ds refuses to go to CAMHS

[sticks2]

He's 15, went to CAMHS 3 years ago for OCD. He improved but thinks he did it by himself (and he's bright, said what they wanted to hear and they ignored us when we said he wasn't always telling them the truth).
Now sometimes he won't go to school, hides under duvet. School supportive, as is GP, referred him to CAMHS as clearly still has the anxiety that caused OCD. We've tried everything - bribery, taking away laptop etc - but he refuses to go near CAMHS again, or see a school counsellor/private psychologist. (Won't look at helpful books/websites either.) Any ideas?

Thank you for replying. Will try. I know that if we don't go, or say he won't, we risk losing the appointment anyway.

CAMHS will need to see your son, not just you, but you might be able to persuade them to do a home visit if you explain that him refusing to attend is due to his extreme anxiety.

Selks, thank you. I didn't realise they might do a home visit. If he just agrees to speak to one person, he/she might be able to persuade him to meet again. He's just so resistant to getting help, and in the meantime, he isn't going to school.

poor him and you. Sounds like my DD at one stage, trying to deal with everything himself and bright enough to think they are coping but he is getting into stressful GCSE work now.In my DDs case, she ended up not coping at all and in hospital . He wont realise that the right professional support will give him techniques to cope better with anxiety, but its going to be important at some stage he can engage with someone who can help.

Is it a particular therapist or just generally camhs ? we have changed therapists in the past ? Watch his mood and for signs of depression as well as anxiety, is he sleeping, what is he doing when he isnt at school etc? I think you may need to engage schools help. If he is not attending, they will need doctors letters etc. We visited an educational psychologist once (privately) who was helpful both for hidden memory processing issues, as well as identifying other issues and her letter helped us get more support. If he isnt going to school, perhaps he would agree to see an educational psychologist, to look at why he might not be attending school ?

Anthropology
sorry I missed your post. Thanks so much for the suggestions. We've managed to find a private psychologist who is coming to the house and postponed CAMHS for a couple of weeks. So far ds has had two sessions and it's such a relief he's getting help.

How is your daughter now? I was dreading our GP sending ds to hospital against his wil as I thought it would make him worse and not trust us. Sometimes I suppose there's no option and it's the best place.

Thanks again.

pleased you have someone, who he is at least seeing, so you can assess the best way to help .To give you hope, she had a rough couple of years, but with support and hard work from her, she thrived in a smaller college with less pressure, and is just finishing A levels with a well earned place at a great Uni. She will always be sensitive, but I think we have learnt more about her strengths as well as her vulnerabilities, she has coping strategies, and she is an extraordinary brave, young woman.

She sounds wonderful and I'm sure she couldn't have done it without your support. Thanks for the encouragement.