Re: Hi, I'm new to this group

[Guest guest]

Dear Amy,

Welcome! Yes, you have definetly come to the right place. We all understand what you're going through and there are wonderful people on this list who are full of good advice. Before I found this list I spent several years feeling completely alone with our problems. I feel SO much better having "friends" who understand. My daughter, who is now 8 1/2 has had OCD/anxiety since she was 4. We didn't get a correct diagnosis until last spring though, and she was started on 20 mg. Paxil at that time. It made a world of difference. I tell you this because you may hear that 20 mg. is way too low a dose to help with OCD. It worked for us, but only for about 10 months. We are now trying Luvox (at a much higher dosage). Our psychiatrist was required by the insurance to give Paxil a trial first - I kind of think he used the low dosage thinking it wouldn't work and he could then go to Luvox, which he swears by. But maybe that's paranoid thinking!

Best wishes to you and your daughter. It will get better, really and truly.

, in Reno

[Guest guest]

Amy,

Welcome! I do believe you have found a place where you can vent, ask

questions and just be basically supported by those who do

understand. We all are or have been in your place. I have learned

more from this group than anywhere else. I will write more but I

must take my son to his music lessons.

Hang in there.

Melinda S.

Dallas

> hi. i have a 10 year old daughter who has just been recently

diagnosed with ocd. she had a severe anxiety problem in the fall and

got better within a couple of months and was off her meds. now this

is a bigger problem then that. before she was on 10mg of paxil and

did get some counseling and her symptoms completely disappeared. now

she is on 20mg of paxil, plus 2 mg of lorazepam and we will know by

next week if the 20mg has started working. she has been on meds for

about 31/2 weeks now. i've come here to get some encouragement and

support. this is really taking its toll on our family life. most

people don't understand this at all. i hope i've come to the right

place. blessings, amy

[Guest guest]

Welcome Amy!

I know you'll get a lot of support and encouragement in this group.

I just joined around last January, and it has REALLY helped. My son

(now 12) was just diagnosed last October with OCD. I can understand

the part about taking a toll on your family life!! Hang in there.

I hope her new meds help some.

in N.C.

> hi. i have a 10 year old daughter who has just been recently

diagnosed with ocd. she had a severe anxiety problem in the fall and

got better within a couple of months and was off her meds. now this

is a bigger problem then that. before she was on 10mg of paxil and

did get some counseling and her symptoms completely disappeared. now

she is on 20mg of paxil, plus 2 mg of lorazepam and we will know by

next week if the 20mg has started working. she has been on meds for

about 31/2 weeks now. i've come here to get some encouragement and

support. this is really taking its toll on our family life. most

people don't understand this at all. i hope i've come to the right

place. blessings, amy

[Guest guest]

Dear Amy,

I too am terrified at the thought of eating disorders. Weight is one of those obsessions that plagues my daughter on and off. She had a week earlier this spring when she quit eating (because a friend had started missing meals to lose weight - these are normal thin third graders!!!). After a couple of days food made her start to cry. On the third day she fell at school (perhaps because she hadn't been eating) and broke her arm, which made her forget about the eating thing. Whew. Her therapist is the local expert on eating disorders so I feel a measure of security just knowing that she will be there to help. I hope your daughter is in therapy as well as on medication. Exposure and response therapy is the ticket for dealing with OCD, and an understanding therapist might (I HOPE) make the difference when eating issues start to explode.

This is all really exhausting, and it is incredibly hard on the whole family, but medication and therapy can work wonders. Also learning as much as you can about OCD helps you understand what is going on with your daughter, and it becomes a little easier to tell what is OCD and what is normal kid/control issues. Good luck - hang in there.

[Guest guest]

Hi, Amy. My son (15) was diagnosed with OCD about 18 months

ago. He suffers from a type of OCD called scrupulocity...meaning he

is overly conciencious (picking up trash, straightening things,

saying long prayers, refilling dog's water bowl when it still has

plenty of water, etc.) He also suffers from an eating disorder. He

eats OK and doesn't purge, but exercises excessively. Therefore the

2200-2300 calories he eats a day doesn't support his activity level.

He was always slender as a child, but during pre-puberty he filled

out and he hated it. Put that together with 1-2 unkind remarks from

peers and health teachers/coaches preaching " LOW FAT " diets and

before you know it, an eating disorder was created(I could kill his

8th grade health teacher who told the kids that ice cream

is " cholesterol in a bowl! " ). He eats no sweets or traditional

snacks. Typical teenage foods like pizza and french fries are off

limits. is 5'2 " and has gone from 104 to 86. His current

weight is 91 and hopefully inching back up, but he has very little

body fat. This lack of fat has affected his energy level and

growth...he has not grown any in over a year and his younger brother

(14 yo) is now taller and much bigger than he is. It is very sad.

He hates the way he looks now and realizes what he has done, but the

journey back to normal eating is an extremely difficult one. You are

very wise to recognize potential eating problems and I encourage you

to keep an eye on the situation. Ours happened so gradually...I wish

we had intervened before these habits became so engrained.

started on a low dose of Paxil which helped his moods but did

not do much for OCD. We tried to increase dosage, but for him the

med was too sedating. We eased him off and after that he didn't want

to take any more meds...wanted to fight it on his own. His doc wants

to start him on Prozac and we are encouraging him to do so, but so

far no luck.

Sorry this is so long...just know that you are not alone. This a

great place for information, advice and support. I consider it a God-

send!

Keep us posted on Jordan's progress.

Melinda S.

Dallas

> thank you emily for your encouraging words. i'm just very concerned

for my daughter since this has completely escalated into somewhat of

a nightmare.and often times my husband and i have a difficult time

believing its ocd and not just a battle for control. i hope and pray

that the 20mg of paxil will indeed work for her. the dr. yesterday

shared with my husband that she has a patient who was diagnosed with

ocd at a younger age as well, and is now 14, on 60mg of paxil and has

bulimia and anorexia. i am aware that children with ocd have a much

greater chance of developing an eating disorder, and jordan has

written in her journal a few times in the last week that she thinks

she is fat so i'm greatly concerned because she is almost 11 and a

whole whopping 62#! have you heard any of this before? please let me

know! blessings, amy

> Re: hi, i'm new to this group

>

>

> Dear Amy,

> Welcome! Yes, you have definetly come to the right place. We

all

> understand what you're going through and there are wonderful people

on this

> list who are full of good advice. Before I found this list I spent

several

> years feeling completely alone with our problems. I feel SO much

better

> having " friends " who understand.

> My daughter, who is now 8 1/2 has had OCD/anxiety since she

was 4. We

> didn't get a correct diagnosis until last spring though, and she

was started

> on 20 mg. Paxil at that time. It made a world of difference. I tell

you this

> because you may hear that 20 mg. is way too low a dose to help with

OCD. It

> worked for us, but only for about 10 months. We are now trying

Luvox (at a

> much higher dosage). Our psychiatrist was required by the insurance

to give

> Paxil a trial first - I kind of think he used the low dosage

thinking it

> wouldn't work and he could then go to Luvox, which he swears by.

But maybe

> that's paranoid thinking!

> Best wishes to you and your daughter. It will get better,

really and

> truly.

> , in Reno

>

[Guest guest]

thank you emily for your encouraging words. i'm just very concerned for my daughter since this has completely escalated into somewhat of a nightmare.and often times my husband and i have a difficult time believing its ocd and not just a battle for control. i hope and pray that the 20mg of paxil will indeed work for her. the dr. yesterday shared with my husband that she has a patient who was diagnosed with ocd at a younger age as well, and is now 14, on 60mg of paxil and has bulimia and anorexia. i am aware that children with ocd have a much greater chance of developing an eating disorder, and jordan has written in her journal a few times in the last week that she thinks she is fat so i'm greatly concerned because she is almost 11 and a whole whopping 62#! have you heard any of this before? please let me know! blessings, amy

Re: hi, i'm new to this groupDear Amy, Welcome! Yes, you have definetly come to the right place. We all understand what you're going through and there are wonderful people on this list who are full of good advice. Before I found this list I spent several years feeling completely alone with our problems. I feel SO much better having " friends " who understand. My daughter, who is now 8 1/2 has had OCD/anxiety since she was 4. We didn't get a correct diagnosis until last spring though, and she was started on 20 mg. Paxil at that time. It made a world of difference. I tell you this because you may hear that 20 mg. is way too low a dose to help with OCD. It worked for us, but only for about 10 months. We are now trying Luvox (at a much higher dosage). Our psychiatrist was required by the insurance to give Paxil a trial first - I kind of think he used the low dosage thinking it wouldn't work and he could then go to Luvox, which he swears by. But maybe that's paranoid thinking! Best wishes to you and your daughter. It will get better, really and truly. , in Reno You may subscribe to the OCD-L by emailing listserv@... . In the body of your message write: subscribe OCD-L your name. You may subscribe to the Parents of Adults with OCD List at parentsofadultswithOCD-subscribe . You may subscribe to the OCD and Homeschooling List at ocdandhomeschooling-subscribe . You may change your subscription format or access the files, bookmarks, and archives for our list at . Our list advisors are Tamar Chansky, Ph.D., Aureen Pinto Wagner, Ph.D., and Dan Geller, M.D. Our list moderators are Birkhan, Kathy Hammes, Jule Monnens, Gail Pesses, Kathy , and Jackie Stout. Subscription issues or suggestions may be addressed to Louis Harkins, list owner, at lharkins@... .

[Guest guest]

Hi Amy,

I think you are in the right place. For me I consider it was a blessing to

be in this group. I have learned a lot from others experiences with their

children, besided getting the answers of our questions from the advisors of

this list as well as the advise of the experienced parents. Hope God will

help you to get the problem solved with your daughter & go back to normar

life.

Huda

>From: " todd mowry " <mowry@...>

>Reply-

>< >

>Subject: hi, i'm new to this group

>Date: Thu, 14 Jun 2001 14:21:14 -0700

>

>hi. i have a 10 year old daughter who has just been recently diagnosed with

>ocd. she had a severe anxiety problem in the fall and got better within a

>couple of months and was off her meds. now this is a bigger problem then

>that. before she was on 10mg of paxil and did get some counseling and her

>symptoms completely disappeared. now she is on 20mg of paxil, plus 2 mg of

>lorazepam and we will know by next week if the 20mg has started working.

>she has been on meds for about 31/2 weeks now. i've come here to get some

>encouragement and support. this is really taking its toll on our family

>life. most people don't understand this at all. i hope i've come to the

>right place. blessings, amy

_________________________________________________________________________

Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com.

[Guest guest]

Hi Amy!

Welcome to the group. I'm Joni, mom of 3 sons, (19), (17

w/ADHD+mild OCD) and (10) with OCD- severe at times without

meds.

I joined this list a few months ago when 's OCD was at it's

worst!! At that time, OCD was destroying our home, my marriage, my

relationship with my older sons, our hopes and dreams for our son

to have a happy childhood, not to mention what it was doing to

HIM!! His brothers didn't understand him, *I* didn't understand him,

and he had no friends.

The first thing we did was take him to a psychiatrist. We tried

three or more meds before we finally found relief. He's on Luvox now

(150mgs 3xa day) and doing ERP therapy once a week, sometimes once

every other week.

I'm happy to report that is over the worst of it. But, there

was a time when I didn't think I'd get through another day. It's

hard to believe that only 18 mos. ago, was afraid of a tornado

when a cloud passed by and had severe panic attacks. Then, he

wouldn't eat anything other than carrots and water at school (can you

imagine what the teachers thought? LOL I took alot of heat from

well-meaning people who'd say, 'ummm... I think needs a well-

balanced diet! Have you tried packing him something for lunch other

than carrots?' Ha! I wish it were that easy!) Then, this year,

most of that went away with SSRI's (namely Paxil) and he started to

eat like a normal kid (and actually started gaining too much

weight!), but new, stronger compulsions took their place. He

couldn't get clean enough in the bathroom and wiped himself RAW!

When THAT subsided w/ yet another med change, here comes the hand

washing thing and the millions of reassurance-seeking questions 'Am I

going to throw-up? Are you sure? How do you know?? Will I get

sick? Tell me I won't get sick!! Tell me!! Are my hands clean? I

don't need to wash my hands, right? Right? Right?.....'

arghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

And yeah... I fell for it, hook, line and sinker. Even though I know

about enabling because I've had co-dependency issues since childhood

and I've been to groups, read books, etc... I still fell for it and

enabled OCD and gave it TOO MUCH POWER over our lives.

Well, I'm proud to report that I'm an OCD enabler NO MORE! And,

the less I buy into 's stuff, the better he gets. When he sees

Mom and Dad not reacting to OCD-- he doesn't react. When I don't

answer OCD, or limit the number of times I do answer, he minimizes

OCD too. When I make OCD a monster and believe that he's 'disabled'

by some evil/negative force - OCD gets worse because OCD LIVES to be

acknowledged. We no longer give it any free room and board inside

our heads or in our house!!!

The next few months will be tough for you and your daughter as you

try different medications. But, don't forget: 'That which doesn't

kill me MAKES ME STRONGER!'

I believe that you and your daughter will be fine, she will improve

with the right medication and ERP therapy, and once OCD loses it's

grip on her, your family will be well on the way to being happy

and 'normal' again. Keep the faith! And, keep coming back for

support. We all understand and you are NEVER alone!

Joni

> hi. i have a 10 year old daughter who has just been recently

diagnosed with ocd. she had a severe anxiety problem in the fall and

got better within a couple of months and was off her meds. now this

is a bigger problem then that. before she was on 10mg of paxil and

did get some counseling and her symptoms completely disappeared. now

she is on 20mg of paxil, plus 2 mg of lorazepam and we will know by

next week if the 20mg has started working. she has been on meds for

about 31/2 weeks now. i've come here to get some encouragement and

support. this is really taking its toll on our family life. most

people don't understand this at all. i hope i've come to the right

place. blessings, amy

[Guest guest]

Amy,

Welcome! We all know how hard OCD can be on the kids that have it, their

family and their friends. It is a struggle! Please come and talk with us and

you will feel much less alone!

Amy in Ohio

_________________________________________________________________

Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com

[Guest guest]

Hi -

Welcome to our group. I am sure you will get a lot of support and motivation along your journey.

I am , 41 single mom of 3 boys (12, 14 and 16 [on Mon]) and live in WA. I've been doing "this" for a little over 3 years and have lost roughly 60-65 lbs. I used to go to Curves and WW and am taking a breather from both.

Exercise-wise right now I am walking, jogging (attempting) and doing my workout videos at home.

Food-wise, I am following the Thin Within eating program, which is eating between hunger/fullness....

Uhhhhhhhh - that's it LOL - nice to meet you again, congrats on the lbs you have lost so far and good luck on the rest of the journey.

in WA310/246.4/170 I've lost 70 inches from my body!More of Him, less of meIf you are doing your best, you will not have time to worry about failure. -- Hillyerhttp://www.extrapounds.com/blog/finaleffort/index.php Looking for simple solutions to your real-life financial challenges? Check out WalletPop for the latest news and information, tips and calculators.

[Guest guest]

Hi . it is nice to meet you. I am . I live in OK and I need to lose 131 pounds. right now my goal is to lose 20 and I hope to do that by the end of the year. I am counting calories and carb. I am doing a low carb high protein diet. So far I have lost 3 pounds and I hope to lose more. It has been hard getting back in to the swing of counting. I was faithful for a while and then I got discouraged and quit. I gained 20 pounds in 6 weeks time. I have diabetes and a whole slew of other health problems as well. Good luck on your journey and congrats on the weight lost so far.

From: <luvs_cats@...>Subject: Hi, I'm new to this group100-plus Date: Tuesday, September 23, 2008, 7:15 PM

Hello, my name is . I am new to this group and I am in need of all the help I can get. I have had a weight problem all my life and finally, at the age of 57, I have made my mind up to lose the weight I need to lose for my health's sake. I have diabetes along with other health complications, so I really need to lose. I started a diet on May 1st, 2008...so far I have lost 45 pounds. I really would like to keep this up and lose the rest. I need to lose an additional 137 pounds. I have been married 34 years, no children...just three cats. I live in NC, love to go to the mountains whenever I can. I am counting calories for now and trying to exercise as much as my health permits. I am looking forward to getting help from this group...such as recipes, tips, and defintely, encouragement. ..as I will try to encourage others as well.Thanks for reading my post and I will look forward to hearing

from anyone!Take care,

[Guest guest]

Hi , it's nice to meet you too. It's good to know I am not alone in my weight loss adventure. Congrats on your loss so far...I know you will continue to lose. It's interesting to see that you are a diabetic also...we have a lot in common it seems. How does the low carb high protein diet work for you with you being a diabetic? I try to watch my carbs also simply for the fact that my doctor advised me to eat a certain number of carbs per meal. Sometimes I don't eat the amount he said and my sugar drops too low. It's a never ending battle...weight loss and diabetes that is. The reason I am counting my calories is because I feel that if I count my calories and watch my portion sizes, I can eat most of the things I like and not feel like I am depriving myself of anything I absolutely HAVE to have every onece in a while...if you know what I mean. Like they say, it's all a mind thing...at least it is for me. So far, it's working for me.

I need to lose 137 pounds, as I have said before...but that's my long term goal. My short term goal is to lose 10% of my current weight at a time. So, for this goal, I need to lose 30 pounds. I have 18 pounds to lose to meet that goal. I think we should set our "mini-goals" to be realistic about our weight loss, don't you? It is easy for us to get discouraged...I know I do and have in the past. I have been on so many diets it's just unreal! This time I have finally made my mind up and I am determined to reach my goal...even if it takes me two or three years! You know the saying, you didn't gain in overnight and you won't lose it overnight...or something like that. In the past, on my previous diets, whenever I got off my diet and ate "bad" foods which made me gain instead of lose, I would just quit and give up. This time I have realized that if I gain during my diet, it doesn't mean I have to quit...just get back on my diet and keep going. I have been on my diet since May 1st of this year and yes, I have been "bad"...gained a few pounds here and there...gotten discouraged...but I try to look at what I have lost so far and tell myself...don't quit...keep going. I have little sayings all over my fridge...things like "Don't let a lapse become a collapse!" and "I get out of it what I put into it!". You know, that's true...nobody is responsible for my being overweight but me...so, it's totally up to me to put some effort in it.

How long have you been on your diet? I wish you all the best and please let me and everyone else know how you are doing. Keep up the good work! I'm looking forward to hearing from you again!

Take care,

--"Life is 10% what you make it and 90% how you take it."

--------- Hi, I'm new to this group100-plus Date: Tuesday, September 23, 2008, 7:15 PM

Hello, my name is . I am new to this group and I am in need of all the help I can get. I have had a weight problem all my life and finally, at the age of 57, I have made my mind up to lose the weight I need to lose for my health's sake. I have diabetes along with other health complications, so I really need to lose. I started a diet on May 1st, 2008...so far I have lost 45 pounds. I really would like to keep this up and lose the rest. I need to lose an additional 137 pounds. I have been married 34 years, no children...just three cats. I live in NC, love to go to the mountains whenever I can. I am counting calories for now and trying to exercise as much as my health permits. I am looking forward to getting help from this group...such as recipes, tips, and defintely, encouragement. ..as I will try to encourage others as well.Thanks for reading my post and I will look forward to hearing from anyone!Take care,

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

Thanks for the welcome! I am looking forward to being in this group. I know it will help me on my weight loss journey.

Take care!

--"Life is 10% what you make it and 90% how you take it."

-------------- Original message from ABrite@...: --------------

Hi -

Welcome to our group. I am sure you will get a lot of support and motivation along your journey.

I am , 41 single mom of 3 boys (12, 14 and 16 [on Mon]) and live in WA. I've been doing "this" for a little over 3 years and have lost roughly 60-65 lbs. I used to go to Curves and WW and am taking a breather from both.

Exercise-wise right now I am walking, jogging (attempting) and doing my workout videos at home.

Food-wise, I am following the Thin Within eating program, which is eating between hunger/fullness....

Uhhhhhhhh - that's it LOL - nice to meet you again, congrats on the lbs you have lost so far and good luck on the rest of the journey.

in WA310/246.4/170 I've lost 70 inches from my body!More of Him, less of meIf you are doing your best, you will not have time to worry about failure. -- Hillyerhttp://www.extrapounds.com/blog/finaleffort/index.php

Looking for simple solutions to your real-life financial challenges? Check out WalletPop for the latest news and information, tips and calculators.

[Guest guest]

welcome. I am behind on my email. 45 lbs since May. That is awesome. Counting seems to be working for you keep it up. I to love the mountains.

N.H.Looking for simple solutions to your real-life financial challenges? Check out WalletPop for the latest news and information, tips and calculators.

[Guest guest]

Thanks . I am trying hard to lose my weight. I have been on numerous diets and I think for me, at least, counting calories might work better. I don't feel as if I am depriving myself of some of the foods that I "must" have. I am trying to exercise as much as my disability will let me. I need support because right now I am at a plateau...have been for the past two weeks. What's up with that, do you think? It's like my body is giving up. I haven't changed my eating any, but I am NOT giving up!

Thanks for the welcome. Looking forward to talking to u again!

332.8/284.6/158 (final goal)

--"Life is 10% what you make it and 90% how you take it."

-------------- Original message from Jase0157@...: --------------

welcome. I am behind on my email. 45 lbs since May. That is awesome. Counting seems to be working for you keep it up. I to love the mountains.

N.H.

Looking for simple solutions to your real-life financial challenges? Check out WalletPop for the latest news and information, tips and calculators.