Chronic lateness - OCD

[gotaproblem]

My DD is nearly 18 A level year. She has always been last minute but this has got progressively worse, she spends ages in the bathroom in the morning (showers previous evening), was still in there at 10.00 am yesterday (first lesson study period but irrelevant really). She will only use one of our two bathrooms, dries herself on kitchen towel downstairs, won't touch the bin and uses a face cloth to dry her hands upstairs, her hands are very rough and dry.

She seems to be setting herself up to fail, ideas anyone?

My son was diagnosed with OCD at age 18 in the January of his A level year. He was always late for school. Later he told us that he had problems in the bathroom with brushing his teeth, he had to rinse the toothbrush several times and was incredibly anxious that it might touch someone elses (contamination). He also used to disappear into his room when we thought he was ready to leave for school because he had to check everything numerous times and in the end resorted to taking a photo before he left so he could reassure himself later.

I can't tell how serious your daughter's issues are but if it is affecting the rest of her life, which it was in my son's case, then a visit to the GP is worth it. Talk to her about it and ask what her level of anxiety is with the handwashing etc. OCD is an anxiety disorder and sufferers can feel that is they do not wash their hands a certain amount of times something terrible is going to happen. The level of anxiety for my son was incapacitating and he sometimes could not nget out of the house.

PM me if you want to talk privately about it. Unfortunately I have picked up alot of info on it in the last few years.

Thank you for your reply, hope your son is OK now, yes I think I will pm you. As I have a lot of questions.

Have you chatted to her about it? I would talk to your GP about it and then have a chat with her and tell her you're worried.

No I haven't, not sure how to broach it really...lazymum99 did you confront your son?

I noticed that something was not quite right. He had also stopped socialising and did not seem the same boy. I told him I had noticed the difference and asked him what was the matter. It then all came tumbling out and I realised he needed to talk to someone. He went to see the school counsellor first and the sessions helped a bit. Then I realised it was not getting better and went to the GP, was referred to a psychiatrist and dignosed with OCD.

She will be aware of the problems and most probably worried about her behaviour. My son seemed relieved when I talked to him. In fact he broke down.

Just thought I would come back to this to say I am pretty sure she hasn't got OCD. Did try to talk to her about it but there was nothing forthcoming.

However she has managed to get to all of her exams on time and I think this added pressure should have made it worse, when in actuality it made her get a handle on her lateness.