Topic : Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

I've been taking my 12 yr. old daughter to therapy every week for over a year doing cbt 

therapy. Her therapist thinks my daughter needs meds and it has been one step forward three 

steps back. The house is getting more contaminated and the less places she can walk thru, touch 

and be free to just be. My heart aches for her and it is also hard for the family to cope. I believe 

in meds but am nervous. My now 24 yr. old was treated for depression when she was 14 and after 

taking prozac became manic and was diagnosed w/ bipolar. I have been looking for a psychiatrist 

and it seems like all the good ones don't take insurance and I'm worried that my husband will flip 

out if I pay a doctor not on our plan. The therapist I take her to isn't on our plan, but I really like 

her and I am seeing her as well w/ other of my issues past & present. Does anyone have any 

good feedback about ocd and meds for children? 

Thank you and God Bless 

  

Bonnieflec, I am 41 and have a lighter case of ocd, i started feeling OCD when I was in my late 20's. I am not sure about children but I do know that some meds will aggrevate a patient if they have something else besides the OCD, say if someone is manic and they are being treated with an OCD medicine that can spark negative reactions. I did very well on Zoloft for years,OCD gone, but then it pooped out and it took a very long time to get a med to make me feel well again, so your child may just need to go thru the long process of finding the right medicine, the process can feel like forever but once you get the right meds it will be worth it. Good Luck, even OCD at a low level is miserable. I would recommend having the girls do regular exercise, there is something about running outdoors that helps alot, if they can get to that point. JoeyJoey

Thank you for your response. I want to be careful what meds she takes. Her therapist 

also wants her to be assessed for bipolar because she says her moods change so fast, 

faster than typical ocd.  You are right about exercise, it releases alot of stress built up 

in her body.  She takes gymnastics for 2 hrs. a week and is active.  Her ocd is mostly 

at home and in the car. I'm thankful it doesn't usually come up at friends houses or school. 

One thing I've learned is that ocd is not logical so trying to use logic and tell her we can 

disinfect what is dirty w/ cleaner doesn't work. 

Thanks again for your reply. 

Blessings, Bonnie 

I am grateful that I found a psychiatrist that is on the list for Austin Center for ocd 

which is the group her therapist is in and also is listed on my insurance.  They won't have 

an appt. time until Oct., but I am willing to wait. I worried about meds so long but since 

school started last Tues. my daughter is getting worse.  She has been having more meltdowns 

and it is so hard for me to discern disciplining her for behavior that is really hard to be patient 

with and ride it out knowing it is the ocd. Tonight was really hard, she has outbursts of shrill 

screaming to just losing it and spitting at her brother and impulsive and sometimes destructive. 

Her normal personality is very sweet and carefree and creative and loving,but her mood changes 

so fast when she's triggered by even just accidently touching me or something, there are places 

in our house where airspace is contaminated and she can't walk through it or go near it. We are doing cbt therapy,but since school started she is just so stressed she hasn't been able to do her 

work. I hope and pray that we can find the right medicine and she can lead a happy normal life. 

The stress in our home doesn't help either. Her dad is obsessed w/ building his chopper motorcycle 

that both my kids have come to me and told me that they don't think their dad cares about them 

or loves them and when I try to communicate their feelings he reacts very rageful and defensive. 

I have been on the abuse message boards awhile back because of verbal abuse from my husband. 

I am also in therapy and seeing a psychiatrist for things from my past and my presenst situation. 

I am feeling very overwhelmed with all that is going on but I have faith in God that whatever 

happens He will fill me with the grace that I need to do whatever I need to do. I'm probably 

talking too much so I should close this post. I am grateful that I have good friends, a good 

therapist, a caring psychiatrist and a support group of women at my church. I just want my family 

to be o.k. and to know the right things to do to make that happen. 

  

  

  

I was diagnosed this year by a Psychiatrist in May with 5 mental illness after being in the emergency room several times. I could not figure out why I had all this rage inside of me, and all this turmoil where my emotions was up and down all the time. I even went to counseling the first person she helped me a lot she told me that I still had a lot of anger and rage inside of me. She moved away and I found a new counselor couple years later. I was with him four 4 years, he said I made a lot of changes but I felt I never did. I still felt crappy inside with all these emotions going up and down inside of me. After 7 years of counseling, I felt it was a waste of time. Like I said before I was diagnosed with all these illnesses he kept on telling me he does not believe I had some of these illnesses. I paid this man thousands of dollars and told him Phil how I was feeling and I felt I was not ready to leave therapy yet. This was not fair to me that he never sent me to a Psychiatrist and now I'm angry about it this is hog wash. 

Now I suffer from bipolar1, borderline personality disorder, reactive attachment disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, and PSTD. I wonder why I can't work went through 50 jobs in 15 years, with these disorders it's hard to hold a job and have relationships with other people in my life. It's been hard to trust others, from the abuse I went through as I was growing up. Now I have a new counselor she is not charging me to help me. Phil I feel a lot of pain inside and still have this rage inside and suicidal inside I can't take this pain anymore.  

 This is for little girl lost. I hope you can believe that there is hope and what you are going thru can 

get better. I'm glad you found a counselor to help you free of charge. When I was 19 yrs. old I had 

a nervous breakdown, I was in the hospital for 3 months and a halfway house after that. I was hospitalized again at age 20 w/ hypomania. I was told I would never have a normal life, my psychiatrist at Stanford University tried to get me to ger social security for the rest of my life and I would never function in life. I had one more hospitalization when I had my first child at age 22, I 

had postpartum psychosis and was on prolixen and stuff for awhile.  After my brother got me to stop taking those meds I got better and have been dealing w/ alot, but I have functioned, had children, 

held jobs, got married.  Last May I started having panic attacks and ptsd from my past.  I finally trust 

a psychiatrist who treated my daughter for bipolar since she was 14.  I guess I'm going on and on about me to tell you there is hope and I pray you get the help you need. I just started college for the 

first time. I was scared , but I have been doing life afraid (a quote I got from Joyce Meyer) and the 

more I step out afraid and do things the more confident I have become.  I don't know if you believe 

in God or a Higher Power, but  just know that Love from Heaven is holding you in His hand and angels will watch over you and keep you. 

I hope I have helped at least a little, I'm not an expert.  There is light in the morning and light 

at the end of the tunnel - don't ever give up!  You are worthwhile and deserve a happy life. 

  

  

  

   I am 24 years old, and I don't know what is wrong with me. I have seen therapists, psychologists, psychiatrist, and medical doctors. I have been diagnosed with BiPolar, Manic depression, and depression. My husband seems to think that I am OCD. I am not real sure. I don't have a problem with touching things, but I am weird about cleaning. I also take things to extreme. Like If I like something I do it to the extreme. I have done this with Alcohol, cleaning, knitting, reading, you name I take it too far. Is this a sign of OCD? I don't know, but I know that on the inside I feel like I am on an emotional roller coaster. Does anyone have anything they can share. Thanks 

  

    Hello, please someone give me some advice. I am not doing real well. My head won't stop and I need a drink. I am a mess. My husband is at work and I need to know something 

My son is 12 years old and was diagnoses at age 4.  He was on Prozac and is now on Fluoxetine.  It has really made a difference, but is not a cure all.  A few years ago (when he was 8) he had developed some tics and the psyciatrist suggested we go off the medication over the summer.  It was ok for about a month or so, but then his OCD got so bad that he became unable to cope with anything.  We had to rush home from our summer vacation (cutting it short) to get him to the doctor.  He put him back on, but it took over a month for things to even out again.  It was very frightening (we though we were going have to hospitalize him.)  One thing I do know - he cannot go off it again! 

I should also mention he takes other meds for ADHD and a mood disorder.  he has also been diagnosed with Tourettes Syndrome. 

Dearest Little One,  My heart goes out to you.  I have a very good friend who has OCD, so I can just imagine your plight.  My first question is, Is your current counselor licensed?  Also have you contacted any of the OCD organizations.  I know he got a lot of very good information from the OCD Foundation newsletter.  I too was diagnosed with PTSD at one time because of childhood abuse.  I found the best therapy is called EMDR.  If you put those letters into any search engine, you'll get the complete explanation. The original organization is in California, Pacific Something, I think.  I recommend this therapy to all my counseling clients.  Hope this info is helpful.  Also if you like reading, there's a lot of info about each of your diagnoses available at the local library.  Being informed helps you better inform your counselors, psychiatrists, etc.  Eliana Gil is a good author, also for OCD. Rapoport, Judith, I think.  Just give yourself lots of time. Getting sick and angry took years, so it'll take some time to start getting well.  I'm really curious about how you got so many diagnoses.  Different counselors or ?????    Lots of hope and concern, Patti