Guest guest Posted March 15, 2012 Report Share Posted March 15, 2012 We have a strong genetic link regarding my 7 year old's OCD. My almost-six-year-old is also starting in with the rituals and anxiety. Their paternal grandfather is a Stage 5 hoarder and barely functional. Their father struggles immensely with hoarding and intense anxiety. My 7 year old is managing beautifully with a combination of cognitive therapy and a low dose of meds. We are just starting the journey with her younger sister, who was fine until shortly before the birth of our youngest child. It is definitely a legacy. We've found that there is a flip side to the difficulties of the OCD. Both of our children who suffer from it are also gifted. Thanks for sharing your story and I wish you luck in finding the best solution for your family. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 15, 2012 Report Share Posted March 15, 2012 This is a bit alternative, but you may want to try the GAPS Diet (Gut & Psychology Syndrome). The premise of this diet is that some people have unhealthy guts overrun by bad flora (bad bacteria) which are killing off the good flora. As a result, toxins enter the bloodstream and adversely affect brain function. With the GAPS diet, you starve the bad flora and feed the good flora. It's very restrictive (no starch, no sugar, no fruit), so you're left with veggies and meat. For more details, you can read Natasha -McBride's book, The Gut and Psychology Syndrome, or read about the Specific Carbohydrate Diet. Hope this helps, Jill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 16, 2012 Report Share Posted March 16, 2012 HI Tricia, Glad you found the group. Lots of wonderful people here to provide support and ideas. Have you done any reading yet. There are some very good books out there. I like March's " Talking Back to OCD. " There are also a few good books for kids, " Up and Down the Worry Hill " and the workbook " What to Do When Your Brain Gets Stuck " are two that come to mind. Is the psychiatrist you are using going to work with your child using CBT/ERP? (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy/Exposure and Response Prevention) It is considered to be the most effective form of therapy for OCD. As for your comments about ADHD. Very often kids are misdiagnosed with ADHD when they have OCD. They get so caught up in their obsessions and the rituals that they have to perform, that they can not focus on other things. And for many, the rituals involve physical movement that can almost look like hyperactivity. Once the OCD gets under control,the ADHD behavior does as well. So there is hope there as well. I realize that your child has had this for a long time and both you and your husband have mild OCD as well, so there is a genetic component, but I have to encourage you to look into whether there is an autoimmune component to all of this as well (especially when you mention the other health issues going on). More and more research is pointing to infections and autoimmune disorders resulting in OCD. Strep (PANDAS) is the most widely discussed at this point. But recently there is a new designation called PANS that encompasses other infections and autoimmune disorders. The best thing to do is to get to a doctor that TRULY understands this (most pediatricians and psychiatrists don't), so they can do the proper testing to rule it out. But the medication route is much different than it is for traditional OCD (antibiotics being the first form of attack as opposed to SSRIs). Did you notice whether there was ever any improvement in your child's OCD behavior after giving her antibiotics for the foot issue? There is a lot of info out there on PANS/PANDAS. You can find some in the files section (upper left corner of this website). The international OCD Foundation has some info and Public Service Announcements as well www.ocfoundation.org And here are a few other websites: www.pandasnetwork.org (lots of great links to the most current research, articles, etc>0 www.pandasresourcenetwork.org Best wishes, Kara --- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 17, 2012 Report Share Posted March 17, 2012 Kyla has been tested for every thing under the sun. When she was little she had blood work done every other day for 3 weeks, when they were trying to diagnose what was going on in her belly. She has had colonoscopys, endoscopys, barrium enema x-rays, sweat teasts, kub x-rays, renal ultra sounds, and a million other things. Shes been on high dose antibiotics when they werfe trying to rule out H-plori in her stomach, not to mention she gets sick with anything that is going around so shes been on antibiotics a LOT!! over the years. My husbands family has a long history of ADHD and there is some on my side too, Im 100% sure she has ADHD. Up till this point we have just been getting her ADHD meds from her psych and its just been med check appts. I have been able to work through the ocd stuff with her. My husband and I are very creative in finding ways to help our kidos with what ever their issue may be. But Its to the point now with her that I need help. I dont know how to parent the lying and " stealing " she has been doing. Its confusing to me because I know she cant help it. But in the same token I cant let her lye and steal and not have a punishment or consiquence. With my other kids it would be a no brainer you lie you are in trouble. You steal and your in big trouble. But with Ky I feel its liek punishing a kid for NOT writing with his right hand when he has no right arm ya know. So thats kinda where I am. Thank you for reading my story and taking the time to share your advice/help. You are very kind!! Tricia > > HI Tricia, > > Glad you found the group. Lots of wonderful people here to provide support and ideas. > > Have you done any reading yet. There are some very good books out there. I like March's " Talking Back to OCD. " There are also a few good books for kids, " Up and Down the Worry Hill " and the workbook " What to Do When Your Brain Gets Stuck " are two that come to mind. > > Is the psychiatrist you are using going to work with your child using CBT/ERP? (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy/Exposure and Response Prevention) It is considered to be the most effective form of therapy for OCD. > > As for your comments about ADHD. Very often kids are misdiagnosed with ADHD when they have OCD. They get so caught up in their obsessions and the rituals that they have to perform, that they can not focus on other things. And for many, the rituals involve physical movement that can almost look like hyperactivity. Once the OCD gets under control,the ADHD behavior does as well. So there is hope there as well. > > I realize that your child has had this for a long time and both you and your husband have mild OCD as well, so there is a genetic component, but I have to encourage you to look into whether there is an autoimmune component to all of this as well (especially when you mention the other health issues going on). More and more research is pointing to infections and autoimmune disorders resulting in OCD. Strep (PANDAS) is the most widely discussed at this point. But recently there is a new designation called PANS that encompasses other infections and autoimmune disorders. The best thing to do is to get to a doctor that TRULY understands this (most pediatricians and psychiatrists don't), so they can do the proper testing to rule it out. But the medication route is much different than it is for traditional OCD (antibiotics being the first form of attack as opposed to SSRIs). > > Did you notice whether there was ever any improvement in your child's OCD behavior after giving her antibiotics for the foot issue? > > There is a lot of info out there on PANS/PANDAS. You can find some in the files section (upper left corner of this website). The international OCD Foundation has some info and Public Service Announcements as well > > www.ocfoundation.org > > And here are a few other websites: > > www.pandasnetwork.org (lots of great links to the most current research, articles, etc>0 > www.pandasresourcenetwork.org > > Best wishes, > Kara > > > > --- > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 17, 2012 Report Share Posted March 17, 2012 Yes it does run in families. My husband didnt want boys because he was so worried that they would get his ADHD and dyslexia. The doctors told us that a boy would be more likley to have thse conditions. In my husbands family there are 4 boys and 2 girls (he is the oldest boy, 36 and the youngest in his family is now 27), all 4 boys had varrying degrees of ADHD and dyslexia, his sisters were " normal " . So we were so happy when we found out with both our births we were having girls. (Both our boys we adopted.) So all that worry about having boys and we still had a girl birth child with the ADHD... Ky struggles so much in school. There is so much stimulation with all the things around the room to look at. I describe her like a cat, anything " shiney " catches her attention. She has an IEP and an aide for part of the day but I am still pusihing for a full day dedicated aide for her at school. She needs someone to keep her on task all day or she is just going to continue to fall behind. Its a struggle but I think we are heading in the right direction. Thanks for reading my story and sharing a little of yours with me. Tricia > > We have a strong genetic link regarding my 7 year old's OCD. My > almost-six-year-old is also starting in with the rituals and anxiety. > Their paternal grandfather is a Stage 5 hoarder and barely functional. > Their father struggles immensely with hoarding and intense anxiety. My > 7 year old is managing beautifully with a combination of cognitive > therapy and a low dose of meds. We are just starting the journey with > her younger sister, who was fine until shortly before the birth of our > youngest child. It is definitely a legacy. > > We've found that there is a flip side to the difficulties of the OCD. > Both of our children who suffer from it are also gifted. > > Thanks for sharing your story and I wish you luck in finding the best > solution for your family. > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 18, 2012 Report Share Posted March 18, 2012 Hi Tricia, just want to welcome you to our group! Glad you are getting Ky treatment, hope the Prozac works well and that the therapy goes well; can be hard to find someone experienced in treating OCD in kids sometimes. Can also be a little tricky with meds for both OCD and ADHD, not in all cases, but sometimes the med for one increases symptoms of the other and have to find the right dosage balance, combo of meds. Just what I've gathered from parents over the years having to treat both. Glad you found our group! > > Hi all, Im a 31 year old mother of 4 kidos. My oldest daughter is 10 and in 5th grade. My oldest son is 8 and in 2nd grade. My youngest daughter Ky is also 8 and in 2nd grade. My little guy is 4 and in pre-school. Ky is my one that im here for. I knew she was ADHD from the time she could walk. I was able to finally get her diagnosed and medicated when she was 4 years old. It wasnt till she was about 6 that I realized that she had OCD. Those hoarding shows came on Tv and Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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