What kind of doctor does your child see?

[Guest guest]

Does your child see a counselor in addition to a psychiatrist for their OCD?

What do you look for when finding the right doctor? Also, is it reasonable to

expect a doctor to answer occasional questions by phone in between appointments?

Does anyone recommend any good books for parents on understanding OCD? I need

to educate myself and my family as I can see this is a lifelong journey. Having

a hard time with making decisions on a doctor for our daughter and if we should

also use medication or not.

[Guest guest]

My daughter has Asperger's, severe OCD, and ADHD.  She sees a psychologist for

behavior therapy, a psychiatrist for meds (zoloft), and a DAN (Defeat Autism

Now) doctor for health and recovery of her issues.  She also has her normal

pediatrician for everyday issues.

Misty

________________________________

To:

Sent: Fri, February 11, 2011 7:11:11 AM

Subject: What kind of doctor does your child see?

 

Does your child see a counselor in addition to a psychiatrist for their OCD?

What do you look for when finding the right doctor? Also, is it reasonable to

expect a doctor to answer occasional questions by phone in between appointments?

Does anyone recommend any good books for parents on understanding OCD? I need to

educate myself and my family as I can see this is a lifelong journey. Having a

hard time with making decisions on a doctor for our daughter and if we should

also use medication or not.

________________________________________________________________________________\

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[Guest guest]

Hi there,

You will find most of what you are wanting to know at www.ocfoundation.org, the

top international foundation for OCD. They have an article on what to look for

in a doctor, as well as questions to ask - the main thing is to ask if they use

ERP (exposure and response prevention), a behavior based type of CBT (cognitive

behavior therapy). If they do not use this form of therapy you will waste your

money on them.

At that website there is a doctor search. These are not recommended doctors,

simply a listing. You still need to do due diligence in checking anyone out.

I'm not sure what your considerations are, in terms of deciding on a doctor, and

medication...perhaps age, severity of the OCD? If you are dealing with mild to

moderate OCD, it is recommended to start with ERP therapy. If the anxiety goes

up, which is will initially, and your child cannot cope and therefore do the ERP

therapy, that would be a point at which medication is considered.

If the OCD is severe, affects ability to function (go to school, leave the

house, life is very limited), as well as quality of life (taken up with

anxiety/OCD all day long even if functioning), then medication is usually very

helpful in dialing back the anxiety, and the intensity of the OCD, and so they

can participate in ERP therapy.

Also, if there is any depression, which is common with OCD, medication is

helpful and often necessary before ERP can be done. So certainly for anxiety,

depression, and intensity of the OCD medication is helpful. It will not " cure "

the OCD, it is an assist, so they can do ERP to diminish the thoughts.

ERP works by having a person expose themselves to something they fear and not

doing a ritual (physical or in their head). Rituals are done to try and cope

with the anxiety that comes up, and if they are not done they will experience

anxiety (which can go very high!), but this is what they must " habituate " to(get

used to). So, this needs to be done in a gradual way, and usually they start

with something that is less anxiety provoking and work up the ladder to bigger

things.

If medication is taken it is important to go slowly with dose increases, and

keep the change of dose low. Three week intervals for changes, and dose up/down

slowly. Many of these kids are very sensitive to medications, and going slowly

will give time for the body to adapt. It generally takes 3-4 months for the

medication to have the optimal effect, at the optimum dose - so this can take

some time.

In terms of being able to access a doctor between appointments, one would hope

so, but with limitations. Some will use email, which is can work well. There

should be a portion of time at the beginning or end of an appointment where you

can access the doctor. If your child is younger then you will be included in

the treatment plan, but older less so. Since a " question " can grow into a big

discussion, I think most doctors may limit accessing them, to appointments.

Certainly if there is a crisis I would think you could leave a message that

would be returned, but then with OCD there can be a crisis everyday...!

Just trying to give a bit of an overview of experience of doctor access. I have

experienced a mix of responses, with the best access and consideration coming

with private care (I'm in Canada). On this site I have read numerous

experiences, some horrible and some amazing. If you are paying for a private

psychologist I would expect a good level of responsiveness, while appreciating

they cannot be " on call " available. Ok, that was a long response on that one...

You will also find a book list, with description at the ocfoundation. Favorites

for me are books by Tamar Chansky and Aureen Pinto-Wagner (for parents), and for

kids " What to do When Your Brain Gets Stuck " . There are also workbooks, one by

March (teens), Take Control of OCD, Bonnie Zucker (ages 10-16). There are

many others... It really depends on the age of your child what will be helpful.

" Brain Lock " ,by Schwartz, is one of the best for understanding how OCD works, is

small and is an easy read. Under " links " and " files " on this website you will

find a lot of information too.

Educating yourself about this disorder IS your best defense. The better you

understand how it works, will prevent you from doing the " wrong " thing, ie

accommodating it. I say that, and then want to reassure you that all of us have

done the wrong thing, and continue to sometimes, because sometimes you just need

to get through the day, or a situation. I certainly did!! But if you

understand how it works, you will be able to work towards doing what is needed

more consistently.

Keep posting your questions, this is a great group of people to use as a

resource for information. It was a life-line for me!

Warmly,

Barb

Canada

Son, 19, OCD, LD plus - doing quite well for 2 1/2yrs.

>

> Does your child see a counselor in addition to a psychiatrist for their OCD?

What do you look for when finding the right doctor? Also, is it reasonable to

expect a doctor to answer occasional questions by phone in between appointments?

Does anyone recommend any good books for parents on understanding OCD? I need

to educate myself and my family as I can see this is a lifelong journey. Having

a hard time with making decisions on a doctor for our daughter and if we should

also use medication or not.

>

[Guest guest]

Barb,

Thanks for all the information. You don't know how helpful it was. I really

needed an attitude adjustment and was feeling pretty overwhelmed and questioning

the decisions we are making regarding our daughter. I guess as parents we feel

we always need to do everything " right " for our children and honestly that is

just impossible with OCD. I always say " I feel like I am trying to reason with

unreasonable " . It is so frustrating and exhausting at times and you really need

that neutral person to reset your attitude.....thank you!! I have some of the

books you suggested on " hold' at our local library. I am hoping that gives me a

better understanding of OCD. Our 9 year old daughter was initially diagnosed

one year ago w/severe school anxiety. I now homeschool her. In the past month

her professional clinical counselor has informed us she thinks her behavior is

OCD. She has issues with germs, separation, and dying to the extreme. The

recommendation of medication came up at her last appointment and we were told to

consult w/a pyschiatrist. For some reason I am feeling uneasy about medicating

her. I am open to the idea, just afraid it may make matters worse. I am

considering holding off on meds. until she finishes school in May. She is also

dyslexic so school is a major stressor for her. Thanks for sharing and

listening!

> >

> > Does your child see a counselor in addition to a psychiatrist for their OCD?

What do you look for when finding the right doctor? Also, is it reasonable to

expect a doctor to answer occasional questions by phone in between appointments?

Does anyone recommend any good books for parents on understanding OCD? I need

to educate myself and my family as I can see this is a lifelong journey. Having

a hard time with making decisions on a doctor for our daughter and if we should

also use medication or not.

> >

>