Re: New subscriber with six year old ocd and Tourette's

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

Welcome to the group. Everyone here is very helpful and

supportive. Our 17 yr old son has OCD, but he does not hoard nor

has he had bathroom issues. His symptoms are mainly contamination

issues. I know hoarding is very common with OCD. I know I have

seen at least a few other members mention their children having

bathroom issues as part of their OCD. Is your son doing any kind of

therapy to help with the OCD?

Take care

Connie

>

> Hi everyone,

> I have been reading some of the archives and much of what I read

has been helpful. Just

> know there are others out there with the same questions and

issues. I have a six year old son

> who was diagnosed with ocd and Tourette's at age 5, but only after

several years of us

> agonizing over what could be causing his behaviors. His symptoms

started when he was just

> 2 1/2 years old and were then just about controlling situations--

doing things in a particular

> order. (we were told at first that he was just having trouble

adjusting to his new sibling)

> However, now his problems include " bad thoughts " , trash hoarding,

and most recently a

> compulsion to use the bathroom (urinate) before he can do anything

else. This is becoming a

> problem at school, as he feels the need to use the bathroom before

the class begins each

> new activity. Earlier this week, things came to an all time low

when he cried and begged to

> stay home from school just so he could be near the bathroom all

day. He was very upset to

> miss school because he loves school and is a good student. He is

an extremely wonderful

> child--fun loving, well behaved, etc, but the OCD thing is making

his life miserable. His

> Tourette's has not yet been a huge issue because he has mild tics

and none of the kids his

> age have even noticed, so not a social issue for him.

> Has anyone else experienced this compulsion to urinate constantly

or the trash hoarding

> compulsion? I'm am starting to feel overwhelmed by all of these

issues...and most of all I just

> want my child to be happy again.

> Thanks,

>

[Guest guest]

thanks for the responses. It's nice to hear from others who understand!

I dug around in the archives and found all kinds of people reporting the

frequent

bathroom trips as part of ocd, mostly associated with PANDAS. I have been

wondering

about the connection between my son's strep infections and the ocd, so I think I

am going

to look into that some more. The good news is that he was able to go back to

school

yesterday and seemed fairly happy when he returned home. (his teachers are being

very

understanding about the multiple trips to the bathroom). Then last night he

could not fall

asleep because of the bad thoughts. Specifically, what will happen if he is in

the bathroom

at school and the fire alarm goes off and he can't leave the bathroom because he

might

need to go again right away. How do you answer questions like this? It is so

exasperating,

but also amazing what their brains can come up with. Then this morning, he

went in and

out of the bathroom about 20 times while getting ready for school, but seemed

happy

enough to leave for school.

, I used your idea of saying that he should just wet his pants, rather then

going in

and out of the bathroom all evening. He thought that was pretty funny to tell

ocd it would

just have to wet his pants instead of bothering him. Not sure if it will work in

the long run,

but he was having fun outside last night and not thinking about using the

bathroom.

> > >

> > > Hi everyone,

> > > I have been reading some of the archives and much of what I read

> > has been helpful. Just

> > > know there are others out there with the same questions and

> > issues. I have a six year old son

> > > who was diagnosed with ocd and Tourette's at age 5, but only after

> > several years of us

> > > agonizing over what could be causing his behaviors. His symptoms

> > started when he was just

> > > 2 1/2 years old and were then just about controlling situations--

> > doing things in a particular

> > > order. (we were told at first that he was just having trouble

> > adjusting to his new sibling)

> > > However, now his problems include " bad thoughts " , trash hoarding,

> > and most recently a

> > > compulsion to use the bathroom (urinate) before he can do anything

> > else. This is becoming a

> > > problem at school, as he feels the need to use the bathroom before

> > the class begins each

> > > new activity. Earlier this week, things came to an all time low

> > when he cried and begged to

> > > stay home from school just so he could be near the bathroom all

> > day. He was very upset to

> > > miss school because he loves school and is a good student. He is

> > an extremely wonderful

> > > child--fun loving, well behaved, etc, but the OCD thing is making

> > his life miserable. His

> > > Tourette's has not yet been a huge issue because he has mild tics

> > and none of the kids his

> > > age have even noticed, so not a social issue for him.

> > > Has anyone else experienced this compulsion to urinate constantly

> > or the trash hoarding

> > > compulsion? I'm am starting to feel overwhelmed by all of these

> > issues...and most of all I just

> > > want my child to be happy again.

> > > Thanks,

> > >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

[Guest guest]

,

My son also goes through phases where he feels he has to go to the

bathroom constantly. It is more apparent at school than at home. At

school his teachers will tell him he will have to wait until an

activity is over or they will remind him example - You just went

before recess so now you will have to wait until it is time to go to

library - while it postpones they activity - he also knows when he

will be able to go again and know that it will be before a transition -

which also helps him ease through the transition.

Dawn

(my son is 8 and has been diagnosed with ADHD, anxiety and OCD)

[Guest guest]

>

> ,

>

> My son also goes through phases where he feels he has to go to the

> bathroom constantly. It is more apparent at school than at home. At

> school his teachers will tell him he will have to wait until an

> activity is over or they will remind him example - You just went

> before recess so now you will have to wait until it is time to go to

> library - while it postpones they activity - he also knows when he

> will be able to go again and know that it will be before a transition -

> which also helps him ease through the transition.

>

> Dawn

> (my son is 8 and has been diagnosed with ADHD, anxiety and OCD)

>

Hi Dawn---I read to my son from the book " What to do when your brain gets stuck "

and

we decided to try some of the exercises in it, including the delay technique

that you

describe in your message. He did much better at school Friday, and has all but

dropped

the issue here at home over the weekend. I'm not sure if it is the fact that he

has been on

antibiotics for several days (and I suspect his ocd is tied to strep infections)

or if it is just a

coincidence. Either way it is nice to have advice from someone who has been

there and

tried techniques that have worked.

Hope all the mothers had a nice mother's day!