Sheree

[Guest guest]

Sheree,

>>Dear : I read your posts and I just wonder : How do you do it?

How do you manage to sound so up all the time. I am crying as I write this

because I feel so sad for my daughter and so frustrated because nothing I do

to help her works. Some days she seems like a " normal " child and other days

it seems almost hopeless. What is your secret? Sheree<<

>

There is no secret. I just have learned that if I get over anxious,

nothing will get accomplished. Drugs help, no, not the illegal ones! I am on

anti-depresants to cope with the stress. I look for humour when none is

around - like laughing when I want to yell. the kids know that i'm not your

average mom!!

I cry too, but from frustrations. I then do my best to problem solve and

work out a solution. I think that in the next few years I will be opening a

residential treatment centre for ocd kids, since NONE exsist!! I guess I'm

just one of those people that is always looking for mischief (watch out at

the OCSDA conference) because otherwise life would get boring!!

I also have a network of friends that I can call and 'dump' on. some are

for married life, others for kids, others just in general (dont want to over

burden them!!). I am VERY open about my kids having and illness, close

friends know that Yigal, my husband, has ocd too. I say it very matter of

factly - like when there are two police cruisers outside, and I say to the

neighbour: " that ocd monster is here again " smile and walk away. They never

say a word to me, in fact, I often ask them to lend a hand, as I would

expect them to do with any disabled child. It may help that I'm a socialist

at heart!!hehehe

Seriously, sheree, laugh sometimes at life. If you see something funny

like different colours of clothing or nail polish, laugh and comment on

their fashion sense - such originality! When Ziv shaved her eyebrows this

weekend, of course I was worried about self-injury, but to her, I shrugged

and went to look for an eyebrow pencil!! Thank goodness she has bangs and

glasses!!

Know that one day this will pass, each stage is just a moment in the lives

of our kids, dont dwell too much... But, most of all, take a break!! OH, I

know, I NEVER do payed work on Fridays. It is my ME day. Lately it has been

occupied with stuff for the kids, but its still a ME day.

Please take care, and write whenever you want to, I'm here...

wendy