My 7 year old daughter has OCD and anxiety disorder.....

Susan - posted on 11/04/2011

like a roller coaster! up and down, good days and bad days...during high stress and anxiety the OCD is more prominent and uncontrolled....my daughter is 19

Opal - posted on 10/06/2011

alot of people will maybe see it as a disapline issuem I know when my daughter was being tested and disgnosed, i thought, myself that it was a disapline issue . until I took a step back and seen that it really wasnt. Its a very serious issue and needs to be handled in that form of way. Does he not like to be around a big group of people? How does he do when you go into more of public places? Im sure he must have ahard time!

Courtney - posted on 10/06/2011

he was diagnosed when he was in kindergarten. my mom thinks that everything he does is just because he needs to be disaplined. my mother hardly ever sees him and when she does he is a little angle but when i have him alone it is a different story.

Opal - posted on 10/06/2011

Coutney, No you dont! We live day to day! as you have seen Rochell and I have been talking about it quiet a bit! Its hard not only on them but also you because you want your kids to be very happy and lead a happy life and sometine that just isnt possible! SOme days are good for us and some arent so good but we always try to look on the bright side of things even when its not possible! Keepo your chin up Courtney! WHen was he disgnosed with anxiety disorder? My daughter was just diagnosed this year but we have dealt with it since she was around 2 and 3 and has just got worse over the years. she also has OCD.

Courtney - posted on 10/06/2011

my 10year old son has anxiety disorder and it is hard cause you never know what is going to set off an attack.

Opal - posted on 10/06/2011

oh no never too much to hear or read! I have to say you have your hands very full with your son! I know I do with my daughter! Every day is very different! thats for sure! Thats a good idea on the wagon thing, for them to have their own personal space. I wonder if that would work for Trinity. Might have to try that! I dont know how easy it would be though for her, probably harder. She doesnt like her things to be touched like I mentioned before. If I touch her ball she gets upset very easily. She likes to label things...for ex. she is in speech and when she first was tested, they asker her about a van..where should the van be?? she said thats moms van and it should be in moms spot in the drive way..that was when I had a van. I have a suburban now and it seems its more complicated now that I have a bigger vehicle and more seats! She deffinitly "labels" things and everything belongs to someone. Maybe if I get her, her own wagon then that would work. Thanks for the idea!
One thing I have found that seems to be coming up more is, if there are too many options, she panics! If she has 3 or 4 options she is ok. The other day I took her to the eye doctor, I knew it would happen and I prepared myself for her to get upset,uneasy, and just not happy! SHe was super excited about going and then when we walked in, she saw all the glasses and paniced! I asked the lady behind the counter to please pick out ONLY 4 frames for me and bring them to the room so Trinity could see them do yout think she could do that?? Heck no! she picked out 5 and said we had to go up front to see them! I gave trinity a Heads up that we would need to go up fron to look at them! So we did and she held my hand the whole way up front but as soon as she seen there were more then 4 frames she got very upset, didnt want to be there, said it was too much for her. I pulled the 5th frame away and she instantly calmed down! Im working on giving her 4 list of things to do, and its gradually working but not as fast as I thought. You would think this would affect her in school but as long as no one touches her things and disorganizes her desk then she is ok! I think alot of her issue is, she wants people to be happy and if their not them thats when she really gets upset! She will just break down when she gets home and I get the bad end of things sometimes. Here last couple days, Ive had a ball laying out for her or a wet rag for when she gets home and she plays with them until she wants something else.
We have tried medication for her and OMG I will never do that again until she getsd older and she feels she needs it. We tried 5 different meds on her and each one of them made her 20 times if not 100 times worse. On her second med the phycologist gave her, she was on week 4 of it and she randomly out of no where, picked up her supper plate and threw it at my husband's back! I didnt reacr right away because I was trying to figure out what just happened. On all the other meds, she would attack her sisters, come at me and my husband and I couldnt have her hurt any of us by any means. She is almost 4'9 and 98 lbs and pure solid! SHe was very aggresive when she was on them! I really really hope for your sake,your families and deffinitly your sons that there is something that can be helpfull out there for you! I know its rough and sometimes you just want to break down and take it all away so your son doesnt go through this all the time. or at all! I know i do that at times! Wish there was some magical cure for this!
One thing my husband and I have found to be helpful for trinity, is for her to go to a room, just by herself and let her be for a little bit. ALot of times we send her, when she is mad, angry, upset , or overwhelmed. I have a pretty big house so we have a room just for her and for her ball. She can do what she wants and she wont hurt herself or others in the house. when she feels she is ready and has calmed down, then she can come out when she wants too. It gives her time to reflect and a time to herself. SOmetimes it helps and there are times it doesnt at all and it makes things worse for her and us all together!
I find it very familiar about the smiling and people assuming they want to join in and they really dont want too! trinity does the same thing! She will sit and watch , she will smile and laugh but as soon as someone asks her to join she will run off or just ignore them all together! Its like she is in her own little world of happiness of just watching and observing! My husband and I are tball caoches and we have tried very hard for her to play..she will play but if she cant hit the ball off the tea after the 3rd time she gets very very upset and will run off! For some reason the number 3 is in play for alot of things for her! We havent been able to figure that out yet but maybe some day we will!
I really hope your have had a good week this week yourself and I hope your son has a good day today! as we both know, day to day, things can be different but we can always hope! Right? talk to you later girly and keep your chin up!

Rochell - posted on 10/02/2011

Amazing the simularities! I agree with the social interaction.. but again, he gets upset very easily as well and if someone else is upset, it brings his whole day down. He is in the very small classroom, but then when they have specials, ie; music, gym, library and art, he will go with his regular base class room, he is also with them at recess and has the choice at lunch to sit in a quiet place or with his class. All depends on how his day goes. The public thing... interesting you say that because we went through that too, so what we found works, is when we go to the fair, busy places, etc., we have a wagon that we pull him in. He will stay in it because it is his personal space and nobody can get in it with him. He'll get out to go on some rides, or to run in the grass, but as soon as we gotta go through the crowds, in the wagon he goes. When we are the mall, we usually rent a wheel chair. It again gives him his personal space and nobody else gets to sit in it with him. In the vehicle tends to be really hard because he has a very bad habit of not keeping his hands to himself. He either wants the whole front seat or back seat to himself (I have a 3rd row) and with all the kids, that is just not possible most of the time. My son has been diagnosed since he was 5. He began seeing a psychiatrist in preschool because they noted things were odd and peculiar with him by his interactions with the other kids, and he always solo played. If there is a group activity going on, he very seldom will join, he is more interested in sitting back on the sideline and watching. He will be grinning ear to ear and you would think he wants to join, but then if you ask him, he runs off and hides. Sadly because he is 8 and very agressive when things are different or he is upset about something, he has been referred to a "Star Program" by upper officials. He has began hitting on our 4 year old really bad. Before, it was just the rest of us, but now.. its everyone including my mom. Supposedly, we were told that its basically just to get medications in check and to observe him to see if they can see what sets him off. Like you said though, every day is a new day. One day it can be something he loves, the next day he cringes and claims he hates whatever. He is 70 lbs, and getting harder to hold down for his fits. They want to get them under control with proper medication before he seriously hurts someone. Last school year (he was kicked out of this school) he stabbed a pencil through someones thigh. I get a call saying he poked someone with a pencil, thinking okay... then I get bills in the mail from the hospital claiming a claim was filed against us because a mom had to take her son in to have lead removed from his leg. Ugh.. then he got kicked out of the next school because he was using the restroom, some older kids were messing around in there, and I got a call that he beat up four 5th graders!! Yeah.. I know what you're thinkin LoL I go to pick him up and I see bite marks, one kid had a bruise the shape of a shoe across his face (my son had thrown his shoe at him) and I was so upset because they were told, do not leave him unattended! I gave them the papers from SSI that said Jacob requires constant supervision and should never be left alone for more than one minute due to how quickly and easily he gets mad. So, now we are in the 3rd school, 3rd grade... and awaiting for the call that we have to take him into this program. I will get to visit him, but they said it could take anywhere from 2 weeks to 3 months. If it saves his ife and ours, it will be worth it. As he has gotten older, his rages have gotten worse and worse. We finally began to medicate, but nothing seems to help. Hope this wasn't too much of an ear full, but believe me, you are not alone although a lot of times we do feel alone. My kids help too as much as they can. My 4 year old calls Jacob his little brother.

Opal - posted on 10/01/2011

Hey Rochell..Yes dad to day are battle. She wasnt dianosed with any form of autism. Thats what my husband and I thought she had at first! It started when she was about 3, she was still eating things she shouldnt of been even putting in her mouth at that age! I know with some kids it takes a while for them to grow out of eating things they shouldnt but her just continued and out pediatritian said she would grow out of it and to this day she hast. She will eat crayons, markers, ends of pencils, erasers, newpapers, toilet paper..the list is endless! Her poor teeth are so flat from eating nonedible things! She isnt in a special room with other kids, I wanted to encourage the social intereaction with her class mates and she is doing good so far! One of her issues is, she wants everyone to be happy and usually if there is some kind of tention she gets upset very very easy! She doesnt like her things to be messed with or touch and she always knows when that happens! She has an obsession with "her ball and her wet rags" if she gets home and I move it, by cleaning or dusting she gets rather upset! One of our biggest issues right now is, big crowds anf going in to the public. its just too much for her and she will have panic attacks. When first noticed that when she was about 2. When we took her places with alot of people she would cover her eyes and then her ears, then back to her eyes..repeatedly. SO we would have to leave and come home. Usually when she comes home from school she is completely over whelmed and it can be a battle with her to calm her down! There are times at night she will have an anxiety/panic attack when its bedtime. SHe will cry and cry and cry..there are times i cant understand what she is wanting or saying so I get my husband to help! SOmetimes if we are both trying to figure things out at these times, its just too much for her and she will actually get worse. Most the time a bath with help. Every day varies! SOme good, some bad. and her excitment can be overbearing sometimes. I n ever know what excites her or what makes her happy. one day it can be one thing and the next day its something else but not what it was 2 days previous. ....its a challenge~ Yes i do have 3 other girls and none of them have any of this! When she was diagnosed and when we started noticing something wasnt right, we were afraid the other girls would have it too and they dont! My older twins help me out quiet a bit with her! How long has your son had this? I am glad I can talk to someone who knows what this is like~

Rochell - posted on 10/01/2011

My son is 8 and those are among his diagnosis. He also has much more.. but for us.. everyday is a battle. We have 3 other children in the home, and he does not like having his stuff touched, moved, and has to be exactly how he wants it. The Anxiety causes him to be very impulsive, so he is also labeled as a very agressive child, in the home and at school. They have him in a special room with only 4 kids in his class and he has an aide to help him all day at school and 2 hours every day at home. She was not diangosed with any sort of Autism? Usually for such a young child to have these diagnosis, there is a form of Autism to follow. How is your day to day with your daughter? Do you have other children??