Thankful to be a part of the group

November 17, 2011

My daughter, she will be 5 in January, was diagnosed with OCD last month. I had

known for a long time, probably about a year that she was more anxious about

things than other children her age but thought maybe I just had a spoiled

difficult little lady on my hands. I started taking my nephew who is around the

same age every weekend this past summer and it became pretty clear very quickly

that she was not just difficult and something else was going on. We took her to

her peds DR. and she felt, after listening to us talk about her routines for 5

minutes that yes she was suffering from some sort of anxiety issue. She referred

us to Childrens Safe Harbour here in the Toledo OH area and we are now meeeting

with a clinical therapist. We have seen her twice and it seems to be going very

well. I was heart broken and scared for her, mostly because when her anxiety

level rises it breaks my heart to see her in pain so to speak. Since doing some

research and speaking with some people I realize now that she can learn to live

with it and work through the anxiety and am starting to feel better about

things. But I could sure use some tips on how to find patients with in myself to

deal with her anxiety and some advice on how to work with her to overcome or

work through it. I have a very supportive family and greata friends who I can

call anytime to vent or cry but I often feel like none of them really understand

what it is like to deal with everyday. Whats its like to have a half and hour

routine to get through every mornign before we can leave for school and work, or

how it can takes an hour to get her in bed some nights. I think they think I am

exaggerating.

Anyways, I would love some feedback and advice and an ear to listen when things

get tough.

Thanks

November 17, 2011

Hi, welcome! I'm glad you're starting to feel a bit better now. I think I was

the same way once I understood what we were dealing with.

I have a son, now 22, whose OCD started in 6th grade. He had his " quirks " at

younger ages but OCD just exploded for him in 6th. Oops, don't mean to scare

you there, that was just our case, doesn't happen that way to all!

Anyway, I can really relate to the time some of their rituals or compulsions

take, hours even, sigh! Even waiting for the minutes some took could try

patience sometimes (instead of me just being thankful it was a shorter type).

It's important that you find some ME TIME for yourself. Even minutes here &

there during the day/evening. A walk, a longer trip out to the store (take the

longer way, listen to music...), 30 minutes of a favorite show, a few pages of a

book (I kept one in our bathroom and had to " go " several times a day and took at

least 10 minutes), favorite treat (ice cream, smoothie, chocolate, Cheetos...).

used to take 15 minutes or 2 hours just to get in bed and we had a

computer in his room. I wasn't involved in his compulsions but just couldn't

leave him doing them either (guilt) and so I would play computer games (like

minesweeper, solitaire, etc.) while waiting. When at long last he finally got

past the bedtime problem, I sorta missed my computer game time.

Yes, lost patience, had to apologize sometimes. Remind him that it was OCD I

was frustrated with and not him, didn't mean to take it out on him, knew it was

harder on him....

I'm glad you like the therapist so far. Have you had a chance to look at any

books for parents about OCD in children, or even any children books for your

daughter?

single mom, 3 sons

, 22, with OCD, dysgraphia, Aspergers; B.S. Biology

>

> My daughter, she will be 5 in January, was diagnosed with OCD last month. I

had known for a long time, probably about a year that she was more anxious about

things than other children her age but thought maybe I just had a spoiled

difficult little lady on my hands. I started taking my nephew who is around the

same age every weekend this past summer and it became pretty clear very quickly

that she was not just difficult and something else was going on. We took her to

her peds DR. and she felt, after listening to us talk about her

November 18, 2011

Hi chris, my sons ocd started to surface in preschool but also exploded

in 6th grade. He is now in 7th. He is functional but ocd still runs our

lives. It can be very depressing at times. Can you pleaase tell me if

you noticed a decrease when puberty slowed down? Just looking for a

light at the end of the tunnel so to speak. Thank you so much, jodi

(mom with ocd, anxiety attacks...ds same!)

November 18, 2011

My son's OCD also exploded in 7th grade - he's now in 8th grade - I'm pleased to

say that after lots of CBT & the correct meds - he symptom free! It can & will

get better - keep fighting.

>

> Hi chris, my sons ocd started to surface in preschool but also exploded

> in 6th grade. He is now in 7th. He is functional but ocd still runs our

> lives. It can be very depressing at times. Can you pleaase tell me if

> you noticed a decrease when puberty slowed down? Just looking for a

> light at the end of the tunnel so to speak. Thank you so much, jodi

> (mom with ocd, anxiety attacks...ds same!)

>

November 19, 2011

I'm not sure if the OCD settled down or maybe the puberty/hormones. Plus maybe

I adjusted too. The OCD did get better, we were using inositol in middle school

and then Celexa in high school, and worked on some " therapy " on our own (no

local help). But he did have a lot of improvement during middle school years.

He still has OCD with bad thoughts/scrupulosity, which wasn't the main problem

in middle school. And even with that he functions well, managed to get thru

college. He refuses meds (which I would like him to try). There are worse

days, better days, etc. It's changed, improved in ways over time. In community

college the first 2 years, there were OCD things that he seems to have gotten

past now, what OCD wouldn't allow him to do then, I see him do now.

*I* think if he would go on medication, finding the one that works well for him,

he would feel much better. Tho it's not like he seems to feel bad now or

anything, just he wouldn't have the thoughts, ya know? He was in therapy for

his scrupluosity, but the therapist, and me, feel he has poor insight to this

" bad thought " type OCD and couldn't get anywhere; maybe his Aspergers plays a

part in the poor insight problem. With the more physical type compulsions and

reading, writing issues he had in middle/high school, he could see that as " OCD "

and worked on things.

OK - hope above wasn't the opposite of what you asked for, but I feel we did

reach that light, would not go back to that first year, two, of OCD for

anything, we're in a MUCH better place now!

>

> Hi chris, my sons ocd started to surface in preschool but also exploded

> in 6th grade. He is now in 7th. He is functional but ocd still runs our

> lives. It can be very depressing at times. Can you pleaase tell me if

> you noticed a decrease when puberty slowed down? Just looking for a

> light at the end of the tunnel so to speak. Thank you so much, jodi

> (mom with ocd, anxiety attacks...ds same!)

>

November 19, 2011

You are right. . .Most people don't " get it " because they don't live with it.

It does take patience, and sometime we all lost " ours " at times. It is hard to

cope with anxiety and OCD, from all sides.

For small children, sometimes rewards can help.

Glad you found our group. Feel free to vent whenever you need. That is what we

are all here for.

BJ