Re: Is Hygiene an issue for your child?

[Guest guest]

I don't know what's behind the issue (or fear), but I have some suggestions

while you try to get it sorted out....

Her very own dry shampoo, baby or body wipes, hand sanitizer, nail clippers -

scented or unscented as per her preference.

Bonnie

>

> Hygiene has become an issue with my 15 year old daughter. Which is somewhat

ironic, as pre-OCD, she would shower every 2nd day and her hair was always clean

and neat. Now it's an effort to get her to shower and wash her hair. She tells

me she only showers on appt. days!!!!

>

> Well if she only has an appt. once a week, that means she showers only once a

week. Such a switch from the way she used to be She hasn't gone into details

about this issue but I am assuming she's avoiding the shower because of turning

on the water and issues to do with reating things. Yesterday I had to turn the

water on for her and after she was dressed (which takes her 4-ever) I then had

to go in & shut the water off. She doesn't wash her hands after using the

bathroom, something she always did and she will only wear certain clothing and

sleep wear.

> I took a pair of p.j. pants into her last night and she asked me to find a

" specific " pair, that she can't wear the others. When I asked her why not, she

would only say because they're not the right ones!!!

> So, off I go digging through the hamper for the ones she wanted!!!

> So was wondering if any others have issues such as this? And what's up with

the clothes issue? sigh!!!

> Thanks

>

>

[Guest guest]

Thanks for the suggestions Bonnie. Sure worth a try. I'm going to be speaking to

her therapist later today and will mention the hygiene issues to her. Maybe she

can bring this up with Amy at her next visit and see is she can get any concrete

answers !!!

> >

> > Hygiene has become an issue with my 15 year old daughter. Which is somewhat

ironic, as pre-OCD, she would shower every 2nd day and her hair was always clean

and neat. Now it's an effort to get her to shower and wash her hair. She tells

me she only showers on appt. days!!!!

> >

> > Well if she only has an appt. once a week, that means she showers only once

a week. Such a switch from the way she used to be She hasn't gone into

details about this issue but I am assuming she's avoiding the shower because of

turning on the water and issues to do with reating things. Yesterday I had to

turn the water on for her and after she was dressed (which takes her 4-ever) I

then had to go in & shut the water off. She doesn't wash her hands after using

the bathroom, something she always did and she will only wear certain clothing

and sleep wear.

> > I took a pair of p.j. pants into her last night and she asked me to find a

" specific " pair, that she can't wear the others. When I asked her why not, she

would only say because they're not the right ones!!!

> > So, off I go digging through the hamper for the ones she wanted!!!

> > So was wondering if any others have issues such as this? And what's up with

the clothes issue? sigh!!!

> > Thanks

> >

> >

>

[Guest guest]

Lots of kids with issues have these same problems. My daughter

too went from excessive hand washing to being grossed out by

soap bubbles and insisting that anyone using soap has wash

there hands completely. There are all kinds of variations of

problems like this.

My daughter once had a meltdown that she could only use

Dove soap to shower and wanted me to run out and get it.

It went on for about an hour or more of crying for this

brand of soap.

Oh boy, so many issues. Fatigue and stress make all these issues

worse.

Pam

>

> Hygiene has become an issue with my 15 year old daughter. Which is somewhat

ironic, as pre-OCD, she would shower every 2nd day and her hair was always clean

and neat. Now it's an effort to get her to shower and wash her hair. She tells

me she only showers on appt. days!!!!

>

> Well if she only has an appt. once a week, that means she showers only once a

week. Such a switch from the way she used to be She hasn't gone into details

about this issue but I am assuming she's avoiding the shower because of turning

on the water and issues to do with reating things. Yesterday I had to turn the

water on for her and after she was dressed (which takes her 4-ever) I then had

to go in & shut the water off. She doesn't wash her hands after using the

bathroom, something she always did and she will only wear certain clothing and

sleep wear.

> I took a pair of p.j. pants into her last night and she asked me to find a

" specific " pair, that she can't wear the others. When I asked her why not, she

would only say because they're not the right ones!!!

> So, off I go digging through the hamper for the ones she wanted!!!

> So was wondering if any others have issues such as this? And what's up with

the clothes issue? sigh!!!

> Thanks

>

>

[Guest guest]

Another yes, in my home with my 3 affected kids, hygiene issues are common and

reversals (from too much, to too little) are common i.e over-hygienic approaches

can turn into bathroom/shower/mirror avoidance when the compulsion to wash or to

handle the bathroom issue just right becomes too wearisome. This can go on in

other OCD realms too. Hard to reach the happy medium with OCD. Some years ago I

had to turn on the shower faucet for my daughter (still not sure why, but I

learned that the why does not really matter) until we did the exposures to get

me out of the ritual. My son currently avoids regular hygiene (but is very

particular about hand washing and grossed out by fears of younger siblings being

unwashed) until it becomes an embarrasment for him to be too long unwashed or

ungroomed.

nancy grace

> >

> > Hygiene has become an issue with my 15 year old daughter. Which is somewhat

ironic, as pre-OCD, she would shower every 2nd day and her hair was always clean

and neat. Now it's an effort to get her to shower and wash her hair. She tells

me she only showers on appt. days!!!!

> >

>

[Guest guest]

My girl NEVER showers, and she was able to express 2 me the other day, that

there are just too many thoughts in her head, and she can't get it done. She

said she needs to be " scared into showering " . I need to tell her that someone is

coming to visit, and then she said its easier to get done. Perhaps like your

child does with the appointments. My girl always needs the same PJ's. It is too

confusing to change things on her. Sigh Sigh!!!!

> Hygiene has become an issue with my 15 year old daughter. Which is somewhat

ironic, as pre-OCD, she would shower every 2nd day and her hair was always clean

and neat. Now it's an effort to get her to shower and wash her hair. She tells

me she only showers on appt. days!!!!

>

> Well if she only has an appt. once a week, that means she showers only once a

week. Such a switch from the way she used to be She hasn't gone into details

about this issue but I am assuming she's avoiding the shower because of turning

on the water and issues to do with reating things. Yesterday I had to turn the

water on for her and after she was dressed (which takes her 4-ever) I then had

to go in & shut the water off. She doesn't wash her hands after using the

bathroom, something she always did and she will only wear certain clothing and

sleep wear.

> I took a pair of p.j. pants into her last night and she asked me to find a

" specific " pair, that she can't wear the others. When I asked her why not, she

would only say because they're not the right ones!!!

> So, off I go digging through the hamper for the ones she wanted!!!

> So was wondering if any others have issues such as this? And what's up with

the clothes issue? sigh!!!

> Thanks

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

What helped our son with showering was to have someone in the bathroom, while he

was in the shower, keeping a conversation going. It kept his mind distracted.

Later, when he was a little better, he would take music in with him, and that

seemed to help too.

BJ

>

> My girl NEVER showers, and she was able to express 2 me the other day, that

there are just too many thoughts in her head, and she can't get it done. She

said she needs to be " scared into showering " . I need to tell her that someone is

coming to visit, and then she said its easier to get done. Perhaps like your

child does with the appointments. My girl always needs the same PJ's. It is too

confusing to change things on her. Sigh Sigh!!!!

>