Guest guest Posted April 28, 2007 Report Share Posted April 28, 2007 , First off, know that you are not alone. Your son's symptoms sound just like my DD's, who just turned 10. She has the same need to confess everything that she " thinks " she may have done. She is also an A student, and does not have problems in school. I also know that the wait to get in with a therapist is hard--as a parent we want to start fixing things right away. I took her to 3 different people until I finally found someone experienced in treating children with OCD. We also go through the reassurance stuff at night--my daughter needs to be told that she will wake up in the morning. We have dealt with some sexual thoughts as well. We started CBT and ERP about 5 weeks ago, and we have started to see some improvement in some behaviors--but we still have a long way to go. It's been really hard on our whole family. Just wanted to let you know I understand what you are going through. Feel free to e-mail me privately if you want to since it appears our kids have a lot in common. Take care, > > Hello all, first of all, I am sooo glad to have found this group!! > My name is and I have a 9 y.o. ds that I believe has OCD. > We are set to see a therapist in 1 1/2 months. Hi symptoms have come > at us with avengance that last 3 months although I have noticed OCD > symptoms since he was 3. He started with a ritual of things he would > say to us before bed at night and they had to be said the exact same > way, in the exact same order and if he messed them up, he would have > to start over. That passed after a few months. > He has always been a very anxious child but more recently, he feels > the need to confess everything. " i think I cut so and so in line at > school " or " I think I hit so and so in the arm with a pencil " and so > on. These " confessions " take at least 1/2 hour everyday after school. > Most of the compulsions come at night, he cannot go to bed without > asking for reassurance 15 times that he will be able to sleep. I have > also found him up in his room re-arranging things (nothing can be > touching or nothing hanging on the edge of something for fear it will > fall in the night). Bathroom issues are also a problem...he will go > right before bed and then get up 15 more times because he feels like > he still has to go or will change his pjs because he thinks he got a > drop of pee on them. he also never feels like he wiped well enough > and has to always ask " Do I have poop on my butt?' > The last 3 weeks though have been the most disturbing for me. He is > obsessed with sexual thoughts. He will say he sees his teacher with > her clothes off or he is afraid that he touched someone > inappropriately (even though he and I both know he didnt). > I am so desperate to help him and my heart breaks ever time he tells > me that her worries constantly. The other night he told me that he he > doesnt feel like he belongs in the world and that he is " bad " because > of all the bad thoughts he has about people. He says he calls them > names in his head or has disturbing images of hurting people or > something happening to someone he loves. I am heartbroken for him:- ( > > Im so sorry this is so long. It feels good to get it all out. I have > been worried sick for him and no one seems to understand. he is a > straight A student and hardly every misbehaves. His teachers LOVE him > to death and say he is the model child. All of his OCD symptoms come > out at home, never at school, which makes me look like Im nutso. > > Thanks for letting me join this group, I am so thankful to find others > who understand. > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 28, 2007 Report Share Posted April 28, 2007 , First off, know that you are not alone. Your son's symptoms sound just like my DD's, who just turned 10. She has the same need to confess everything that she " thinks " she may have done. She is also an A student, and does not have problems in school. I also know that the wait to get in with a therapist is hard--as a parent we want to start fixing things right away. I took her to 3 different people until I finally found someone experienced in treating children with OCD. We also go through the reassurance stuff at night--my daughter needs to be told that she will wake up in the morning. We have dealt with some sexual thoughts as well. We started CBT and ERP about 5 weeks ago, and we have started to see some improvement in some behaviors--but we still have a long way to go. It's been really hard on our whole family. Just wanted to let you know I understand what you are going through. Feel free to e-mail me privately if you want to since it appears our kids have a lot in common. Take care, > > Hello all, first of all, I am sooo glad to have found this group!! > My name is and I have a 9 y.o. ds that I believe has OCD. > We are set to see a therapist in 1 1/2 months. Hi symptoms have come > at us with avengance that last 3 months although I have noticed OCD > symptoms since he was 3. He started with a ritual of things he would > say to us before bed at night and they had to be said the exact same > way, in the exact same order and if he messed them up, he would have > to start over. That passed after a few months. > He has always been a very anxious child but more recently, he feels > the need to confess everything. " i think I cut so and so in line at > school " or " I think I hit so and so in the arm with a pencil " and so > on. These " confessions " take at least 1/2 hour everyday after school. > Most of the compulsions come at night, he cannot go to bed without > asking for reassurance 15 times that he will be able to sleep. I have > also found him up in his room re-arranging things (nothing can be > touching or nothing hanging on the edge of something for fear it will > fall in the night). Bathroom issues are also a problem...he will go > right before bed and then get up 15 more times because he feels like > he still has to go or will change his pjs because he thinks he got a > drop of pee on them. he also never feels like he wiped well enough > and has to always ask " Do I have poop on my butt?' > The last 3 weeks though have been the most disturbing for me. He is > obsessed with sexual thoughts. He will say he sees his teacher with > her clothes off or he is afraid that he touched someone > inappropriately (even though he and I both know he didnt). > I am so desperate to help him and my heart breaks ever time he tells > me that her worries constantly. The other night he told me that he he > doesnt feel like he belongs in the world and that he is " bad " because > of all the bad thoughts he has about people. He says he calls them > names in his head or has disturbing images of hurting people or > something happening to someone he loves. I am heartbroken for him:- ( > > Im so sorry this is so long. It feels good to get it all out. I have > been worried sick for him and no one seems to understand. he is a > straight A student and hardly every misbehaves. His teachers LOVE him > to death and say he is the model child. All of his OCD symptoms come > out at home, never at school, which makes me look like Im nutso. > > Thanks for letting me join this group, I am so thankful to find others > who understand. > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 28, 2007 Report Share Posted April 28, 2007 Hi , I've been a member of this group for several years and I don't think there is one thing you mentioned that I haven't read here before. And even for children much younger than your son. The reassurance, the sexual thoughts, images, the need to do/say things in order or have a certain way, the pee issues, the wiping.... And the feeling like he is a " bad " person. SIGH! OCD is such a terrible illness! Letting the OCD out at home but seemingly not elsewhere is also common. Home is home, the safe place. And it can seem worse at home too, after they hold back all day elsewhere. Oh and even when we had guests at home and my son would go about the house just fine while they were there, it was worse than usual when they left, OCD just bursting out! I mentioned the following site in a previous post tonight, and you may have seen it in any research you've done online, but this is a good site for information about OCD, covers a lot of the behaviors and can give you a good idea of what the therapy will include: http://www.homestead.com/westsuffolkpsych/Articles.html At above site, these might be good to read with some of your son's symptoms (though do read the others too, they're all good): http://www.homestead.com/westsuffolkpsych/TeenMorbidThoughts.html http://www.homestead.com/westsuffolkpsych/Treat_Morbid.html The article " A Touching Story " described my son the best when his OCD began. He's 18 now, his OCD started around age 11.5. These days his OCD falls more under the article " Let He Who is Without Sin " . His OCD hasn't been bad all these years, wax and wane and even seemed " gone " at times to me (but never really was). The recent problems began a year ago with the religious stuff. Never found a therapist in our area so I just researched, read and got a LOT of help from this great group! He would have made much faster and better progress with a " real " therapist and not just " mom " I'm sure! Have you gotten any kids books about OCD yet? There are some great ones out there that could help him understand about OCD and that it's the bossy OCD bully and not *him* at all that is causing all the behaviors, thoughts, etc. single mom, 3 sons , 18, with OCD, dysgraphia and Aspergers/autism (mild) > > Hello all, first of all, I am sooo glad to have found this group!! > My name is and I have a 9 y.o. ds that I believe has OCD. > We are set to see a therapist in 1 1/2 months. Hi symptoms have come Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 2, 2007 Report Share Posted May 2, 2007 , I, also, just joined and have a son with very similar issues...he is constantly thinking he said or did something...he also went through the frequent pottying stage...the confessions are constant. My wife thought up the idea of having worry time once a day for 10 minutes, where he could confess everything. She uses a timer and allows him to talk about whatever he needs...he also gets to decide whether he has it or not, but he always has it. I think it takes the edge off, but am really wondering whether it will work over the long run. He just has his first visit with the " worry doctor " and did a great job explaining what is happening. The doctor said she was going to diagnose him with OCD. This has been especially hard on my wife because many of his obsessions have been directed at her... " What if I do not love you anymore...will you still love me? " Underneath that, I think his mom's love is so important to him, that he fears he will do something or say something that will compromise that. That's where his fears, and subsequent confessions go. I wish he would direct them at me to spare her. We are learning as fast as we can...which is not fast enough. In our relationship, we are so used to leaning on eachother, but neither of us has any answers, which make it especially hard. My question for other readers is...how do the parents get the info on what we need to do at home? We do not want to start something that would undermine the therapist's approach, but also do not want to wait. Do we need to meet with the therapist after each visit? Do we call later? -Hillery > > Hello all, first of all, I am sooo glad to have found this group!! > My name is and I have a 9 y.o. ds that I believe has OCD. > We are set to see a therapist in 1 1/2 months. Hi symptoms have come > at us with avengance that last 3 months although I have noticed OCD > symptoms since he was 3. He started with a ritual of things he would > say to us before bed at night and they had to be said the exact same > way, in the exact same order and if he messed them up, he would have > to start over. That passed after a few months. > He has always been a very anxious child but more recently, he feels > the need to confess everything. " i think I cut so and so in line at > school " or " I think I hit so and so in the arm with a pencil " and so > on. These " confessions " take at least 1/2 hour everyday after school. > Most of the compulsions come at night, he cannot go to bed without > asking for reassurance 15 times that he will be able to sleep. I have > also found him up in his room re-arranging things (nothing can be > touching or nothing hanging on the edge of something for fear it will > fall in the night). Bathroom issues are also a problem...he will go > right before bed and then get up 15 more times because he feels like > he still has to go or will change his pjs because he thinks he got a > drop of pee on them. he also never feels like he wiped well enough > and has to always ask " Do I have poop on my butt?' > The last 3 weeks though have been the most disturbing for me. He is > obsessed with sexual thoughts. He will say he sees his teacher with > her clothes off or he is afraid that he touched someone > inappropriately (even though he and I both know he didnt). > I am so desperate to help him and my heart breaks ever time he tells > me that her worries constantly. The other night he told me that he he > doesnt feel like he belongs in the world and that he is " bad " because > of all the bad thoughts he has about people. He says he calls them > names in his head or has disturbing images of hurting people or > something happening to someone he loves. I am heartbroken for him:- ( > > Im so sorry this is so long. It feels good to get it all out. I have > been worried sick for him and no one seems to understand. he is a > straight A student and hardly every misbehaves. His teachers LOVE him > to death and say he is the model child. All of his OCD symptoms come > out at home, never at school, which makes me look like Im nutso. > > Thanks for letting me join this group, I am so thankful to find others > who understand. > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 2, 2007 Report Share Posted May 2, 2007 <<I, also, just joined and have a son with very similar issues...he is constantly thinking he said or did something.>> , I also JUST joined this group, but I want you to know you are not alone. We too are just starting out on the road to getting help but your son soundsVERY much like my daughter. Some of the issues I didn't even realize were ocd related until I read your post. (I was starting to suspect, but not sure), like thinking that she bumped/ or scratched me or someone all the time or did something that would upset someone when it really was nothing to worry about. We also deal with the potty issue and that is what led me to finally seek help. I am so relieved to be on the path to getting help. When I finally put two and two together and realized it is likely ocd, I sent my husband a link to one site that I thought described my daughter and he couldn't even see it because she directs all her energy at me, most of the time. Looking more closely, we now realize that my husband also has some of the traits but they are not quite as disruptive. Looking back I can see other things that were likely related that I never realized. We are also waiting for an apt. with a therapist but in the meantime I did try a low does of meds. (1cc Zoloft) She has only taken them twice before bed now but today she is already having a better day. She fed the horse an apple without asking me if it was okay. (hasn't done that in a long time, afraid she might make her pony sick, as her last one died but not related to anything we did.he was old and we tried everything to help him) She only wiped 3 times when she peed twice today. (yesterday must have been 10-15 wipes each time and she was still stressed) She also has not been so repetitive in her speech today. I know the real help will come with the therapy but in the meantime we needed help and whether or not it is the medicine or the idea that it might be, or just that we are having a good day, I don't know but it's good to see my little girl back to her less anxious self. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 28, 2008 Report Share Posted February 28, 2008 Hi, My name is Ravi and my husband and I have a 6 ½ yr old son w/ DS. We joined this group to “meet” other parents of children w/ DS. We hope to hear your experiences and share some of our own as well. Thanks, Ravi- www.raisingdowns.com " Raising our son with Down Syndrome " Art by Yahya: <http://www.raisingdowns.com/art> http://www.raisingdowns.com/art Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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