1Littlefoot

Thank you. At the moment its hard to even get him out of bed until mid afternoon ....... .. he's cut off even talking to his friends. So your ideas are a great reminder for how to encourage him .... I'm finding it pretty impossible to talk to him in terms of goals, easy first steps ... ... and dreams and hopes conversations get caught up in an OCD cycle of stuckness - ie questions around how does he know any choice he makes is the right choice / doesn't want to get it wrong .... so he continues to do absolutely nothing. he's so sad ....and his confidence is rock bottom.

thank you - sorry for delay - been somewhat distracted -work/ son's OCD ! and now the fact that he is completely stuck - doesn't believe anything/ therapy etc will help him . I was thinking of the Future Directed Therapy as with or without OCD he has zero goals - so hard to see how he can move forward at all . mmmm. the video looks helpful ....to me anyway! x fingers something resonates with my son.

Has anyone had any experience of the use of Future Directed Therapy ( FDT) - as an adjunct to normal CBT etc - it supports improvement in depression suffered alongside OCD? Seems to make some sense to me .. the Wikipedia entry says it is based on the thinking of Melges who "proposed that the harmonization of future images, plans of action, and emotions restore a person's sense of hope and control over the future: "Thus, with hope, the personal future is not certain and fixed, but is viewed as being open, unfrozen, and full of opportunities." . Clinical trial results seem to say

Does anyone know anything about Brain in Hand app - see https://braininhand.co.uk/ - it is '"a professional digital support system which helps people with making decisions, managing anxiety, and dealing with unexpected situations. " I wonder if it is helpful for those with OCD ? It certainly seems to tick the boxes for things I know my son who suffers OCD and the other son who has GAD struggle with . I often end up being the support to my sons that this app seems to provide .... and as I am not getting any younger I am naturally keen to see what there is that can replace m

My adult son is unable to continue his unie studies due to ocd/ depression ( an ongoing 7 yr.+ story) .... ; so after it taking a year to fully transfer him from home in Croydon to Warwick mental health community services where he was at unie and got treatment - we are now looking to get him transferred back home to Croydon. In that intervening year we paid privately for help for him - ironically it was the same psychiatrist that is treating him in the NHS! He is under the care of a psychiatrist in Warwick , has medication and has been having therapy - ; worryingly the therapy is due

Thank you dksea ...is good to hear from others who have experienced this ... and recovered. I'm mindful too that in so many ways he's much better and of course more mature - although I think the illness makes the whole growing up things more complex as he's missed out on so much of 'normal'. i'm heading towards the psch .... I keep flagging the need to do a meds review ...no ones seems to be listening yet. If he's getting better i'm thinking that maybe he could reduce his meds .. but he has taken another year out of unie as he was struggling ....but as he's at home safe with

My son ( 22 yrs) is struggling with OCD ( mostly mental rituals - Pure 'o' ) and depression - being treated with Sertraline at 200mg daily and Risperidone - 0.75mg and 0.5mg/day. He seems to be unable to really understand his emotions or show the normal highs and lows of life. Since diagnosis and taking medication he has rarely shown the severe lows of total despair ( when he'd get angry or cry uncontrollably) ... but equally sees no real joy ... he can seem happy enough when in the middle of activities ( when distracted from OCD ) especially with demanding children but often expresses

that sounds helpful - thankyou I'll show him .... see how he responds - now you've described this process I recognise bits from what he has told me ...... by knowing this in full it will help when he finds it just too challenging .... you don't seem to set time limits on allowing ruminating ... is more black and white ... perhaps easier to work with uncertainty is rife with OCD. Will let you know .... xing fingers! Litllefooot

From a mum of a 21old young son OCD sufferer - how does an OCD sufferer ' recognise ' / 'catch themselves ' ruminating and so try to stop doing it the many ways suggested? When he's in a whirl of anxiety nothing seems to get through. Looking for tips here from fellow sufferers who know what son is going through. If I am around I can help him to see the situation (very challenging for us both - and not the best way forward as I know I musn't become part of the whole process - not good - reassurance etc!). I have looked at loads of ideas and suggested them but he finds it so hard t

Son is 21 - is having another round of CBT therapy ( but is on hold at moment - therapist on extended leave for some reason) - has had ERP etc etc ... .is on meds - 200mg sertraline/ risperidone / clonazepam . But having decided to take a year out from unie to get on top of his illness he's not really improving - being at home he's slipping down into more mental ruminations - without me around to spot what's going on and help him think of a way out he's stuck and getting more and more depressed - OCD is taking a hold again having been able to move on with life. I am on this bi

From a mum of a 21old young son OCD sufferer - how does an OCD sufferer ' recognise ' / 'catch themselves ' ruminating and so try to stop doing it by the ways suggested? When he's in a whirl of anxiety nothing seems to get through. If I am around I can help him to see the situation ( very challenging for us both - and not the best way forward as I know I musn't become part of the whole process - not good - reassurance etc!). I have looked at the video - think I picked up the idea of if you are thinking of solving an insolvable problem e.g. - what is truth / what do I know / how c

Thanks raffles and Stepforward. the evidence based approach is a good point . And my worry and reason for asking was triggered by the negatives I had seen and the concern it would put him back - even at risk. As it happens he hasn't proceeded- no idea why. Plus now the psychologist is on extended leave for goodness knows what reason ..... as has been his psychiatrist - so he's in limbo again at home and slipping backwards - getting fed up , bored, depressed and loosing faith in himself - of course OCD being a huge contributor - as always - I hate this darned illness!! So for no

Thank you Headwreck ...... hopefully making progress one day at a time!

I suspect that might be how the therapist is going to use it (or maybe that's me with wishful thinking) ..... so thanks - that puts things into perspective alongside the Exposure therapy for OCD and the normal CBT for OCD - both of which he has done - and continues to try do on a daily basis with greater or lesser effect - depending on how anxious he is. It really is very exhausting for him . Your comments really helpful. Many thanks all.

Thanks legalseagull. Guess will have to see .. CBT alone hasn't worked enough so anything else that might help seems worth a try - son seems positive about it .... so must be worth a try.