Children with OCD - HELP! - Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) Message Board

LisaBob · 10-31-2006, 12:38 PM

I have 11 year old boy/girl twins who were 8 weeks early. My daughter has Tourette's syndrome and OCD and my son has Asperger's Syndrom and OCD.
My daughter has been treated for her conditions for some time. My son was more recently diagnosed with Asperger's but just recently seems to have OCD - within a few weeks/months time.

He thinks "he" is dirty and cannot touch himself anywhere. He washes all the time and takes at least one bath a day. He changes his clothes frequently. His hands and face are raw and cracked from him rubbing off something "disgusting." He uses tissue to pick things up. He doesn't like anyone he doesn't know touching him and he doesn't like touching other people's stuff. But most of his behavior seems to be more about finding himself "disgusting" (in his words). Spiders freak him out, artificial plants too. He can play with his pets and clean a litter box though.

I don't understand and am so worried! Are there any good books you can recommend? Any advice at all????

My sincere thanks,
Lisa

Linda in MI · 10-31-2006, 06:45 PM

Lisa,

My son's OCD seemed to have started rather suddenly, too. He is 9-years-old and was diagnosed a year and a half ago. He used to take two showers a day, wash his hands up to 100 times a day, wouldn't touch certain things, etc., etc., etc. He was on Prozac for a year, but began taking Lexapro instead this past June. He also sees his therapist every week. He still has some OCD issues, but is much improved now. I understand how you must feel - it was extremely frustrating, scary, and sad at first. (Were your daughter's OCD symptoms different from your son's?) I bought several books about childhood OCD, but didn't find them especially helpful. I did find that having "parent sessions" with his therapist always made me feel more hopeful. Know that you are not alone. If you think of any specific questions, just ask. Things will get better!

Linda

P.S. How does your son do at school? That is still a problem for my son, with things getting "contaminated" and germs spreading everywhere, etc.

LisaBob · 10-31-2006, 07:08 PM

Thank you so much for your response Linda. It's good to talk to another mom in the same boat.

My daughter's OCD symptoms are different than my son's. Hers came on more gradually. She cannot sit if a chair is dirty or the table (restaurant) is dirty or has any crumbs. I clean it and she puts her stuff on a napkin or we leave. If her silverware touches the table, she has to get a new set. If someone gets close to her face she gets VERY upset. She has curly hair but cannot stand it if it isn't completely flat. She also gets upset if the brush hangs up in her hair. She can't eat certain foods if the quantity is "wrong" (like serving her 5 taquitos). She also does some kind of mathematical equations when she sees certain things. If she sees words in some fonts she has to do some one-step change word game in her head, etc. She's been doing the desensitization therapy - with her cat (pet therapy) and a great therapist. We have an extraordinary amount of tears every day...We're worried about her.

My son had been seen previously for depression but hadn't had signs of OCD that were as outwardly obvious until recently. It is interesting that your son's was a quick onset too. Do you know why it's this way with some kids? Does your son do the desensitization therapy as well? Does it work?

My son's teachers have noted that in the last two weeks he's had a much more difficult time concentrating, he keeps leaving class to wash his hands and face, he can't touch a pencil or pen that someone else has used, etc. So, yeah, the contamination worries get in the way. He always kept up and completed all his work and did great on tests. Lately, he's slipping. Does you son have an IEP? Does the school help him in any way? My son's IEP only covers his Asperger's.

Sorry so many questions. As you already know, my head is spinning...

Lisa

GatsbyLuvr1920 · 10-31-2006, 09:32 PM

Finally! Someone with both Asperger's and OCD! It's so nice to hear about another case!

I'm 19, college sophomore. I realized I had OCD when I was about 15 1/2, but I wasn't officially diagnosed with it until I was 17. I wasn't diagnosed with Asperger's until this past March, when I was 18 1/2. I'm the pure obsessional type, meaning that I have very few overt compulsions. My obsessions are my trouble. You mentioned quick onset in your son. Did he have a case of strep throat before his OCD began? If so, then I'd say that your son's OCD was a direct result of PANDAS (Pediatric Autoimmune Neurological Diseases Associated with Streptocci). Anyway, I've had obsessive-compulsive symptoms all of my life. I had clear-cut confessing compulsions at ages four and seven. I developed full-blown OCD at 11 1/2. I've had panic attacks almost daily since age three-five. I'll get anywhere from one to three a day, depending on how much stress there is. (I had two today- a moderately severe one and a mild one.) The Asperger's wasn't seen in me because it wasn't known about when I was a child- it wasn't even put in the DSM-IV until I was seven. However, had I been a toddler today, it would've been painfully obvious. It also wasn't detected because I was always the "perfect student" in school, and somehow managed to squeak by with straight "A's" all of my life, despite my nonverbal learning disabilities associated with the Asperger's. After being on three different SSRI's throughout the course of three years (Zoloft, then Lexapro, then Zoloft again, then Prozac), I am not currently on a medication for my OCD. I stopped the Prozac in May because it, like all of the other SSRI's, didn't really help much with my OCD (I still had two OCD breakdowns while taking them) and only made me extremely tired, to the point of not being able to function. I still have daily blasphemous and violent obsessions, but just a few more than I did while on the SSRI's. I take 100 mg daily of the mood stabilizer Lamictal, which has helped immensely with my mood swings and outbursts due to my Asperger's. I also take Klonopin as needed for my panic attacks, but since I get panic attacks practically daily and dealt with them for 18 years before getting Klonopin, I usually only take the Klonopin for really, really bad panic attacks. This may be as little as once every three weeks or so, even though I'm allowed to take it daily. Both OCD and Asperger's are a challenge to live with, but I honestly wouldn't wish either one away, no matter what problems they may cause. They make me who I am and define my personality. Having both is interesting because the obsessional parts of them are complete opposites. My OCD obsessions are horrible and anxiety-provoking, but my Asperger's "obsessions," or "special interests," cause me intense joy and happiness. In fact, I Love Lucy, A Beautiful Mind, and Frank Sinatra, three of my biggest obsessive fixations, is all that gives me relief some days... Good luck, God bless, and if you have any more questions, feel free to ask!

-GatsbyLuvr1920-

LisaBob · 11-01-2006, 10:10 AM

Oh my - GatsbyLuvr - you've had a tough go! I'm so glad they were able to finally diagnose you so they could help you more potentially!

We'd always said our son "marches to the beat of a different drummer" and have implored his teachers to let him be who he is. We celebrate who he is and sometimes he finds a special teacher who does too.

His Asperger's was night and day onset at age 12 months - reaction to immunizations. He was a completely different child in 24 hours. I suppose he's always had a few obsessions. Rollercoasters is one. He can tell you just about anything about any coaster worldwide. He has software and designs them every day for hours. This has been going on for about 3 years or so.

The social side of Asperger's has been the most difficult - causing severe depression. It's hard to be different, know it and not really be able to do much about it. He's been an easy target for bullies. My job has been to try and help and protect them both. I have a sense that, at least for my son, once he makes it through high school, his world will be a kinder more forgiving place because he can utilize his passions (obsessions) to do anyting he wants - and do it well!

He didn't have strep throat. However, his teenage hormones have started kicking in over the last month or so. (My kids get stinky feet when they enter puberty... )

We are also worried that something could have happened to him. So far, our questioning hasn't turned anything up. I also had surgery about 2.5 weeks ago. Maybe that scared him? He spent the night at a friends house the night of my surgery - could something have happened there that he doesn't want to talk about? I don't know...

I have a call in to a child psychiatrist who's focus is OCD. I'm hoping to hear from him soon.

I'm sorry for your struggles GatsbyLuvr. You sound like a tremendous person!!! It gives me hope for my son doing so well!

Lisa