but if they can come to the realization that it is " just " thoughts, they are not real, and even though they are disturbing, it is just the OCD at work, nothing else, they can learn to bear it better. Also, the prescribing doctor could supplement his SSRI with a benzodiazapine, to help him through the rough times, until the antidepressant has time to start working. Our son took Klonipin, as needed, temporarily, to help him through the roughest moments, while waiting for his Celexa to work. It didn't make it stop, and didn't shut the thoughts off, but it made a bit more tolerable when he felt he couldn't take any more. But, it the benzodiazapines are not generally recommended regularly, long term, because they can become dependent upon them, and it can be hard to wean off. I hope he continues the meds and gives them a try. It might be the very thing that helps him. I know it is hard. <sigh> Prayers and Hugs, BJ > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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