OCD support

[Jerbil]

Ds1 has always struggled with people touching him and we always put it down to his SPD. I distinctly remember a few years ago someone saying to me he's 'a bit OCD' and I thought to myself well he's fussy and he has ASD so it's all down to that.

After Christmas he began to wash his hands more often. One day I got him out the bath. I realised his hands were red. Within days this had escalated and they were all broken skin, sore and chapped and cut. I took him to the GP and got him some cream. Also I took him to his psychologist who told us about facing his fears; it would raise his anxiety at first but then he would get through it.

They told me about externalising the OCD bully and putting it to him like this. I adapted a story I found on a website and have read it umpteen times with him to no avail. Thing is he doesn't do pretending cos of his ASD so therefore it's not working.

It is now affecting all of our lives on a daily basis. His education is suffering as he spends much time at school in the bathroom. He doesn't wash just his hands and ends up drenched as he tries to neutralise the touch of people even if they've only slightly brushed him as they've walked past him.

I feel so desperately sorry for him. We spend an hour in the bathroom with him crying as he repeatedly washes, then if he leaves the bathroom and touches something on the way out he will go back and start again.

He has been referred to psychiatry as I've requested medicine for him, and his psychologist agrees it's part of the solution now. But now a friends told me to go homeopathic instead. What do you think? I'm not a big believer and if it enTails anything more than a 5ml syringe of meds then I'd have little chance of getting it in him anyway.

Not seen the documentary. Do you know what it was called please? Ds1 won't tolerate barely any new clothes. I've offered gloves but he's not accepting anything right now.

Thanks zzzzz :-)

Hi Jerbil OCD can be a real pain to manage and as you are finding majorly disruptive to normal life.

My ds now 17 has had OCD symptoms for years. He didn't get the monster thing either - he also has ASD.

My ds wore gloves as a crutch for years and it did help. He has recently managed to go out without them. Alcohol gel instead of soap and water also helped as it is quicker and not so bad for the skin. Use of it can also escalate though, these things are aids not solutions.

Medication did help my ds but again it is not a solution. The only thing that has really moved him on is structured and slow CBT with an experienced psychologist. The team she belongs to have written a manual 'Breaking Free from OCD'. It is aimed at teens but adaptable.

But I am not going to pretend that it is easy.

NoHaudinMaWheest No doubt it isn't easy. Though Ds1 is pretty severe on SPD, ASD isn't that bad but becoming more obvious to others. But OCD. well it's always been there. when I look back over meetings from school and ive written notes they've discounted when ive said he didn't like people touching him. I remember year 1. He put his hand up to go toilet. they said why? he said to get a tissue. she said here's one, and handed him a box. he said "the top one is torn!"
She said "if you really want it you'll take it." she then took the torn tissue threw it away, andtook the next and passed it to him.
He couldn't take it - why? cos she had touched it! back in year 1. why didn't I see this coming? there were so many instances of it. But now it has exploded and has taken over for now. "Majorly disruptive!" absolutely.