Re: Re: new to group-help with dtr stuck in rituals

[Guest guest]

I have a feeling your daughter's therapist is not trained in ERP for children

with OCD. (exposure and response prevention). Your child should be actively

working with her therapist on tackling her fears and resulting compulsions both

at the office, and at home as homework. Many therapists claim they use

cognitive behavior therapy and know how to treat OCD, but they waste our time

and money by not doing the proper method of treatment: ERP.

Re: new to group-help with dtr stuck in rituals

We have a good couple of days...I count each day a victory!!

Her thoughts are sexual in nature...her OCD tells her that if she showers

herself or washes her own hair or even brushes her own teeth, it is a

sexual movement. THerefore I have been assisting her with showering

(washing her hair for her, washes her arm pits, drying her off after a

shower and then assisting her with getting dressed after a shower. This

also has to do with contamination thoughts.

Well, last night I gave her a choice...she had to pick one of 3 things to

do herself: either shower herself, dry herself off or get dressed alone.

She picked showering and she did it!! Alone!! I know this may sound funny

to some, but this is a huge improvement for her/us. we cont to work on this

daily until she can choose another thing to conquer.

Yes, she has had therapy but it is very slow in moving forward etc. my

daughter has had high anxiety with her OCD and there were times where after

school, it was all we could do just to get through the evening.

I am begining to wonder now if the therapy sessions are really worth

it...it seems the therapist is all talk and no action, if you know what I

mean. We sit there for an hour and she talks about what OCD is, how it is

affecting my daughter but I have yet to see any real demonstrations of

working through a ritual or how to confront her fears. Maybe I am expecting

too much?? My daughter really likes her therapist though.

I am buying a couple of books on OCD that I heard about from this group:

one by March (OCD in Children and Adolescents...) and the other by

Tamar Chansky (Freeing your Child from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder...).

Any thoughts??

Thanks, Jodie

[Guest guest]

I have a feeling your daughter's therapist is not trained in ERP for children

with OCD. (exposure and response prevention). Your child should be actively

working with her therapist on tackling her fears and resulting compulsions both

at the office, and at home as homework. Many therapists claim they use

cognitive behavior therapy and know how to treat OCD, but they waste our time

and money by not doing the proper method of treatment: ERP.

Re: new to group-help with dtr stuck in rituals

We have a good couple of days...I count each day a victory!!

Her thoughts are sexual in nature...her OCD tells her that if she showers

herself or washes her own hair or even brushes her own teeth, it is a

sexual movement. THerefore I have been assisting her with showering

(washing her hair for her, washes her arm pits, drying her off after a

shower and then assisting her with getting dressed after a shower. This

also has to do with contamination thoughts.

Well, last night I gave her a choice...she had to pick one of 3 things to

do herself: either shower herself, dry herself off or get dressed alone.

She picked showering and she did it!! Alone!! I know this may sound funny

to some, but this is a huge improvement for her/us. we cont to work on this

daily until she can choose another thing to conquer.

Yes, she has had therapy but it is very slow in moving forward etc. my

daughter has had high anxiety with her OCD and there were times where after

school, it was all we could do just to get through the evening.

I am begining to wonder now if the therapy sessions are really worth

it...it seems the therapist is all talk and no action, if you know what I

mean. We sit there for an hour and she talks about what OCD is, how it is

affecting my daughter but I have yet to see any real demonstrations of

working through a ritual or how to confront her fears. Maybe I am expecting

too much?? My daughter really likes her therapist though.

I am buying a couple of books on OCD that I heard about from this group:

one by March (OCD in Children and Adolescents...) and the other by

Tamar Chansky (Freeing your Child from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder...).

Any thoughts??

Thanks, Jodie

[Guest guest]

Jodie - so great how you are being there for your daughter. My son always

responds best to being given a choice of options, just like you did, rather than

open-ended or a command. He really likes that and always responds well. I always

used to ask him, " Do you want to do this now? " Now I say, " Do you want to do x or

y now? " If he says neither, I say, well, it has to be one or the other, I'd

rather if YOU picked. " The anxiety of making an open-ended decision is too

great, I guess.

Also, Ray St. has written about his experiences with OCD as a teen and his

obtrusive thoughts were sexual as well. His mom is on this board and she helped

me tremendously understanding how to do ERP. Ray's book goes into great detail.

Someone else on the board mentioned they gave it to their therapist and the

therapist now seems to be using it!

With my son's therapist, I will sometimes nudge her along, as in " Should we be

doing this now? " I know it seems aggressive but therapist has responded well.

You could even take change of clothes along and say, " Daughter has not wanted to

change clothes, could she change here and you guide her along? " Sometimes these

therapists need some hints.

Just some ideas - I know how frustrating it is. I'm so glad your dd is still

trusting you so much and letting you be close. Awesome!

Rhonda

Re: new to group-help with dtr stuck in rituals

We have a good couple of days...I count each day a victory!!

Her thoughts are sexual in nature...her OCD tells her that if she showers

herself or washes her own hair or even brushes her own teeth, it is a

sexual movement. THerefore I have been assisting her with showering

(washing her hair for her, washes her arm pits, drying her off after a

shower and then assisting her with getting dressed after a shower. This

also has to do with contamination thoughts.

Well, last night I gave her a choice...she had to pick one of 3 things to

do herself: either shower herself, dry herself off or get dressed alone.

She picked showering and she did it!! Alone!! I know this may sound funny

to some, but this is a huge improvement for her/us. we cont to work on this

daily until she can choose another thing to conquer.

Yes, she has had therapy but it is very slow in moving forward etc. my

daughter has had high anxiety with her OCD and there were times where after

school, it was all we could do just to get through the evening.

I am begining to wonder now if the therapy sessions are really worth

it...it seems the therapist is all talk and no action, if you know what I

mean. We sit there for an hour and she talks about what OCD is, how it is

affecting my daughter but I have yet to see any real demonstrations of

working through a ritual or how to confront her fears. Maybe I am expecting

too much?? My daughter really likes her therapist though.

I am buying a couple of books on OCD that I heard about from this group:

one by March (OCD in Children and Adolescents...) and the other by

Tamar Chansky (Freeing your Child from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder...).

Any thoughts??

Thanks, Jodie

[Guest guest]

As a matter of fact, my children's therapist have always given them choices as

to which compulsion they want to work on next. I do the same thing with my

kids' therapists: For example, my daughter has eating issues, and I offered to

bring in a pizza for my daughter to eat with her therapist. My children

actually like me to sit in with their therapists at some time during the session

to fill the therapist in on what is going on. Sometimes it is easier for them

for me to put it all into words than for them.

Re: Re: new to group-help with dtr stuck in rituals

Jodie - so great how you are being there for your daughter. My son always

responds best to being given a choice of options, just like you did, rather than

open-ended or a command. He really likes that and always responds well. I always

used to ask him, " Do you want to do this now? " Now I say, " Do you want to do x or

y now? " If he says neither, I say, well, it has to be one or the other, I'd

rather if YOU picked. " The anxiety of making an open-ended decision is too

great, I guess.

Also, Ray St. has written about his experiences with OCD as a teen and his

obtrusive thoughts were sexual as well. His mom is on this board and she helped

me tremendously understanding how to do ERP. Ray's book goes into great detail.

Someone else on the board mentioned they gave it to their therapist and the

therapist now seems to be using it!

With my son's therapist, I will sometimes nudge her along, as in " Should we be

doing this now? " I know it seems aggressive but therapist has responded well.

You could even take change of clothes along and say, " Daughter has not wanted to

change clothes, could she change here and you guide her along? " Sometimes these

therapists need some hints.

Just some ideas - I know how frustrating it is. I'm so glad your dd is still

trusting you so much and letting you be close. Awesome!

Rhonda

Re: new to group-help with dtr stuck in rituals

We have a good couple of days...I count each day a victory!!

Her thoughts are sexual in nature...her OCD tells her that if she showers

herself or washes her own hair or even brushes her own teeth, it is a

sexual movement. THerefore I have been assisting her with showering

(washing her hair for her, washes her arm pits, drying her off after a

shower and then assisting her with getting dressed after a shower. This

also has to do with contamination thoughts.

Well, last night I gave her a choice...she had to pick one of 3 things to

do herself: either shower herself, dry herself off or get dressed alone.

She picked showering and she did it!! Alone!! I know this may sound funny

to some, but this is a huge improvement for her/us. we cont to work on this

daily until she can choose another thing to conquer.

Yes, she has had therapy but it is very slow in moving forward etc. my

daughter has had high anxiety with her OCD and there were times where after

school, it was all we could do just to get through the evening.

I am begining to wonder now if the therapy sessions are really worth

it...it seems the therapist is all talk and no action, if you know what I

mean. We sit there for an hour and she talks about what OCD is, how it is

affecting my daughter but I have yet to see any real demonstrations of

working through a ritual or how to confront her fears. Maybe I am expecting

too much?? My daughter really likes her therapist though.

I am buying a couple of books on OCD that I heard about from this group:

one by March (OCD in Children and Adolescents...) and the other by

Tamar Chansky (Freeing your Child from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder...).

Any thoughts??

Thanks, Jodie

[Guest guest]

As a matter of fact, my children's therapist have always given them choices as

to which compulsion they want to work on next. I do the same thing with my

kids' therapists: For example, my daughter has eating issues, and I offered to

bring in a pizza for my daughter to eat with her therapist. My children

actually like me to sit in with their therapists at some time during the session

to fill the therapist in on what is going on. Sometimes it is easier for them

for me to put it all into words than for them.

Re: Re: new to group-help with dtr stuck in rituals

Jodie - so great how you are being there for your daughter. My son always

responds best to being given a choice of options, just like you did, rather than

open-ended or a command. He really likes that and always responds well. I always

used to ask him, " Do you want to do this now? " Now I say, " Do you want to do x or

y now? " If he says neither, I say, well, it has to be one or the other, I'd

rather if YOU picked. " The anxiety of making an open-ended decision is too

great, I guess.

Also, Ray St. has written about his experiences with OCD as a teen and his

obtrusive thoughts were sexual as well. His mom is on this board and she helped

me tremendously understanding how to do ERP. Ray's book goes into great detail.

Someone else on the board mentioned they gave it to their therapist and the

therapist now seems to be using it!

With my son's therapist, I will sometimes nudge her along, as in " Should we be

doing this now? " I know it seems aggressive but therapist has responded well.

You could even take change of clothes along and say, " Daughter has not wanted to

change clothes, could she change here and you guide her along? " Sometimes these

therapists need some hints.

Just some ideas - I know how frustrating it is. I'm so glad your dd is still

trusting you so much and letting you be close. Awesome!

Rhonda

Re: new to group-help with dtr stuck in rituals

We have a good couple of days...I count each day a victory!!

Her thoughts are sexual in nature...her OCD tells her that if she showers

herself or washes her own hair or even brushes her own teeth, it is a

sexual movement. THerefore I have been assisting her with showering

(washing her hair for her, washes her arm pits, drying her off after a

shower and then assisting her with getting dressed after a shower. This

also has to do with contamination thoughts.

Well, last night I gave her a choice...she had to pick one of 3 things to

do herself: either shower herself, dry herself off or get dressed alone.

She picked showering and she did it!! Alone!! I know this may sound funny

to some, but this is a huge improvement for her/us. we cont to work on this

daily until she can choose another thing to conquer.

Yes, she has had therapy but it is very slow in moving forward etc. my

daughter has had high anxiety with her OCD and there were times where after

school, it was all we could do just to get through the evening.

I am begining to wonder now if the therapy sessions are really worth

it...it seems the therapist is all talk and no action, if you know what I

mean. We sit there for an hour and she talks about what OCD is, how it is

affecting my daughter but I have yet to see any real demonstrations of

working through a ritual or how to confront her fears. Maybe I am expecting

too much?? My daughter really likes her therapist though.

I am buying a couple of books on OCD that I heard about from this group:

one by March (OCD in Children and Adolescents...) and the other by

Tamar Chansky (Freeing your Child from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder...).

Any thoughts??

Thanks, Jodie