OCD - help / advice please

[Mummadeze]

Would appreciate some advice / reassurance. My 14 DD has OCD that has been getting worse over the past 6 months. It has been brushing for germs, intrusive worry thoughts, not feeling ‘ready’ to do things, arranging, tapping and counting. I have been trying to get help all this time with no luck. On the waiting list for CAHMS, seen a private psychiatrist and two counsellors all who have said she needs to be seen by CAHMS. I have another appointment for a different private psychiatrist in June. In the meanwhile we are struggling. Over the past few days she has developed facial tics, stretching her mouth wide, swallowing a lot, pacing round the house, doing odd jerky movements, with her head and hands mainly. Also blinking slowly. I am finding it alarming and she is saying she is fighting to control all the things she is doing but can’t. I don’t know what to do or why this is happening or where to turn. Six months ago, she was an anxious child but generally happy, now she seems so mentally ill. Any advice please? Thank you

Can you get her private CBT and therapy? Would you consider medicating? Early intervention is key - and also making sure you are not enabling her compulsions, so not giving in to reassurance seeking behaviours and trying to get her to sit with the anxiety for even a short amount of time before she does the rituals

I would consider anything but everyone we’ve seen says she has to be seen by CAHMS but CAHMS won’t see us because she isn’t a risk to herself or others. She is even asking for medicine / help, but I can’t see anyone to prescribe anything. Have seen two GPs, a well-being practitioner, a counsellor and a psychiatrist. They all said we have to go through CAHMS. The main issue is she wouldn’t really speak to them as she struggles to communicate in that sort of situation. She is very shy / has suspected ASD. I explained everything for her though. She is talking to me about it all. The rituals are really constant at the moment and distressing. She is saying she can’t control them and doesn’t know what to do.

Hello op, this is a scary time for you and her. It's an anxiety disorder.
I would suggest:

Looking at OCD UK and OCD Action
Reading Break Free from OCD
Joining UK Parenting OCD (similar can't remember the name exactly) on Facebook - we are all dealing with this in one degree of severity or another

Please think about the therapists carefully - sometimes seeing too many people without success reinforces the idea it can't be treated. Having said that, camhs will have a long waiting list (stay on it). CBT and ERP are the best treatments, with medication a option (look for the NICE guidelines on this)

You are not alone, this is scary but you can find support.

As you will know, ocd is based on a an obsession/s (a thought) and then a compulsion (the ritual) which temporarily relieves the anxiety, but doesn't help in the long term. If your daughter is able to challenge any of these, she could try with the least distressing first. But you need informed therapy to support her.

Thank you. I hadn’t thought of those groups. I will do that.

slam.nhs.uk/obsessive-compulsive-disorder

One thing you may come up with when looking is PANDA/S which is not recognised in all areas, and (personally, as a parent) I'm sceptical about but it's worth sharing info in advance.

www.webmd.com/children/what-is-pandas-syndrome

I'm not medically or clinically trained at all but very familiar with severe ocd as a parent.

Please also discourage your daughter from googling (if she is) unless you help direct her. I didn't realise my child was reading awful no hope tales on various platforms, and it didn't help.

Has she talked to you about the subjects of her intrusive thoughts? I suffered from OCD after the births of my DCs and having someone to just listen without any judgement really helped. I second the recommendation to read Break free from OCD, advise her to stay well away from Google.

My 13 year old DD is going through similar. She started out with excessive washing rituals and contamination fears which meant it was difficult to get her to school in the morning and to bed at a reasonable time. We have worked on reducing these but now the OCD seems to have morphed into mental contamination with DD making odd movements similar to those you describe.

We are waiting for CAMHS assessment and have an appointment with a private psychiatrist. I’m not sure if I’m allowed to put the link but if you google Natasha Daniels there are loads of YouTube videos and podcasts specific to OCD and anxiety in children and teens. I am working through her Crush OCD course for parents which is brilliant whilst we wait. I’ve also found the OCD uk conference videos for families really helpful.