My gorgeous dd has really really bad OCD.

[gracepaley]

We are on the waiting list for therapy and reading up about it like loons, but we are feeling really bleak about it. It's such a fucking pointless, ridiculous evolutionary blip, and it's turning her into a ghost of herself. Anyone got any cheery stories about recovery to bolster me? Normally more resolute, but just tonight feeling crap about it.

Grace - have read your thread tonight and I am amazed at how you keep going girly. I feel for you and dds and send you all the strength I have been saving up for other things.

Your humour and brains, and the obvious love you have for them I hope will pull you through the next few weeks if nothing else - and of course, you know where we are. love mbb x

Hello!

Funny on mumsnet - you can always find a thread on the very topic you are concerned about too.

Its very tough to support a child - they don't really know why they do it - just feel propeled.

I'm very worried about my son (8) he washes his hand all the time (they are so sore) I'm so upset - but so angry to.
I know I'm doing every thing wrong to support him.

poor ds MrsJonnyDepp.. I think you must mean you are doing everything you can to support him -
grace - I think all you can do is as berolina suggested...hold on to her and try to reassure and comfort her.

eekamouse - did I read your post right ?

still not asleep. Have given piriton and calpol and called the emergency doctor. She is literally in hell.

Eekamouse, fuck off.

I'm so sorry Grtace, OCD is a cruel horrible illness. My sister has it really, really, really badly.
I don't know what to say, just wanted to add some support. You must feel so frustrated and sad. I wish I could say something a lot more positive. I'm here if you want to talk a bit, x

I am sorry your DD (and therefore you) are suffering so badly. Hopefully once you are back home and in the normal (and more predictable) day to day environment things will be slightly better. It would take a saint or superhuman not to crack occasionally, if you do lose your temper, then don't be too hard on yourself.

Oh, grace.

She will come out of this hell, and she will remember what a tower of strength and comfort her mother was for her (however helpless, un-strong and un-towerish you feel now).

eekamouse, that was a badly-judged postz, at best.

the maudsley hospital has a good site for children/young people with OCD,

ocdyouth.iop.kcl.ac.uk/

thank you. Berolina, MAS, everyone, you're a bunch of diamonds. She has just gone off. Thomcat you have a hell of a lot on your plate don't you. Always amazed on MN at the extraordinary support people give despite their own v complex lives. Hello MB, thank you. Total we are home now, I think she was trying really hard on holiday and that's why it's got even worse on our return. Dh is being a rock. We are going straight to the doctor tomorrow. She can't even eat properly any more. Must try and get some sleep myself now.....totally wired.

hope the doctor can help today gracepaley...will think good,positive thoughts

Hi GP thinking about you all and feel that you are being so strong. Any problems with our kids can catapulte (sp??) us into the gravest anxiety. My DS1 suffers with a stammer which at times has really tested the whole family as we are so worried. I wonder if it is worth calling the Maudsley hospital as when I was in my 30's I asked to be referred there for my anxiety problems and to be honest they saved my life. Just a thought but anything is worth trying.
I will keep checking in to see how you are.
XX

I was thinking about you and your little daughter late last night and it occurred to me that maybe fish oil might have some effect in calming her down a little, and bringing down her anxiety levels. this site seems to suggest that it might be worth a go. If you can't get her to take neat oil, Haliborange do a children's range that tastes like blackcurrant.

Thinking of you all, grace.

Hi gp. Just come back to the thread after a few days to check how things are with you and am really sorry that thing have gotten so much worse. I'm struggling now to say anything useful because I think I've said all I can that might help thus far so I suppose all I can do is offer my sympathy and support. I really hope that you get somewhere today with your doctor. Personally I cannot believe that you have had to wait this long for therapy, I know it was 8 years ago but I was literally seen in days. I would have thought that they could surely give you some form of priority given the severe distress and disruption this is causing to you all. Try to hang in there (((hugs)) for you and dd

don't know if this is relevant, but my dad has OCD, one of the factors that makes him predisposed to it is that he doesn't produce quite enough seratonin in the brain, and something which helps is increasing levels of vitamin B. Of course you need to have therapy for the psychological issues, but a good diet can work wonders for anything. Rice and lettuce also have properties that make you calm and eases stress.

Just want to add my best wishes. I'm so sorry that your lovely daughter is going through this awful exhausting illness.

I hope that the therapy gives her relief. I know that therapy can be very effective. Very best of luck.

Hello all you fabulous people. I would like to offer you all a virtual bouquet for being so farking marvellous and supportive. It really does help having people routing for her, and for us. It makes me want to do better. I feel like I owe you all that!
Re the diet - she has a brilliant diet owing to my middle class lentilishness and also her history of allergies. But I think I will look into boosting her B vits, and mine.

Ok. So went to the doctor this morning and she agreed that the symptoms were very serious and that I should also hassle the CMHT. I called the Maudsley as well but they said I should stick with my local CMHT for now. So I spoke to a pimply registrar, who was very sweet but sounded about 4. He was v supportive but a bit clueless and kept saying, but do you think your marital situation is responsible for this...... grrrr. In short they can't expedite the appointment and have suggested we start challenging the behaviours ourselves. So we have to dig even deeper and find a way of becoming clinical psychologists as well as parents. . We will do that of course, it's just exhausting enough supporting her and containing the behaviours, let alone challenging them. On a brilliant note, she decided today that she was not going to let it affect her speech, and until about 2 hours ago when she got really realy tired, she has pretty much managed. She is bloody brilliant, spirited and wonderful. Her sister has drawn a picture of the OCD which is a kind of spoilt brat barbie type girl which the dds have named fiona. DD2 keeps looking at the picture and saying " fuck off fiona" which is BRILLIANT. DD1, of course, being an ocd type, finds it v difficult to say anything bad to anyone, but managed to give her the v-sign. As a natural rebel and iconoclast I find her "goodness" quite difficult. Dreading the nighttime bit but dh will be home soon and I will let him do the bulk of it and will read improving books on how to start challenging the rituals.

love and thanks to all, and I hope Mrs Johnny Depp that some of this is useful to you. Check out the books Berolina recommended. She is the queen of battling and beating ocd.

Thanks Grace. I carefully read your posts yesterday after I posted and could see how you are all suffering. I did order the 'my Brain is stuck' book yesterday - as I am handling my son really badly at the moment and yelling at him - which makes me cry which in turn makes him worse My son can not deal with anyone thinking badly of him - or having any negative thoughts about anyone else - so very interesting what you say. He has gone air riffle shooting with the cubs tonight - so I'm dreading him returning with DH .........
Keep strong xx

gracepaley, that does sound positive -well done to dd and her lovely sister - you are on the right tracks - I wish you strength and courage - beat the bastard !!

MrsJonnyDepp - be strong too, it's so hard to be the parent in all this, I can see now what my own mum and dad must've gone through..

I've been thinking of you on and off all day Grace. I know how much it hurts to see my sister with this shitty, cruel, pointless illness and feel so much for yu that you are watching your own baby going through this.

But it's great that you can see it, great that you know what it is and can get the help she needs now.

When my sister was small and wanted us to turn the car round so she could check the taps we through it was cute/quirky etc. At least it's known about now and you can support her.

A small 'at least' in many ways but important too.

Thinking of you. x