Re: 10 year old daughter with OCD - bad thoughts/worries

[Guest guest]

Hi Kate,

Sorry to hear what you are going through. I see you considered PANDAS, which is

great, but I guess I wouldn't rule it (or PANS) out just because she has not

been ill recently. My dd had not been ill prior to her OCD coming on, but after

testing, we discovered she did have strep (no symptoms). She also tested

positive for Bartonella, which is a tick born illness (like Lyme). There were

absolutely no physical symptoms at all. It was all neuropsychiatric. It's been a

long haul, but she is doing quite well now with antibiotic treatment.

I am not trying to say I believe this is what is happening with your child, I

just think it can be brushed off so easily, when it should be explored more. In

fact, when our dd was first diagnosed with OCD, the doc did do a throat culture,

which was negative. Both he and the therapist said, " well, looks like it's not

PANDAS. " However, three or four months later, after continued decline with

therapy, but much encouragement from people on this forum, we pursued it further

and had her blood tested. That was positive. She also tested in the high PANDAS

range through the Cunningham Study (which, unfortunately is closed now).

My recommendation is to absolutely pursue CBT/ERP therapy, explore your

medication options with regards to SSRI's, but to also do some actual testing to

rule out the possibility of an infection. Don't just rely on the fact that she

wasn't sick recently or that you don't think she has an autoimmune issue.

Sometimes it is just not that obvious.

If I can help point you in the direction of some more resources, please let me

know.

Kara

>

> Hi Everyone,

>

> I'm new to the group and learning a lot from reading your posts. My daughter,

Kate, is 10 and has been a social butterfly most of her life. She's normally

outgoing, friendly, confident and constantly with friends. A very happy girl.

>

> We had a few stressful situations at home recently (a friend died in a car

accident & my oldest daughter moved away for college) which I think may have

triggered her OCD. I did consider PANDAS since it was all so sudden, but she

hasn't been ill with Strep or other viruses and does not have any symptoms of an

auto-immune disease.

>

> My mom has OCD so I think genetically this may have been part of Kate - but it

wasn't until she was under major stress that it was triggered.

>

> Anyway, her OCD is presenting as bad thoughts. She keeps thinking she's done

something to hurt someone (emotionally or physically) and states she thinks she

might like the idea of hurting someone - which completely freaked me out the

first time! I don't let on I'm surprised by it though.

>

> It's not just the bad thoughts, but worries... strange worries. She will say

she wants a drink of water and start to get one herself, but they she will stop

and ask if the glass is clean, if the water is safe, etc. This extends to

multiple areas in her daily life. She's asking for constant reassurances on very

simple things.

>

> Is anyone else dealing with something similar with their child? I'd love to

connect to share ideas.

>

> Kate has had one meeting with a therapist and we are reading two books which

have proven to be helpful, What to Do When Your Brain Gets Stuck: A Kid's Guide

to Overcoming OCD and What to Do When You Worry Too Much: A Kid's Guide to

Overcoming Anxiety both by Dawn Huebner & Bonnie s. Any other suggested

books for children to read about OCD?

>

> Thank you for reading through this. I'm looking forward to reading more about

your OCD experiences.

>

> ~Brigitte

>

[Guest guest]

Hi Kate,

Sorry to hear what you are going through. I see you considered PANDAS, which is

great, but I guess I wouldn't rule it (or PANS) out just because she has not

been ill recently. My dd had not been ill prior to her OCD coming on, but after

testing, we discovered she did have strep (no symptoms). She also tested

positive for Bartonella, which is a tick born illness (like Lyme). There were

absolutely no physical symptoms at all. It was all neuropsychiatric. It's been a

long haul, but she is doing quite well now with antibiotic treatment.

I am not trying to say I believe this is what is happening with your child, I

just think it can be brushed off so easily, when it should be explored more. In

fact, when our dd was first diagnosed with OCD, the doc did do a throat culture,

which was negative. Both he and the therapist said, " well, looks like it's not

PANDAS. " However, three or four months later, after continued decline with

therapy, but much encouragement from people on this forum, we pursued it further

and had her blood tested. That was positive. She also tested in the high PANDAS

range through the Cunningham Study (which, unfortunately is closed now).

My recommendation is to absolutely pursue CBT/ERP therapy, explore your

medication options with regards to SSRI's, but to also do some actual testing to

rule out the possibility of an infection. Don't just rely on the fact that she

wasn't sick recently or that you don't think she has an autoimmune issue.

Sometimes it is just not that obvious.

If I can help point you in the direction of some more resources, please let me

know.

Kara

>

> Hi Everyone,

>

> I'm new to the group and learning a lot from reading your posts. My daughter,

Kate, is 10 and has been a social butterfly most of her life. She's normally

outgoing, friendly, confident and constantly with friends. A very happy girl.

>

> We had a few stressful situations at home recently (a friend died in a car

accident & my oldest daughter moved away for college) which I think may have

triggered her OCD. I did consider PANDAS since it was all so sudden, but she

hasn't been ill with Strep or other viruses and does not have any symptoms of an

auto-immune disease.

>

> My mom has OCD so I think genetically this may have been part of Kate - but it

wasn't until she was under major stress that it was triggered.

>

> Anyway, her OCD is presenting as bad thoughts. She keeps thinking she's done

something to hurt someone (emotionally or physically) and states she thinks she

might like the idea of hurting someone - which completely freaked me out the

first time! I don't let on I'm surprised by it though.

>

> It's not just the bad thoughts, but worries... strange worries. She will say

she wants a drink of water and start to get one herself, but they she will stop

and ask if the glass is clean, if the water is safe, etc. This extends to

multiple areas in her daily life. She's asking for constant reassurances on very

simple things.

>

> Is anyone else dealing with something similar with their child? I'd love to

connect to share ideas.

>

> Kate has had one meeting with a therapist and we are reading two books which

have proven to be helpful, What to Do When Your Brain Gets Stuck: A Kid's Guide

to Overcoming OCD and What to Do When You Worry Too Much: A Kid's Guide to

Overcoming Anxiety both by Dawn Huebner & Bonnie s. Any other suggested

books for children to read about OCD?

>

> Thank you for reading through this. I'm looking forward to reading more about

your OCD experiences.

>

> ~Brigitte

>

[Guest guest]

Hi Brigitte, welcome! Oh, those reassurance questions! Yep, a lot here are

familiar with those! Sounds a little like she's worried about

germs/contamination or poison or something. Even those thoughts she is having,

and thinking she might want to hurt someone, are some I've read from others.

Some have found it helpful to try to limit the number of reassurance questions

they can ask, whether in an hour or a day. Having them write the thought/worry

down instead of telling you has worked for some; she could read a few to you

later if she needs to. Or saying you will only answer her questions X times.

How did your meeting with the therapist go, is Kate looking forward to going

back? Did the therapist seem to " get " OCD and its treatment?

Again, welcome!

>

> Hi Everyone,

>

> I'm new to the group and learning a lot from reading your posts. My daughter,

Kate, is 10 and has been a social butterfly most of her life. She's normally

outgoing, friendly, confident and constantly with friends. A very happy girl.

>

> We had a few stressful situations at home recently (a friend died in a car

accident & my oldest daughter moved away for college) which I think may have

triggered her OCD. I did consider PANDAS since it was all so sudden, but she

hasn't been ill with Strep or other viruses and does not have any symptoms of an

auto-immune disease.

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hi Brigitte, welcome! Oh, those reassurance questions! Yep, a lot here are

familiar with those! Sounds a little like she's worried about

germs/contamination or poison or something. Even those thoughts she is having,

and thinking she might want to hurt someone, are some I've read from others.

Some have found it helpful to try to limit the number of reassurance questions

they can ask, whether in an hour or a day. Having them write the thought/worry

down instead of telling you has worked for some; she could read a few to you

later if she needs to. Or saying you will only answer her questions X times.

How did your meeting with the therapist go, is Kate looking forward to going

back? Did the therapist seem to " get " OCD and its treatment?

Again, welcome!

>

> Hi Everyone,

>

> I'm new to the group and learning a lot from reading your posts. My daughter,

Kate, is 10 and has been a social butterfly most of her life. She's normally

outgoing, friendly, confident and constantly with friends. A very happy girl.

>

> We had a few stressful situations at home recently (a friend died in a car

accident & my oldest daughter moved away for college) which I think may have

triggered her OCD. I did consider PANDAS since it was all so sudden, but she

hasn't been ill with Strep or other viruses and does not have any symptoms of an

auto-immune disease.

>

>

[Guest guest]

Thank you Kara. You have brought up some very good points.

Was the Bartonella found through a blood test? I would like to consider the

possibility of PANS. Can you let me know which specific blood tests you or your

dr requested to isolate a possible cause of the OCD?

I will make an appt to bring Kate into the pediatrician to discuss.

Thanks again,

Brigitte

> >

[Guest guest]

Thank you Kara. You have brought up some very good points.

Was the Bartonella found through a blood test? I would like to consider the

possibility of PANS. Can you let me know which specific blood tests you or your

dr requested to isolate a possible cause of the OCD?

I will make an appt to bring Kate into the pediatrician to discuss.

Thanks again,

Brigitte

> >

[Guest guest]

Hi

Thank you for the warm welcome I'm so relieved to learn these reassurance

questions are familiar to the parents here.

Similar to your suggestion about limiting the number of question, the therapist

suggested we make a Worry Box for Kate to use. She is to write down her worries

and put them in the box. At a predetermined time of day, we are to sit down

together and go over the worries.

The first few days we did this, the box was full of individual pieces of paper

with questions. After a while though, she thought it was too much work to write

everything down so she stopped. At first I thought maybe that was a good thing.

If the questions were really important, she'd make the effort to write them

down. However, I was wrong. I think she's worrying the same amount, but keeping

everything locked up inside. I understand how our reassurances can backfire,

but it doesnt' seem right for her to lock up all the concerns either.

Has anyone here used the Worry Box concept? Did it work well for you?

Thankfully, the therapist specializes in OCD and anxiety issues for children and

teens. Kate was apprehensive about her first visit, but she reports it went well

and she is looking forward to returning.

Thanks again,

Brigitte in VT

>

> Hi Brigitte, welcome! Oh, those reassurance questions! Yep, a lot here are

familiar with those! Sounds a little like she's worried about

germs/contamination or poison or something. Even those thoughts she is having,

and thinking she might want to hurt someone, are some I've read from others.

>

> Some have found it helpful to try to limit the number of reassurance questions

they can ask, whether in an hour or a day. Having them write the thought/worry

down instead of telling you has worked for some; she could read a few to you

later if she needs to. Or saying you will only answer her questions X times.

>

> How did your meeting with the therapist go, is Kate looking forward to going

back? Did the therapist seem to " get " OCD and its treatment?

>

> Again, welcome!

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hi

Thank you for the warm welcome I'm so relieved to learn these reassurance

questions are familiar to the parents here.

Similar to your suggestion about limiting the number of question, the therapist

suggested we make a Worry Box for Kate to use. She is to write down her worries

and put them in the box. At a predetermined time of day, we are to sit down

together and go over the worries.

The first few days we did this, the box was full of individual pieces of paper

with questions. After a while though, she thought it was too much work to write

everything down so she stopped. At first I thought maybe that was a good thing.

If the questions were really important, she'd make the effort to write them

down. However, I was wrong. I think she's worrying the same amount, but keeping

everything locked up inside. I understand how our reassurances can backfire,

but it doesnt' seem right for her to lock up all the concerns either.

Has anyone here used the Worry Box concept? Did it work well for you?

Thankfully, the therapist specializes in OCD and anxiety issues for children and

teens. Kate was apprehensive about her first visit, but she reports it went well

and she is looking forward to returning.

Thanks again,

Brigitte in VT

>

> Hi Brigitte, welcome! Oh, those reassurance questions! Yep, a lot here are

familiar with those! Sounds a little like she's worried about

germs/contamination or poison or something. Even those thoughts she is having,

and thinking she might want to hurt someone, are some I've read from others.

>

> Some have found it helpful to try to limit the number of reassurance questions

they can ask, whether in an hour or a day. Having them write the thought/worry

down instead of telling you has worked for some; she could read a few to you

later if she needs to. Or saying you will only answer her questions X times.

>

> How did your meeting with the therapist go, is Kate looking forward to going

back? Did the therapist seem to " get " OCD and its treatment?

>

> Again, welcome!

>

>

[Guest guest]

HI Brigitte,

I'll share with you off line the tests that were done specifically for my

daughter. My biggest piece of advice though, would be to get to a doctor who

truly understands PANDAS/PITAND/PANS. They will know what to test for and it

won't be a battle to convince them. There are maybe 5 or 6 " experts " in the

country, most on the east coast and one in Chicago. But the list of those that

are aware and are " helpful " is growing everyday. If you share where you are

located in the country (on or off line), I'll see if I can help find a name or

two.

In the meantime, I'm going to post this link again, in case you didn't see it

earlier.

http://www.ocfoundation.org/default.aspx?id=2279 & terms=pandas

It is the Sudden Onset article that was recently published and does mention

various areas to test (although it fails to mention the co-infections of Lyme,

like Bartonella, Ehrlichiosis, Babesia, and Ricksettia). I think it is a good

document to share with your doctor.

Did you look in the Files section on this site at the information on PANDAS?

There are some good resources listed there (many which I listed below as well).

I would recommend the forum on Latitudes as a great place to ask questions of

parents of children with PANDAS/PITAND or Lyme. The forum can be a little

intimidating to look at, because most of the people are already sure or pretty

sure their child has one of the Ps. But newcomers exploring the possibility are

definitely welcome and your questions will be answered (or,if you spend some

time searching, may very well have been asked before…but sometimes it's just

easier to ask than to search).

http://www.latitudes.org/forums/index.php?s=512dc869a7ff415521eb94d101136a95 & sho\

wforum=17

Here are some additional resources:

• www.pandasresourcenetwork.org

• www.pandasnetwork.org

• www.webpediatrics.com (website of one of PANDAS expert doctor)

• www.savingsammy.net

• www.pandasfoundation.org

• www.ocfoundation.org International Obsessive Compulsive Foundation

• http://www.nimh.nih.gov/about/director/index.shtml (National Institute of

Mental Health Director's Blog)

And here is a book that I would definitely recommend. This boy is an example of

a child who was not physically sick (i.e. no clear history of strep, virus, etc,

but who had a severe case of PANDAS):

• To help explain PANDAS: Saving Sammy: Curing the Boy Who Caught OCD

Hope this post isn't too long. Like I said, I'll try to send you something

privately with a list of the test's on my dd. Can you send me your email

address? I don't think I can send an enclosure to you by emailing through this

website.

Kara

[Guest guest]

HI Brigitte,

I'll share with you off line the tests that were done specifically for my

daughter. My biggest piece of advice though, would be to get to a doctor who

truly understands PANDAS/PITAND/PANS. They will know what to test for and it

won't be a battle to convince them. There are maybe 5 or 6 " experts " in the

country, most on the east coast and one in Chicago. But the list of those that

are aware and are " helpful " is growing everyday. If you share where you are

located in the country (on or off line), I'll see if I can help find a name or

two.

In the meantime, I'm going to post this link again, in case you didn't see it

earlier.

http://www.ocfoundation.org/default.aspx?id=2279 & terms=pandas

It is the Sudden Onset article that was recently published and does mention

various areas to test (although it fails to mention the co-infections of Lyme,

like Bartonella, Ehrlichiosis, Babesia, and Ricksettia). I think it is a good

document to share with your doctor.

Did you look in the Files section on this site at the information on PANDAS?

There are some good resources listed there (many which I listed below as well).

I would recommend the forum on Latitudes as a great place to ask questions of

parents of children with PANDAS/PITAND or Lyme. The forum can be a little

intimidating to look at, because most of the people are already sure or pretty

sure their child has one of the Ps. But newcomers exploring the possibility are

definitely welcome and your questions will be answered (or,if you spend some

time searching, may very well have been asked before…but sometimes it's just

easier to ask than to search).

http://www.latitudes.org/forums/index.php?s=512dc869a7ff415521eb94d101136a95 & sho\

wforum=17

Here are some additional resources:

• www.pandasresourcenetwork.org

• www.pandasnetwork.org

• www.webpediatrics.com (website of one of PANDAS expert doctor)

• www.savingsammy.net

• www.pandasfoundation.org

• www.ocfoundation.org International Obsessive Compulsive Foundation

• http://www.nimh.nih.gov/about/director/index.shtml (National Institute of

Mental Health Director's Blog)

And here is a book that I would definitely recommend. This boy is an example of

a child who was not physically sick (i.e. no clear history of strep, virus, etc,

but who had a severe case of PANDAS):

• To help explain PANDAS: Saving Sammy: Curing the Boy Who Caught OCD

Hope this post isn't too long. Like I said, I'll try to send you something

privately with a list of the test's on my dd. Can you send me your email

address? I don't think I can send an enclosure to you by emailing through this

website.

Kara

[Guest guest]

Hello,

My daughter asks the same thing over and over too. She is worried that hair

dye will get in her hair and continually asks did any dye get in my hair or are

these dishes clean? Our therapist made us answer opposite. So we would say yes

but this doesn't seem to make her ask much less and she's still anxious. We are

meeting a new therapist next week I am so excited because the therapist sounds

much better than our current one so we're hopeful. My dtr is on Zoloft with

little effect yet but have been told it takes higher doses than what were on so

we will see. I am new here too and think this is so great to hear other people

going through the same thing. Good luck!

>

> Hi Everyone,

>

> I'm new to the group and learning a lot from reading your posts. My daughter,

Kate, is 10 and has been a social butterfly most of her life. She's normally

outgoing, friendly, confident and constantly with friends. A very happy girl.

>

> We had a few stressful situations at home recently (a friend died in a car

accident & my oldest daughter moved away for college) which I think may have

triggered her OCD. I did consider PANDAS since it was all so sudden, but she

hasn't been ill with Strep or other viruses and does not have any symptoms of an

auto-immune disease.

>

> My mom has OCD so I think genetically this may have been part of Kate - but it

wasn't until she was under major stress that it was triggered.

>

> Anyway, her OCD is presenting as bad thoughts. She keeps thinking she's done

something to hurt someone (emotionally or physically) and states she thinks she

might like the idea of hurting someone - which completely freaked me out the

first time! I don't let on I'm surprised by it though.

>

> It's not just the bad thoughts, but worries... strange worries. She will say

she wants a drink of water and start to get one herself, but they she will stop

and ask if the glass is clean, if the water is safe, etc. This extends to

multiple areas in her daily life. She's asking for constant reassurances on very

simple things.

>

> Is anyone else dealing with something similar with their child? I'd love to

connect to share ideas.

>

> Kate has had one meeting with a therapist and we are reading two books which

have proven to be helpful, What to Do When Your Brain Gets Stuck: A Kid's Guide

to Overcoming OCD and What to Do When You Worry Too Much: A Kid's Guide to

Overcoming Anxiety both by Dawn Huebner & Bonnie s. Any other suggested

books for children to read about OCD?

>

> Thank you for reading through this. I'm looking forward to reading more about

your OCD experiences.

>

> ~Brigitte

>

[Guest guest]

Hello,

My daughter asks the same thing over and over too. She is worried that hair

dye will get in her hair and continually asks did any dye get in my hair or are

these dishes clean? Our therapist made us answer opposite. So we would say yes

but this doesn't seem to make her ask much less and she's still anxious. We are

meeting a new therapist next week I am so excited because the therapist sounds

much better than our current one so we're hopeful. My dtr is on Zoloft with

little effect yet but have been told it takes higher doses than what were on so

we will see. I am new here too and think this is so great to hear other people

going through the same thing. Good luck!

>

> Hi Everyone,

>

> I'm new to the group and learning a lot from reading your posts. My daughter,

Kate, is 10 and has been a social butterfly most of her life. She's normally

outgoing, friendly, confident and constantly with friends. A very happy girl.

>

> We had a few stressful situations at home recently (a friend died in a car

accident & my oldest daughter moved away for college) which I think may have

triggered her OCD. I did consider PANDAS since it was all so sudden, but she

hasn't been ill with Strep or other viruses and does not have any symptoms of an

auto-immune disease.

>

> My mom has OCD so I think genetically this may have been part of Kate - but it

wasn't until she was under major stress that it was triggered.

>

> Anyway, her OCD is presenting as bad thoughts. She keeps thinking she's done

something to hurt someone (emotionally or physically) and states she thinks she

might like the idea of hurting someone - which completely freaked me out the

first time! I don't let on I'm surprised by it though.

>

> It's not just the bad thoughts, but worries... strange worries. She will say

she wants a drink of water and start to get one herself, but they she will stop

and ask if the glass is clean, if the water is safe, etc. This extends to

multiple areas in her daily life. She's asking for constant reassurances on very

simple things.

>

> Is anyone else dealing with something similar with their child? I'd love to

connect to share ideas.

>

> Kate has had one meeting with a therapist and we are reading two books which

have proven to be helpful, What to Do When Your Brain Gets Stuck: A Kid's Guide

to Overcoming OCD and What to Do When You Worry Too Much: A Kid's Guide to

Overcoming Anxiety both by Dawn Huebner & Bonnie s. Any other suggested

books for children to read about OCD?

>

> Thank you for reading through this. I'm looking forward to reading more about

your OCD experiences.

>

> ~Brigitte

>

[Guest guest]

My 10 yo dd had issues with dishes over the summer, wanting to check them and

make sure they were clean.  At the end of the summer, she was SO done with all

of her worries, she said she would just use whatever dish she was given and

would have to be ok with it.  She did, she survived, she doesnt check dishes

anymore.

Sharon

________________________________

To:

Sent: Friday, September 23, 2011 8:45 AM

Subject: Re: 10 year old daughter with OCD - bad

thoughts/worries

 

Hello,

My daughter asks the same thing over and over too. She is worried that hair dye

will get in her hair and continually asks did any dye get in my hair or are

these dishes clean? Our therapist made us answer opposite. So we would say yes

but this doesn't seem to make her ask much less and she's still anxious. We are

meeting a new therapist next week I am so excited because the therapist sounds

much better than our current one so we're hopeful. My dtr is on Zoloft with

little effect yet but have been told it takes higher doses than what were on so

we will see. I am new here too and think this is so great to hear other people

going through the same thing. Good luck!

>

> Hi Everyone,

>

> I'm new to the group and learning a lot from reading your posts. My daughter,

Kate, is 10 and has been a social butterfly most of her life. She's normally

outgoing, friendly, confident and constantly with friends. A very happy girl.

>

> We had a few stressful situations at home recently (a friend died in a car

accident & my oldest daughter moved away for college) which I think may have

triggered her OCD. I did consider PANDAS since it was all so sudden, but she

hasn't been ill with Strep or other viruses and does not have any symptoms of an

auto-immune disease.

>

> My mom has OCD so I think genetically this may have been part of Kate - but it

wasn't until she was under major stress that it was triggered.

>

> Anyway, her OCD is presenting as bad thoughts. She keeps thinking she's done

something to hurt someone (emotionally or physically) and states she thinks she

might like the idea of hurting someone - which completely freaked me out the

first time! I don't let on I'm surprised by it though.

>

> It's not just the bad thoughts, but worries... strange worries. She will say

she wants a drink of water and start to get one herself, but they she will stop

and ask if the glass is clean, if the water is safe, etc. This extends to

multiple areas in her daily life. She's asking for constant reassurances on very

simple things.

>

> Is anyone else dealing with something similar with their child? I'd love to

connect to share ideas.

>

> Kate has had one meeting with a therapist and we are reading two books which

have proven to be helpful, What to Do When Your Brain Gets Stuck: A Kid's Guide

to Overcoming OCD and What to Do When You Worry Too Much: A Kid's Guide to

Overcoming Anxiety both by Dawn Huebner & Bonnie s. Any other suggested

books for children to read about OCD?

>

> Thank you for reading through this. I'm looking forward to reading more about

your OCD experiences.

>

> ~Brigitte

>

[Guest guest]

My 10 yo dd had issues with dishes over the summer, wanting to check them and

make sure they were clean.  At the end of the summer, she was SO done with all

of her worries, she said she would just use whatever dish she was given and

would have to be ok with it.  She did, she survived, she doesnt check dishes

anymore.

Sharon

________________________________

To:

Sent: Friday, September 23, 2011 8:45 AM

Subject: Re: 10 year old daughter with OCD - bad

thoughts/worries

 

Hello,

My daughter asks the same thing over and over too. She is worried that hair dye

will get in her hair and continually asks did any dye get in my hair or are

these dishes clean? Our therapist made us answer opposite. So we would say yes

but this doesn't seem to make her ask much less and she's still anxious. We are

meeting a new therapist next week I am so excited because the therapist sounds

much better than our current one so we're hopeful. My dtr is on Zoloft with

little effect yet but have been told it takes higher doses than what were on so

we will see. I am new here too and think this is so great to hear other people

going through the same thing. Good luck!

>

> Hi Everyone,

>

> I'm new to the group and learning a lot from reading your posts. My daughter,

Kate, is 10 and has been a social butterfly most of her life. She's normally

outgoing, friendly, confident and constantly with friends. A very happy girl.

>

> We had a few stressful situations at home recently (a friend died in a car

accident & my oldest daughter moved away for college) which I think may have

triggered her OCD. I did consider PANDAS since it was all so sudden, but she

hasn't been ill with Strep or other viruses and does not have any symptoms of an

auto-immune disease.

>

> My mom has OCD so I think genetically this may have been part of Kate - but it

wasn't until she was under major stress that it was triggered.

>

> Anyway, her OCD is presenting as bad thoughts. She keeps thinking she's done

something to hurt someone (emotionally or physically) and states she thinks she

might like the idea of hurting someone - which completely freaked me out the

first time! I don't let on I'm surprised by it though.

>

> It's not just the bad thoughts, but worries... strange worries. She will say

she wants a drink of water and start to get one herself, but they she will stop

and ask if the glass is clean, if the water is safe, etc. This extends to

multiple areas in her daily life. She's asking for constant reassurances on very

simple things.

>

> Is anyone else dealing with something similar with their child? I'd love to

connect to share ideas.

>

> Kate has had one meeting with a therapist and we are reading two books which

have proven to be helpful, What to Do When Your Brain Gets Stuck: A Kid's Guide

to Overcoming OCD and What to Do When You Worry Too Much: A Kid's Guide to

Overcoming Anxiety both by Dawn Huebner & Bonnie s. Any other suggested

books for children to read about OCD?

>

> Thank you for reading through this. I'm looking forward to reading more about

your OCD experiences.

>

> ~Brigitte

>

[Guest guest]

Welcome to the group.  I am the mom of a 10 yr old dd with OCD, too.  She

mostly needs the reassurance, too.  This spring/summer was the worst, but now

that school has started, it is getting better.  She asked about the glasses,

water, etc, too.  She was only drinking bottled water this summer,still mostly

drinks it, but is back to our dishes and tap water.  We have the same 2 books,

they are good.  The therapist should help, I hope it does.  Ours is great.

Sharon

________________________________

To:

Sent: Thursday, September 22, 2011 2:10 PM

Subject: 10 year old daughter with OCD - bad thoughts/worries

 

Hi Everyone,

I'm new to the group and learning a lot from reading your posts. My daughter,

Kate, is 10 and has been a social butterfly most of her life. She's normally

outgoing, friendly, confident and constantly with friends. A very happy girl.

We had a few stressful situations at home recently (a friend died in a car

accident & my oldest daughter moved away for college) which I think may have

triggered her OCD. I did consider PANDAS since it was all so sudden, but she

hasn't been ill with Strep or other viruses and does not have any symptoms of an

auto-immune disease.

My mom has OCD so I think genetically this may have been part of Kate - but it

wasn't until she was under major stress that it was triggered.

Anyway, her OCD is presenting as bad thoughts. She keeps thinking she's done

something to hurt someone (emotionally or physically) and states she thinks she

might like the idea of hurting someone - which completely freaked me out the

first time! I don't let on I'm surprised by it though.

It's not just the bad thoughts, but worries... strange worries. She will say

she wants a drink of water and start to get one herself, but they she will stop

and ask if the glass is clean, if the water is safe, etc. This extends to

multiple areas in her daily life. She's asking for constant reassurances on very

simple things.

Is anyone else dealing with something similar with their child? I'd love to

connect to share ideas.

Kate has had one meeting with a therapist and we are reading two books which

have proven to be helpful, What to Do When Your Brain Gets Stuck: A Kid's Guide

to Overcoming OCD and What to Do When You Worry Too Much: A Kid's Guide to

Overcoming Anxiety both by Dawn Huebner & Bonnie s. Any other suggested

books for children to read about OCD?

Thank you for reading through this. I'm looking forward to reading more about

your OCD experiences.

~Brigitte

[Guest guest]

Hi, Brigitte, welcome to the group!

I'm a lurker, don't post hardly ever, there's just not enough hours in the day.

My daughter's OCD " showed up " when she was 14 and was also triggered by stress.

But I realize now it really started much earlier and with the stuff you're

seeing in your daughter. The strange worries, the reassurances, etc. My

daughter is now 17, and has been on Lexapro, 10 mcg, for about two and a half

years. Her one overriding fear is of good 'ol Comet. Yes, Comet, but OCD is like

that, it hones in on things that just don't make sense. Good for you in getting

your daughter reading about it and helping herself. I feel if we had figured

this out earlier than 14 years old, our daughter would have been more receptive

to treatment. As it was, we tried, but she wouldn't participate in therapy,

wouldn't read books, just didn't and doesn't want to think about having OCD.

Even now, if I know she's avoiding something due to an OCD fear, it's like

pulling teeth to get her to admit it.

Since the kids at school have been horrible about the way they treat her since

her diagnosis and there's no tolerance for someone who " doesn't fit the mold " ,

understandably she doesn't want to bring attention to it. She even has a 504

but refuses to use the accomodations because she's afraid she will stand out

more. I hope your daughter has great, supportive friends to help her through

this. I think this would have made a big difference in how my daughter views

it.

Good luck to you and don't let up!

Debbie

> >

> > Hi Everyone,

> >

> > I'm new to the group and learning a lot from reading your posts. My

daughter, Kate, is 10 and has been a social butterfly most of her life. She's

normally outgoing, friendly, confident and constantly with friends. A very

happy girl.

> >

> > We had a few stressful situations at home recently (a friend died in a car

accident & my oldest daughter moved away for college) which I think may have

triggered her OCD. I did consider PANDAS since it was all so sudden, but she

hasn't been ill with Strep or other viruses and does not have any symptoms of an

auto-immune disease.

> >

> > My mom has OCD so I think genetically this may have been part of Kate - but

it wasn't until she was under major stress that it was triggered.

> >

> > Anyway, her OCD is presenting as bad thoughts. She keeps thinking she's

done something to hurt someone (emotionally or physically) and states she thinks

she might like the idea of hurting someone - which completely freaked me out

the first time! I don't let on I'm surprised by it though.

> >

> > It's not just the bad thoughts, but worries... strange worries. She will

say she wants a drink of water and start to get one herself, but they she will

stop and ask if the glass is clean, if the water is safe, etc. This extends to

multiple areas in her daily life. She's asking for constant reassurances on very

simple things.

> >

> > Is anyone else dealing with something similar with their child? I'd love to

connect to share ideas.

> >

> > Kate has had one meeting with a therapist and we are reading two books which

have proven to be helpful, What to Do When Your Brain Gets Stuck: A Kid's Guide

to Overcoming OCD and What to Do When You Worry Too Much: A Kid's Guide to

Overcoming Anxiety both by Dawn Huebner & Bonnie s. Any other suggested

books for children to read about OCD?

> >

> > Thank you for reading through this. I'm looking forward to reading more

about your OCD experiences.

> >

> > ~Brigitte

> >

>

[Guest guest]

Hi, Brigitte, welcome to the group!

I'm a lurker, don't post hardly ever, there's just not enough hours in the day.

My daughter's OCD " showed up " when she was 14 and was also triggered by stress.

But I realize now it really started much earlier and with the stuff you're

seeing in your daughter. The strange worries, the reassurances, etc. My

daughter is now 17, and has been on Lexapro, 10 mcg, for about two and a half

years. Her one overriding fear is of good 'ol Comet. Yes, Comet, but OCD is like

that, it hones in on things that just don't make sense. Good for you in getting

your daughter reading about it and helping herself. I feel if we had figured

this out earlier than 14 years old, our daughter would have been more receptive

to treatment. As it was, we tried, but she wouldn't participate in therapy,

wouldn't read books, just didn't and doesn't want to think about having OCD.

Even now, if I know she's avoiding something due to an OCD fear, it's like

pulling teeth to get her to admit it.

Since the kids at school have been horrible about the way they treat her since

her diagnosis and there's no tolerance for someone who " doesn't fit the mold " ,

understandably she doesn't want to bring attention to it. She even has a 504

but refuses to use the accomodations because she's afraid she will stand out

more. I hope your daughter has great, supportive friends to help her through

this. I think this would have made a big difference in how my daughter views

it.

Good luck to you and don't let up!

Debbie

> >

> > Hi Everyone,

> >

> > I'm new to the group and learning a lot from reading your posts. My

daughter, Kate, is 10 and has been a social butterfly most of her life. She's

normally outgoing, friendly, confident and constantly with friends. A very

happy girl.

> >

> > We had a few stressful situations at home recently (a friend died in a car

accident & my oldest daughter moved away for college) which I think may have

triggered her OCD. I did consider PANDAS since it was all so sudden, but she

hasn't been ill with Strep or other viruses and does not have any symptoms of an

auto-immune disease.

> >

> > My mom has OCD so I think genetically this may have been part of Kate - but

it wasn't until she was under major stress that it was triggered.

> >

> > Anyway, her OCD is presenting as bad thoughts. She keeps thinking she's

done something to hurt someone (emotionally or physically) and states she thinks

she might like the idea of hurting someone - which completely freaked me out

the first time! I don't let on I'm surprised by it though.

> >

> > It's not just the bad thoughts, but worries... strange worries. She will

say she wants a drink of water and start to get one herself, but they she will

stop and ask if the glass is clean, if the water is safe, etc. This extends to

multiple areas in her daily life. She's asking for constant reassurances on very

simple things.

> >

> > Is anyone else dealing with something similar with their child? I'd love to

connect to share ideas.

> >

> > Kate has had one meeting with a therapist and we are reading two books which

have proven to be helpful, What to Do When Your Brain Gets Stuck: A Kid's Guide

to Overcoming OCD and What to Do When You Worry Too Much: A Kid's Guide to

Overcoming Anxiety both by Dawn Huebner & Bonnie s. Any other suggested

books for children to read about OCD?

> >

> > Thank you for reading through this. I'm looking forward to reading more

about your OCD experiences.

> >

> > ~Brigitte

> >

>