Help!!

[Sam74]

My son is 9 and has OCD.......

As his mum, I have found it so hard to help him with his every day to day tasks,  such as school, which triggers his tics off big time. He has now resorted to harming himself by scratching his face. He said he doesn't know he's doing it and I have tried helping him by saying, just remember where your hands are and if you have to tic, then use your knuckles instead. He also has a fear of going to a number 2 because he doesn't want to get germs on his hands when he wipes himself. This has resulted in him holding on and  having terrible stomach pains. My heart is breaking for him and I feel totally overwhelmed and very alone. I have read books but they have all said a CBT person is the best option, so he has just started seeing a CBT and I am hoping this will help him big time. 

I am struggling to help him and so want to stop these dreadful tics for him, as I just want to take all his anexity away from him. I hate seeing him like it and his gorgoues face all marked, I am making an appointment with the doctor tomorrow to see if we can get any more help with him at school. 

Can anyone give me any ideas, suggestions on what I can do to help him, stop marking his face? This dreadful OCD is taking my son from me and I am feeling totally powerless ??

 

 

[Em24]

Hi Sam,

I'm sorry to hear your son is struggling with his OCD. Its such a nasty illness and very hard on children who suffer with it.

Thats good that he will be seeing a CBT therapist. When is his 1st session?

I'm not sure which country you are in but a book I found very helpful was 'What to do when your brain gets stuck.' Its on amazon. 

With regards to your son scratching his face, it really is a matter of self awareness and control. I cant really think of a suggestion to help with that. Other than to maybe reward him on days when he doesnt scratch? Like an incentive to help him stop scratching?

Resisting a compulsion takes a lot of will power and strength. So helping him a little by doing a reward chart (if 9 year olds do that, sorry my eldest is 7) or similar may just help a bit?

X

[Mrs porter]

On 6 April 2017 at 22:53, Sam74 said:

My son is 9 and has OCD.......

As his mum, I have found it so hard to help him with his every day to day tasks,  such as school, which triggers his tics off big time. He has now resorted to harming himself by scratching his face. He said he doesn't know he's doing it and I have tried helping him by saying, just remember where your hands are and if you have to tic, then use your knuckles instead. He also has a fear of going to a number 2 because he doesn't want to get germs on his hands when he wipes himself. This has resulted in him holding on and  having terrible stomach pains. My heart is breaking for him and I feel totally overwhelmed and very alone. I have read books but they have all said a CBT person is the best option, so he has just started seeing a CBT and I am hoping this will help him big time. 

I am struggling to help him and so want to stop these dreadful tics for him, as I just want to take all his anexity away from him. I hate seeing him like it and his gorgoues face all marked, I am making an appointment with the doctor tomorrow to see if we can get any more help with him at school. 

Can anyone give me any ideas, suggestions on what I can do to help him, stop marking his face? This dreadful OCD is taking my son from me and I am feeling totally powerless ??

 

 

Hi I can really sympathise with you. My daughter has severe ocd. To the point where she's not in school. She's been suffering for 2 years. She started 5 weeks ago holding her wee in avoiding going the toilet for a wee because of the wiping and germs. And it has resulted in her getting 3 water infections. She's on her 3rd lot of antibiotics now. She's under camhs. Had 6 week of therapy. And now they have left her without therapy for 4 weeks and she's got worse. So for us they are a waste of space. They have failed her so bad. I rang lastweek was told they would ring me back never did. Rang yesterday spoke to her social worker. She told me she would ring me today and tell me what's going on never did. So I am considering going private as this can't go on. It's not fair on my daughter and us as a family. 

Edited April 12, 2017 by Mrs porter

[Mrs porter]

7 hours ago, Mrs porter said:

Hi I can really sympathise with you. My daughter has severe ocd. To the point where she's not in school. She's been suffering for 2 years. She started 5 weeks ago holding her wee in avoiding going the toilet for a wee because of the wiping and germs. And it has resulted in her getting 3 water infections. She's on her 3rd lot of antibiotics now. She's under camhs. Had 6 week of therapy. And now they have left her without therapy for 4 weeks and she's got worse. So for us they are a waste of space. They have failed her so bad. I rang lastweek was told they would ring me back never did. Rang yesterday spoke to her social worker. She told me she would ring me today and tell me what's going on never did. So I am considering going private as this can't go on. It's not fair on my daughter and us as a family.