15year Son with obsessions - anybody else have this

[Clairelf]

My 15year Old Son has suddenly started putting his hands over his face, standing up and down and tidying up all the time, at other times he seems the normal boy he always has been, hes a clever boy and always has been very well balanced but for the last week has started this habbit, I have spoken to him and he says its nothing just a habit but it is worrying me to death as he does this when he thinks i cant see him n does it to the point that he is hot n bothered, I have even caught him emptying bins and moving things around, Is this just a habit that will go away or do I need to take him to see somebody professional, hes eating normally but I dont know what to do has anybody else experienced this with there children? x

Hiya, in no way an expert on this so partly just not wanting to read and run! However my DH does have OCD which we live with. The things I would advise: leave the tidying for now, just observe and see if it has any patterns. Also ask him if he could skip a day doing the standing up/down and hand over his face, don't make a big deal out of it, definitely don't get angry - just say its worrying you maybe he should not do it today? And see how he finds that. The other thing I feel i should say is if OCD is caught early a huge amount of help can almost obliterate it, but if ignored it can escalate very quickly and become out of control, so be open to a therapist but make sure you get a good one with a thorough understanding of OCD.

Also if he gets unhappy at not doing his rituals ask him what he thinks will happen if he doesn't do them

Thanks for the reply, I have spoken to him again n he laughed saying he knows hes doing it and its a habit he is going to try and stop but I think it goes deeper than that, I am going to moniter it and if it doesnt go any better I will make an appointment with our GP, did your GP refer you to the therapist or did u seek one out on ur own.

OCD sufferers know they're doing it, it just feels impossibly scary to stop. Your GP can give a referal but as he is not a suicide risk I would imagine you'd be on The NeverEnding Waiting List and also the therapy is hit and miss. A reccomendation for a therapist is always good, if not search for them in your area, pop in and get their brochure (for want of a better word) about their therapists and their specialist fields, narrow it down to 2 or 3 and get your son to have one session with each to see who fits the bill. That is the way to find a Great therapist but I know its a lot of work trying 1 at a time and judging if its working is maybe a bit simpler - but dont be afraid to swap - every therapist is different

And another thing (sorry!) the only real warning sign is if extra rituals get added, some people just like routine and have comfort habits - women who run their hand through their hair constantly, thumb sucking, rubbing the bridge of your nose, and that is fine its just if more and more elaborate rituals start ruling his life

Thankyou so much for your advice, this is my first time on here and its just comforting to know your not on your own x

Stick around the chat forum - here is a good place to start and AIBU (Am I being unreasonable) - here for a nosey and some drama! Take care