HGR

Good luck DJ1000. Wishing you a peaceful half term x

Thank you so much for the suggestions. I’m hoping that half term will help to provide a break from the compulsion cycle of term time. I will look at the videos and books with my son. It’s good to know that it can be broken.

I really don’t know how to handle this anymore. I am always having to cave in to the ocd. We are starting small with him not cleaning his PlayStation controllers, which he is managing. But life has become unliveable in our house.

Thank you. That is exactly what I needed to know. Your insight gives me hope and is much appreciated.

Thank you, I hear you. I am trying to take care of myself, but time is limited and there are never enough hours of sleep to prepare me for a day. I spoke to my Headteacher today, who had no idea what we were dealing with. She was fantastic and was very clear that I should take whatever time I need, that I must ignore my marking and planning when need be, and not to worry about it. She has also cleared my form group from me first thing in a morning, so that I can arrive later if need be. I was really touched by how supportive she was. So, I currently still have a job, but I also have a little flexibility in my days for the bad days. That has made me feel a little fiercer to take this whole ocd nightmare on.

Hi all, I’m a new member, my 14 year old son has been struggling with contamination OCD for a few years. We are a family of 4, and my husband and I are at breaking point, because my son cannot do simple things, such as getting dressed, getting dry after a shower, touching his clean clothes if he thinks he is dirty or accepting that something is clean when I give it to him. My son also has ASD, but it is the OCD which causes the problems. We cannot function as a family, we struggle to get him to school, I have taken today off sick (I’m a teacher- horrific workload in a very pressured secondary school) because we have spent the weekend with my son at crisis point over putting some clean laundry away. My son’s school have agreed to CBT with their educational psychologist. I am incredibly grateful for this as camhs has refused us help for the 3rd time. But right now, I don’t know how to help him. If I don’t enable his behaviours, I don’t get to work- end of. Mornings are horrendous and extremely pressured, we are all very upset by the time we leave the house. Every day is the same routine of him refusing to touch anything, refusing to allow me to help him because I am contaminated, being late, his grandad (who takes him to school) becoming stressed and is caving in to his demands for a 2nd shower. I feel your fear too OP, I am living in fear that I will lose my job and render us homeless because I cannot be present at work, tackle my workload and parent my son. We cannot afford for me to not work. But if I do take some time off to help him, what/how do I do that? One day here and there is not useful, because my son will revert to his safety behaviour just so that I can leave the house. I honestly do not know how working parents are handling ocd in their children, because I am failing miserable on all counts. Any advice will be gratefully received.