new to group

[Guest guest]

Welcome, Debbie.

I'm glad you found us. This is a great group of supportive people,

who will " get " what you are going through. It's a great place to

vent, share, and gather info.

Our son also showed signs of OCD for years, but we just didn't know

what we were looking at. My husband's whole family has it, including

him, but are undiagnosed. As I read and learned more about OCD, I

looked at them and thought " Omygosh! " .

I'm not surprised that the doctor doesn't know or understand OCD. We

ran into that a lot for years. We went to therapists for years, who

tried all kinds of things that didn't work. Once I learned about OCD,

and found out what the right type of therapy was, I was on a mission

to help our son get as well as he could.

There are some great books available, out there. We are fortunate to

have the authors of some of them available to us, to ask questions of,

through our administrator, Louis.

Some of our favorite books are:

What to do when your Child has Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder by Aureen

Pinto Wagner Ph.D.

Freeing Your Child from Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder by Tamar E. Chansky

Helping Your Child With Ocd: A Workbook for Parents of Children With

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder by Lee Fitzgibbons and Cherry Pedrick

Talking Back to OCD by March

The last two are workbooks that walk you through CBT and ERP, in case

you cannot find a therapist that uses it. They can be hard to find at

times.

You say you've seen a specialist. Is that a therapist, or a

psychiatrist? If a therapist. .Do they use CBT and ERP? It's so very

important that they do.

If you are looking for someone, let me know. I can share some things

that helped us find someone, during our 3 month search.

Glad you are here.

BJ

>

> Hi, I am also new to the group. My daughter, 14, was just diagnosed

yesterday, so don't feel bad Sherri! When I think back, I think she's

exhibited signs of this as early as 4, but like you, thought it was

just an interesting part of her character. She always liked routine

and was very organized; I thought that was a good thing!

> What led us to a diagnosis finally was the full-blown version came

to roost on her about 15 days ago, when school started. She became

anxious about the sawdust in her new shop class, and at a birthday

party, someone talked about dying in your sleep. Her mind fixated on

worry about getting sick or things hurting her (like germs) that would

make her die.

> It got so bad the school had us come get her one day, though we sent

her back the next day. We felt if we allowed her to stay home, it

would just feed the fear. Her medical doctor prescribed Valium!!

Grrrr! After all, let's not figure out what's wrong, just tranquilize

the kid!

> Well, after much research, I thought she might have OCD and took her

to a specialist. They confirmed my suspicions. So here I am, also

looking for support and advice, wondering where to start for treatment.

> Debbie

>

> ____________________________________________________________

> Need cash? Click to get a cash advance.

>

http://thirdpartyoffers.netzero.net/TGL2241/fc/Ioyw6i4tF3Ck4LAbOJadOen6yZTSFRONA\

0pPtmN5SNmo7ODG93R1MF/

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hi, BJ, thanks for the welcome!

I found our therapist at the OC foundation website, she is trained in the ERP,

and CBT. But I will definitely look into the workbooks, because she is so far

away and very expensive. We'll probably go to her to get started, and then

maybe work on it ourselves with only occasional visits. That's not the way I'd

like to do it, but our finances just don't allow for twice weekly visits at $140

each. I tnink we're going to try the meds, and maybe some hypnotherapy (we do

have one in town), and the fish oil, too. Lots of good ideas here!

Debbie

____________________________________________________________

Click here to find the satellite television package that meets your needs.

http://thirdpartyoffers.netzero.net/TGL2241/fc/Ioyw6i4tvKJk1gM9GYBsAS9vIwZu1XxSG\

gg4wXAPNdxJfxuCZA2JA1/

[Guest guest]

Welcome Debbie. I'm new to the group as well. My daughter was just

diagnosed last month. Her obsessions are centered around health or

safety mostly. They are bizarre and frightening to say the least. I'm

finding hope here amongst people who get what we are going through.

>

>

> >

> > Hi, I am also new to the group. My daughter, 14, was just

diagnosed

> yesterday, so don't feel bad Sherri! When I think back, I think

she's

> exhibited signs of this as early as 4, but like you, thought it was

> just an interesting part of her character. She always liked routine

> and was very organized; I thought that was a good thing!

> > What led us to a diagnosis finally was the full-blown version came

> to roost on her about 15 days ago, when school started. She became

> anxious about the sawdust in her new shop class, and at a birthday

> party, someone talked about dying in your sleep. Her mind fixated

on

> worry about getting sick or things hurting her (like germs) that

would

> make her die.

> > It got so bad the school had us come get her one day, though we

sent

> her back the next day. We felt if we allowed her to stay home, it

> would just feed the fear. Her medical doctor prescribed Valium!!

> Grrrr! After all, let's not figure out what's wrong, just

tranquilize

> the kid!

> > Well, after much research, I thought she might have OCD and took

her

> to a specialist. They confirmed my suspicions. So here I am, also

> looking for support and advice, wondering where to start for

treatment.

> > Debbie

> >

> > ____________________________________________________________

> > Need cash? Click to get a cash advance.

> >

>

http://thirdpartyoffers.netzero.net/TGL2241/fc/Ioyw6i4tF3Ck4LAbOJadOen

6yZTSFRONA0pPtmN5SNmo7ODG93R1MF/

> >

> >

[Guest guest]

Thanks for the advise and support. I have already ordered some of the books you

suggested.  We have been seeing a counselor for 6 months, but never dicussed

alternative therapies or any reading.  ???  So I am now searching for a new

therapist since I see there is now so much info on OCD>  I look forword to the

journey with you and others in this group.

Subject: Re: new to group

To:

Date: Thursday, September 4, 2008, 1:08 PM

Sorry about the blank reply. That is what happens when you start

something and get pulled away from it. . Only to come back and not

know where you left off. lol

Welcome. You should not feel guilty for something you didn't know.

) Our son struggled for a number of years and I had no idea what

was going on. . .But, then again, neither did doctors. So, the

question is, what do you do now that you know. The best thing is to

educate yourself as much as possible. Knowledge is power, with OCD.

There are wonderful books out there and can help immensely. Some of

our favorites are:

What to do when your Child has Obsessive-Compulsiv e Disorder by Aureen

Pinto Wagner Ph.D.

Freeing Your Child from Obsessive-Compulsiv e Disorder by Tamar E. Chansky

Helping Your Child With Ocd: A Workbook for Parents of Children With

Obsessive-Compulsiv e Disorder by Lee Fitzgibbons and Cherry Pedrick

Talking Back to OCD by March

The last two are workbooks that walk you through CBT and ERP, the only

therapy proven to work with OCD.

The best treatment is therapy with someone who knows and understand

how to treat OCD, using CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy) and ERP

(exposure and response prevention). The CBT needs to be specific to

OCD. If the therapy is too hard, due to anxiety, then meds can be

helpful in bringing down the level of anxiety so they can do the work.

Our son has been using ERP, very successfully. It's amazing what can

happen when you seek the right help.

You are being proactive now. That's what counts.

So very glad you found us and are here.

BJ

>

> Hi, my nine year old son was professionally diagnosed with

OCD-germs/washing 6 months ago.  He is on Paxil, which was like a

miracle drug. We finally got our little boy back.  I recognized

" symptoms " of the disoder at age 6, but brushed them off as just his

personality and unique characteristics.  However, I now see those were

early signs of the disorder. Since beginning 4th grade 3 weeks ago, we

are noticing what we think are ADD signs, but after some brief

internet research, I see these problems may be related to the OCD.  I

feel somewhat guilty for not being more proactive and being a " better

mom. "   I would love any support and advice.  Thanks and blessings to all.

>  

>  

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hello everyone, I am a mom of a 7 year old boy who has OCD. We have

been seeing a social worker trained in CBT since May. He does seem

to be doing much better right now, as he is very busy with school and

sports. My husband and I are trying to avoid putting him on

medication for now.

There were so many things that I now realize should have been red

flags to me when he was younger, however he is my first born and I

had no idea of what was " normal " . I have a 4 year old daughter and

now I see how things should have been for him. He always was very

clean, I never needed to tell him to wash his hands after he used the

bathroom, from the time he was potty trained. He was frightened by

so many things. He worried about everything and wasn't just having

fun like most of the other children. When he was 4 he would

constantly tell me that he had put his fingers in his mouth and ask

me if it was okay. He wouldn't touch anything that was pink

or " girly " , he couldn't eat or watch T.V. in room that had anything

pink in it.

It all came to a head when we went to Disney in April right before

his 7th birthday. Right before we left, another child in his class

had told him that his middle finger was a " bad finger " . He became

obsessed with not putting up his middle finger. He walked around

clenching his fingers. All day he would, as we were walking through

the parks, say " Mom, I put up the bad finger " even though he hadn't.

He was also obsessed with germs. We went trough bottles of Purell,

and he washed constantly. He didn't enjoy the trip at all, he was

miserable, my husband and I were miserable, it was awful.

[Guest guest]

Hi welcome to the group! I'm a single mom, had 3 sons and one has

OCD. My oldest son is now 23, the twins (one with OCD) are 19.

's OCD began in 6th grade. I was talking about " quirks " and

stuff in an earlier post. had some OCD " quirks " when younger

but never did I think it would get worse. The rest of us (me, other

2 sons) have had our quirks but nothing that got worse, was

interfering, etc.

So don't worry about the red flags you think you missed. You had no

way of knowing it could get worse, we never know what might turn " on "

that OCD switch, if it ever turns to " on, " even if OCD is known to be

in a family.

My OCD son, , is a twin (not identical). I remember him

worrying about that middle finger also, LOL, I'm sure all kids who

want to be " good " worry about it. (Hmmm...what does that say about

my other 2...? they were both a handful...) Now as to

staying " clean " -- reminds me of the other twin (no OCD) when he was

young. He did have some OCD briefly - preschool age I guess - but it

stopped. But didn't like to get dirty, changed clothes, washed

hands...and I'm not thinking about his OCD period, that was just

him. Like to have his room neat. Liked to write neat too, took

pride in that. That stopped around 3rd grade. The neatness

stopped...since he's been in college! well, a little before that.

The other twin and I were just talking about that last weekend,

comparing the 3 to how they were growing up and now. He seemed

surprised at some of my " revelations " or thoughts. Like I talked

about how neat he had to be growing up, he didn't remember that as

well as I did.

But when OCD gets involved in these little worries/fears, yes, it

takes over and is ever-present with anxiety. 24/7.

I'm glad you found a therapist and progress seems to be made. Do you

feel she's doing CBT targeted to OCD? With Exposure & Response

Prevention (ERP)?

>

> Hello everyone, I am a mom of a 7 year old boy who has OCD. We

have

> been seeing a social worker trained in CBT since May. He does seem

> to be doing much better right now, as he is very busy with school

and

[Guest guest]

Your sons sounds so much like my son who is now 9. Lots of the same behaviors,

the middle finger one too. Ben is doing so much better than when he was first

diagnosed. I think it is Pandas because it does seem to disappear completely and

then reappear when ill or even exposed to strep. But, the dr is not on board

with my diagnosis.

Ben hasn't been on meds, we use supplements, inositol and omega-3s. And we use

Kiddie Calmer from Natures Remedies. This group will really help. Ben learned

lots of coping skills from his therapist and we don't even see her right now.

She stopped taking our insurance, so that is a good thing. There are some great

books for kids. Mr. Worry was the best for him and we got the workbook " What to

do When Your Brain Gets Stuck " . That seemed to help some, though right now he

doesn't even want to talk about his ocd. Before, it was all he could talk about.

Things will get better.

Welcome to the group, it's a great place to share, vent and get info.

J

mom to Ben age 9

new to group

Hello everyone, I am a mom of a 7 year old boy who has OCD. We have

been seeing a social worker trained in CBT since May. He does seem

to be doing much better right now, as he is very busy with school and

sports. My husband and I are trying to avoid putting him on

medication for now.

There were so many things that I now realize should have been red

flags to me when he was younger, however he is my first born and I

had no idea of what was " normal " . I have a 4 year old daughter and

now I see how things should have been for him. He always was very

clean, I never needed to tell him to wash his hands after he used the

bathroom, from the time he was potty trained. He was frightened by

so many things. He worried about everything and wasn't just having

fun like most of the other children. When he was 4 he would

constantly tell me that he had put his fingers in his mouth and ask

me if it was okay. He wouldn't touch anything that was pink

or " girly " , he couldn't eat or watch T.V. in room that had anything

pink in it.

It all came to a head when we went to Disney in April right before

his 7th birthday. Right before we left, another child in his class

had told him that his middle finger was a " bad finger " . He became

obsessed with not putting up his middle finger. He walked around

clenching his fingers. All day he would, as we were walking through

the parks, say " Mom, I put up the bad finger " even though he hadn't.

He was also obsessed with germs. We went trough bottles of Purell,

and he washed constantly. He didn't enjoy the trip at all, he was

miserable, my husband and I were miserable, it was awful.

[Guest guest]

Yes, she is. She has me bring in items that are a problem for him.

Such as pink things that belong to my daughter, cleats, hockey

equipment, etc. to some of his sessions. We were going every week in

May and June and then missed a couple of weeks over vacations during

July and August. Now she wants us to keep coming every week again,

but I think he's doing well and he hates going, so I'd like to cut

back to at most every other week. I don't know if that's the right

thing to do, but I can't imagine him going every week for the rest of

his life! I don't know the course that this sort of therapy usually

takes. I'd like to continue doing the things that she taught us to

do and then go to her once a month or on an as needed basis. Besides

the fact that it's getting very expensive!

> >

> > Hello everyone, I am a mom of a 7 year old boy who has OCD. We

> have

> > been seeing a social worker trained in CBT since May. He does

seem

> > to be doing much better right now, as he is very busy with school

> and

>

[Guest guest]

The therapist mentioned Pandas when we first spoke to her, but we

haven't talked about it since, so I don't know much about it. My son

is the same way though. His OCD seems to completely disappear at

times as well, and it is definately worse when he's sick.

How did you find out what supplements were supposed to be good for

treating OCD and what dosage to give him? Thank you also for the

book recommendations, did you order them at a book store?

Does your son's school/teacher know about his OCD? I haven't

informed any one because I don't want the other parents to know and

judge him for it or have the other children find out. He has a

peanut allery as well, and he's had his share of issues with that

already, so I just can't set him up for more controversy.

>

> Your sons sounds so much like my son who is now 9. Lots of the

same behaviors, the middle finger one too. Ben is doing so much

better than when he was first diagnosed. I think it is Pandas because

it does seem to disappear completely and then reappear when ill or

even exposed to strep. But, the dr is not on board with my diagnosis.

>

> Ben hasn't been on meds, we use supplements, inositol and omega-3s.

And we use Kiddie Calmer from Natures Remedies. This group will

really help. Ben learned lots of coping skills from his therapist and

we don't even see her right now. She stopped taking our insurance, so

that is a good thing. There are some great books for kids. Mr. Worry

was the best for him and we got the workbook " What to do When Your

Brain Gets Stuck " . That seemed to help some, though right now he

doesn't even want to talk about his ocd. Before, it was all he could

talk about. Things will get better.

> Welcome to the group, it's a great place to share, vent and get

info.

> J

> mom to Ben age 9

> new to group

>

>

> Hello everyone, I am a mom of a 7 year old boy who has OCD. We

have

> been seeing a social worker trained in CBT since May. He does

seem

> to be doing much better right now, as he is very busy with school

and

> sports. My husband and I are trying to avoid putting him on

> medication for now.

>

> There were so many things that I now realize should have been red

> flags to me when he was younger, however he is my first born and

I

> had no idea of what was " normal " . I have a 4 year old daughter

and

> now I see how things should have been for him. He always was very

> clean, I never needed to tell him to wash his hands after he used

the

> bathroom, from the time he was potty trained. He was frightened

by

> so many things. He worried about everything and wasn't just

having

> fun like most of the other children. When he was 4 he would

> constantly tell me that he had put his fingers in his mouth and

ask

> me if it was okay. He wouldn't touch anything that was pink

> or " girly " , he couldn't eat or watch T.V. in room that had

anything

> pink in it.

>

> It all came to a head when we went to Disney in April right

before

> his 7th birthday. Right before we left, another child in his

class

> had told him that his middle finger was a " bad finger " . He became

> obsessed with not putting up his middle finger. He walked around

> clenching his fingers. All day he would, as we were walking

through

> the parks, say " Mom, I put up the bad finger " even though he

hadn't.

> He was also obsessed with germs. We went trough bottles of

Purell,

> and he washed constantly. He didn't enjoy the trip at all, he was

> miserable, my husband and I were miserable, it was awful.

>

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Welcome!  I'm glad that your son is doing better now and also that your younger

daughter doesn't have it as well.  My daughter with OCD is a twin, and it is so

interesting to see how things that would be really scary for her are no big deal

for him.  I get to see what growing up normally is like by seeing how he

handles things.

new to group

Hello everyone, I am a mom of a 7 year old boy who has OCD. We have

been seeing a social worker trained in CBT since May. He does seem

to be doing much better right now, as he is very busy with school and

sports. My husband and I are trying to avoid putting him on

medication for now.

There were so many things that I now realize should have been red

flags to me when he was younger, however he is my first born and I

had no idea of what was " normal " . I have a 4 year old daughter and

now I see how things should have been for him. He always was very

clean, I never needed to tell him to wash his hands after he used the

bathroom, from the time he was potty trained. He was frightened by

so many things. He worried about everything and wasn't just having

fun like most of the other children. W

hen he was 4 he would

constantly tell me that he had put his fingers in his mouth and ask

me if it was okay. He wouldn't touch anything that was pink

or " girly " , he couldn't eat or watch T.V. in room that had anything

pink in it.

It all came to a head when we went to Disney in April right before

his 7th birthday. Right before we left, another child in his class

had told him that his middle finger was a " bad finger " . He became

obsessed with not putting up his middle finger. He walked around

clenching his fingers. All day he would, as we were walking through

the parks, say " Mom, I put up the bad finger " even though he hadn't.

He was also obsessed with germs. We went trough bottles of Purell,

and he washed constantly. He didn't enjoy the trip at all, he was

miserable, my husband and I were miserable, it was awful.

[Guest guest]

We homeschool. We had planned to before the ocd came up, it just worked out to

be the best for us in many ways.

I found out about the supplements here and the books as well. Please order them

through this site. My friend and I are starting a foundation and this helps us

raise money. http://www.fkmad.org/media.html It is a group for Kids with Mood

and Anxiety Disorders. There are many resources listed and it is through Amazon.

Here is my part and Ben's picture is there http://www.fkmad.org/oxygen.html

I would tell his teachers if you are comfortable. It always helps to know. I was

a teacher, 1st grade, and I had a parent tell me that their child had OCD but I

didn't know what it was, really. So, it would be good to tell them some info.

This little boy didn't seem to have much trouble in my class, so it wasn't a big

issue at school. Now, I understand so much more. But, many teachers may not

fully understand what it is and what it means for your child. Do what makes you

feel comfortable, but the other parents should not know if you tell the teacher.

As long as they keep it confidential.

new to group

>

>

> Hello everyone, I am a mom of a 7 year old boy who has OCD. We

have

> been seeing a social worker trained in CBT since May. He does

seem

> to be doing much better right now, as he is very busy with school

and

> sports. My husband and I are trying to avoid putting him on

> medication for now.

>

> There were so many things that I now realize should have been red

> flags to me when he was younger, however he is my first born and

I

> had no idea of what was " normal " . I have a 4 year old daughter

and

> now I see how things should have been for him. He always was very

> clean, I never needed to tell him to wash his hands after he used

the

> bathroom, from the time he was potty trained. He was frightened

by

> so many things. He worried about everything and wasn't just

having

> fun like most of the other children. When he was 4 he would

> constantly tell me that he had put his fingers in his mouth and

ask

> me if it was okay. He wouldn't touch anything that was pink

> or " girly " , he couldn't eat or watch T.V. in room that had

anything

> pink in it.

>

> It all came to a head when we went to Disney in April right

before

> his 7th birthday. Right before we left, another child in his

class

> had told him that his middle finger was a " bad finger " . He became

> obsessed with not putting up his middle finger. He walked around

> clenching his fingers. All day he would, as we were walking

through

> the parks, say " Mom, I put up the bad finger " even though he

hadn't.

> He was also obsessed with germs. We went trough bottles of

Purell,

> and he washed constantly. He didn't enjoy the trip at all, he was

> miserable, my husband and I were miserable, it was awful.

>

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hi. Welcome.

We also look back and see many things that were OCD, but we had no

idea at the time what we were dealing with, with our son.

You mentioned that the social worker is using CBT. Is he/she also

using ERP? That's is so important when treating OCD. Our son has

improved tremendously, using the correct type of therapy.

Hopefully, the therapy will help your son enough that he will not need

medication. That is the case for some.

Glad you are here.

BJ

>

> Hello everyone, I am a mom of a 7 year old boy who has OCD. We have

> been seeing a social worker trained in CBT since May. He does seem

> to be doing much better right now, as he is very busy with school and

> sports. My husband and I are trying to avoid putting him on

> medication for now.

>

> There were so many things that I now realize should have been red

> flags to me when he was younger, however he is my first born and I

> had no idea of what was " normal " . I have a 4 year old daughter and

> now I see how things should have been for him. He always was very

> clean, I never needed to tell him to wash his hands after he used the

> bathroom, from the time he was potty trained. He was frightened by

> so many things. He worried about everything and wasn't just having

> fun like most of the other children. When he was 4 he would

> constantly tell me that he had put his fingers in his mouth and ask

> me if it was okay. He wouldn't touch anything that was pink

> or " girly " , he couldn't eat or watch T.V. in room that had anything

> pink in it.

>

> It all came to a head when we went to Disney in April right before

> his 7th birthday. Right before we left, another child in his class

> had told him that his middle finger was a " bad finger " . He became

> obsessed with not putting up his middle finger. He walked around

> clenching his fingers. All day he would, as we were walking through

> the parks, say " Mom, I put up the bad finger " even though he hadn't.

> He was also obsessed with germs. We went trough bottles of Purell,

> and he washed constantly. He didn't enjoy the trip at all, he was

> miserable, my husband and I were miserable, it was awful.

>

[Guest guest]

Hello Shana,

                     My son is also 9 and seems to have ocd..along with Ts.. but

not certin yet.. anyway My son I think has this ocd with going to see what time

it is and always telling us what time it is , when his shows come on, when its

bed time ect. he's a very picky eater! I cant offer you any help as I need it

myself lol but I'm always here to talk to  Keep sane God bless Janice

________________________________

To:

Sent: Thursday, December 4, 2008 9:44:34 PM

Subject: new to group

Hello everyone. My name is Shana. I have four kids and my oldest who is

9 has OCD. His rituals are making the entire family crazy and I just

want to help him. It seems his OCD has gotten better over the last

year, but it still interfers with life. His rituals include: going in

and out of doors the exact same way everytime, going around people in a

certain order, only wearing certain socks and even those sometimes bug

him. He's picky about his shoes. And he will only wear athletic pants

with certain pockets. The clothes thing is driving me crazy because it

seems like everything I buy for him he won't wear. It also makes him

late for school because he has a hard time getting dressed in the

morning. He hoards things, has number rituals, good and bad numbers. It

seems like his brain never shuts off. I'm sure there are many more that

I can't think of right now. My husband and I first just thought he was

being defiant until we realized that something else was going on. He

was seeing a mental health specialist but she really wasn't helping so

we stopped going. I know he needs some kind of help before he goes

crazy or we do. Any advice would be appreciated.

[Guest guest]

Welcome Shana. You have come to a great place. Many people here have

more war stories and battle experience than I do. But in my short time

here, here's what I've learned:

You're not crazy and you're not alone.

There's nothing you can say here that will be judged. Everyone

understands that there is no one " right " answer and many people will

see themselves in your postings and nod in having " been there " .

You may find that doctors fail you. Schools may fail you. YOU are the

authority when it comes to your son and your family. You may eventually

become more knowledgable than anyone else who treats your son. We tried

three different counselors before we found one who clicked with us.

She's not trained in OCD treatment, but she is trained in doing play

therapy with kids and since ours are 3 and 6, that was far more

important. She knows how to do cognitive behavior therapy and is

willing to learn with us about OCD and/or other disorders as we grope

our way along this journey. She's a marriage and family counselor, not

a psychiatrist, so she won't be prescribing any meds, but we feel we

can involve our pediatrician if the need arises. (We are also in the

process of switching pediatricians because ours wasn't particualarly

supportive). Best of all, she's FREE! I live in Connecticut, which has

a state-wide network of Youth Service Bureaus. In our town, our Youth

Service Bureau includes a staff of therapists and their serivces are

free to town residents. Finally a reason to feel good about

Connecticut's high property taxes!

Unfortunately, finding the right doctors, teachers, and support network

will be much like the dating process. Blind dates, bad dates, and times

you'd rather pull your covers over your head rather than face another

day. But the right people are out there and you will find them. You

just have to be willing to settle for nothing less than what's best for

your family and kiss a few frogs in the process.

>

> Hello everyone. My name is Shana. I have four kids and my oldest who

is 9 has OCD. >I know he needs some kind of help before he goes

crazy or we do. Any advice would be appreciated.

>

[Guest guest]

you capture the essense of the experience as a parent

navigating the road to recovery with this disorder so well in this

post, and with great humour too! So glad that you have found someone

to work with your child and that you are hopefully on the other side

of the " pull the covers over your head " days, or at least that there

are less of them now...

Warmly,

Barb

>

> Welcome Shana. You have come to a great place. Many people here

have

> more war stories and battle experience than I do. But in my short

time

> here, here's what I've learned:

> You're not crazy and you're not alone.

> There's nothing you can say here that will be judged. Everyone

> understands that there is no one " right " answer and many people

will

> see themselves in your postings and nod in having " been there " .

>

> You may find that doctors fail you. Schools may fail you. YOU are

the

> authority when it comes to your son and your family. You may

eventually

> become more knowledgable than anyone else who treats your son. We

[Guest guest]

Hi , well said!

>

> Welcome Shana. You have come to a great place. Many people here have

> more war stories and battle experience than I do. But in my short

time

> here, here's what I've learned:

> You're not crazy and you're not alone.

> There's nothing you can say here that will be judged. Everyone

> understands that there is no one " right " answer and many people

[Guest guest]

Hi Shana,

I am newer to the group also and have been so thankful for the support

of these wonderful and wise people. When we realized our son had OCD,

we made sure to find a psychologist and psychiatrist that worked with

kids and with kids with OCD... this is the one right thing we did.

Your son is in need of a mental break. I don't know how you feel

about meds, but he can't be doing this to himself 24/7.... it is

exhausting for all of you and he needs to have down time.

We are struggling to find the right combination right now, but it is

better than it was in the past. I have a 9 year old boy as well. He

has counting ritual issues, noise issues, can't get rid of things, has

to have things a certain way, etc....

I am a yeller... I raise my voice whenever I am upset or frustrated

and this is the worst thing for our son... so, I am learning to be

more rational and my hubby and I are working together to not have

raised voices in the house. It has brought down the level of stress

greatly for all of us all the way around.

I am sorry for what your son is going through and I am sorry for what

you are going through... It is hard because we want them to be

okay.... the best we can do is be their advocates and that is what I

am working on....

Please let us know what direction you are going to take and keep us

informed of how all of you are.

Vicki

Elk Grove, CA

>

> Hello everyone. My name is Shana. I have four kids and my oldest who

is

> 9 has OCD. His rituals are making the entire family crazy and I just

> want to help him. It seems his OCD has gotten better over the last

> year, but it still interfers with life. His rituals include: going

in

> and out of doors the exact same way everytime, going around people

in a

> certain order, only wearing certain socks and even those sometimes

bug

> him. He's picky about his shoes. And he will only wear athletic

pants

> with certain pockets. The clothes thing is driving me crazy because

it

> seems like everything I buy for him he won't wear. It also makes him

> late for school because he has a hard time getting dressed in the

> morning. He hoards things, has number rituals, good and bad numbers.

It

> seems like his brain never shuts off. I'm sure there are many more

that

> I can't think of right now. My husband and I first just thought he

was

> being defiant until we realized that something else was going on. He

> was seeing a mental health specialist but she really wasn't helping

so

> we stopped going. I know he needs some kind of help before he goes

> crazy or we do. Any advice would be appreciated.

>