new to group, questions re: peer relationships

[Guest guest]

Hello, everyone. I have been " lurking " on this list for several weeks, and am so

happy to have found such a wonderful, supportive community.

My DD is 12, and was diagnosed w/ major depresive d/o and panic d/o this fall.

Within the past 6 weeks, her p-doc got the depression symptoms under control

with Zoloft (currently increasing dosage, Lexapro did nothing to help), and

referred us to a therapist who practices CBT/ERP. Doing the Y-BOCS scale was

heartbreaking. The only symptoms she does not experience are contamination

issues and scrupulosity.

I am most concerned (at the moment) with how OCD is affecting her relationships

with friends. She suffers with intrusive thoughts and violent images around her

friends not liking, her not really liking her friends, her friends screaming at

or harming her... As a result, she will sometimes be unable to talk to or even

look at her friends. They are 12 years old! Of course, they think she is mad

at them, mean, b****y, has found new friends, whatever. And honestly, of

course that's what they think. How long would you keep a friend who sometimes

flat-out ignores you? She has told her two closest friends that she has OCD,

which was a huge step. However, they have no idea what that means and what it

means to them.

I would like to talk to their mothers, and am not sure how to go about it. I

would be so grateful for any advice you might have. I don't want my child, who

suffers so mightily with what she has been dealt, to lose her friends. Thanks

for reading my " book " , and for your help.

Kate