Mumsnetters aren't necessarily qualified to help if your child is unwell. If you need professional help, please contact your GP or local mental health support services.
Mumsnetters aren't necessarily qualified to help if your child is unwell. If you need professional help, please contact your GP or local mental health support services.
Child mental health
Advice on coping with teenage dd ocd
Abiamber · 12/06/2018 23:42
DD2 (15) has over recent months displayed ever increasing ocd symptoms. All relating to germs. Some examples are she wipes her phone, watch etc. With anti bac wipes as soon as she gets home from school. Any clothing or items that touch anything she has taken to school have to be washed or wiped down.im not allowed to sit on her bed. After she sat on the sofa in short pj’s she had to wash her legs in case they had germs on them. Won’t touch any door handles anywhere. Wants me to use separate pans to cook her food. I could go on and on. This all really started about 6 months ago but have been smaller issues in the past. She has said she wants a drs appointment for diagnosis and treatment. Does anyone have experience of this process? Also , I have been trying to reduce her anxiety by washing items, wiping her stuff for her but now wonder if this is just making things worse. Any advice welcome as this is having a huge effect on family life. She also has behavioural concerns and we are on the waiting list for a case worker with Early Help
lazymum99 · 13/06/2018 18:01
A GP appointment and referral to a psychiatrist for a diagnosis is the way forward. A combination of CBT and mindfulness is very affective treatment.
Do not wash or wipe down her stuff. Do not reassure her however difficult this is for you. It is not helping. You are unknowingly encouraging the compulsive behaviour.
Living with someone with OCD is hard.
Abiamber · 13/06/2018 19:56
Thanks for that. She actually went to the GP today who seemed to take us seriously but told us that I need to speak to dd’s head teacher and ask for dd to see the school nurse who will then get started on the right pathway. GP said for dd to go back in a couple of months to see how things are going. I feel like we just keep getting passed around. I’ve already had discussions with senco at school and school nurse wasn’t mentioned. Now the bloody pe teacher wants a doctors note as to why dd can’t do pe (all that dirty sweaty equipment!)
lazymum99 · 17/06/2018 10:11
If you have the funds can you see someone privately. Not sure what the nurse can do except a possible referral to CAMHS.
The school does need to know what she is going through and they need to give her some leeway. But she needs therapy to get through this.
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