Practical advice for helping with daughter's compulsive behaviours

[tam409]

DD16 is on a waiting list for an ASD assessment. In the meantime her anxiety and obsessive/compulsive behaviours are getting worse and worse, to the extent it is getting really hard to support her. For example, it takes her over an hour and a half to get ready for bed, because she has to do a specific order of washing herself/getting various things ready. She's become more and more obsessed with hygiene, so if someone coughs (even just clearing their throat) in a room, she won't eat her food. And she has to wash her clothes and bedding all the time and still feels like it is dirty. If anything touches something she considers dirty she has a meltdown. She has various other issues but these behaviours are really stopping her from coping with anything.
I'm trying to get an appointment with the GP (easier said than done) as she really needs some help and the ASD assessment won't be for over a year still. Does anyone have any suggestions how I can help in the meantime? She knows her behaviour is not rational but she can't help it.

[DarkChocHolic]

Sorry to hear you and DD are struggling.
Is your GP willing to make a camhs referral so you can access a psychiatrist.
It would still be a long waiting list and camhs are clogged with backlog.
Alternately are you able to go private?
If so, I would seek a private psychiatrist to assess your daughter and hopefully they can prescribe treatment which the GP can take over.
She may need therapy and medication to help her.
Xx

[ForBrickSnake]

Find a good therapist who understands ocd and erp - exposure therapy. If you can manage it you may need to go private as darkchocholic said wait list are long. Medication will really help of course that's your choice. Medication & therapy in my experience best combined.

[tam409]

Thanks both. I managed to speak to a GP again and finally got a referral to CAMHS. Waiting now to find out how long it will be.