Re: OCD - Compulsion to re-read aka reading-block Maybe this will help somebody

[Guest guest]

Thanks for sharing - and kudos for hanging in there. It's very encouraging to

me, as we are still struggling through. I was thinking today how nobody deserves

or chooses OCD to come into their lives, just like cancer, but it comes anyway,

and as parents we are suddenly faced with the most horrible situations and

choices we could never ever have imagined, even with cancer. Our beautiful

children suddenly have their lives mangled and turned upside down. It gives me

hope to see all of you who have given your all and more to save your child, and

now want to give a hand up to the rest of us. I hope that some day there will be

awareness and early detection just like there is now for cancer and diabetes.

Rhonda - OH

OCD - Compulsion to re-read aka " reading-block "

Maybe this will help somebody

This is very hard for me to write. Maybe it will help someone -and me.

For his first 12 years our son was kind, empathetic and gentle.

He loved to read.

From 12 to 13 he read less and less. He complained of " reading-block " : he felt

compelled to re-read to comprehend the words.

We had never heard of anything like this and blamed puberty.

He stopped reading completely...including for school

Puberty, we thought. We used every normal parental means possible to change

his behavior.

We saw a local therapist. (very small town)

We began to read his school books to him.

He became increasingly frustrated, angry and withdrawn.

We saw a therapist in the bigger town 30 miles away.

His and our home life spiraled out of control: He got angrier and abusive

towards us and his school-mates. He began baby-talk and other regressive

behaviors.

He was suspended from school for repeated angry outbursts.

THAT DAY he came home and began repeated hand-washing.

We KNEW what hand-washing was.

We saw a psychiatrist who diagnosed him with " full-blown OCD " .

Xanax and a weekly therapist had no effect. After a few months an SSRI was

added.

His compulsions spread to collections, eating, repeatedly watching children's

movies, inviting past friends for sleep-overs, and an obsession with girl whom

he began to stalk. Various drug combinations had no effect. He was suspended

from school twice more for fighting...always with the girl present.

His anger spiraled to violence. He was removed from one therapy session by

ambulance. He blamed others for his anxiety: Us, his therapist, his former

friends, the girl.

He went to Hospital in Wisconsin for 12 weeks.

helped him to understand his OCD and he is now slowly getting better at

a therapeutic high school.

I stopped work. We have taken a second mortgage on our house which will likely

need to sell to pay back.

Todd