Roadmap on treatment

[Sue S]

Hi Natasha,

hope you are well.

I would like to have your advise on how we continue to help my son to battle with OCD and anxiety. He is 12 years old battling with OCD (mainly avoidance)  in past year. We are based in Ireland, he receives talk therapy from state owns mental health service center to reduce his anxiety. During the summer, he received CBT from the center. A 12 week session with psychologist on ERP. We tried Prozac and Zoloft no success with medication so far.  He manages school well, but no shower due to the thought that tape water is not clean. Now his OCD starts to impact his eating, he has not eating homemade food for nearly a year now. Mainly ready meal but now he think ready meal need to be stored in fridge so if not clean. We feel his OCD get worse.
I know that you have a couple of course available but I do  not know how to introduce to him. So far no psychologist educate him what is OCD. He only know he has OCD and certain compulsions and thoughts. No coping skill to fight back.
I  contacted with NOCD, but at that time we just started with stated own mental health service.  Not sure we should simultaneously starts treatment.
plan forward from our psychologist, she will continue with talk therapy and offer my son a ERP intervention session  some time soon.  She spent good 6-7 months to wait the medication to work with my son without any ERP. She kept saying we need medication to work with my son. They are stated own service provider so we can not request much. So the service is free.

My husband and I are lost here and wondering what we is our roadmap. Should we really need wait to find right medication or we can start some ERP with NOCD.  Or we should book him in for your course for crushing OCD. I always admire your kiddo can practice exposure themselves. I hope one day my so. Can do too.  They are persons to help themselves eventually.

In short I feel that OCD is growing if we don’t do any intervention. Your advice on this will be highly appreciated.

Thank you very much.

 

[Natasha]

Hi Sue,
I don’t think you have to wait at all for medication. Most people don’t unless there is a concern for suicidal ideation. The first step is educating him on OCD. Just because someone has OCD doesn’t mean they understand how it works or how they are growing it per se. I would start with NOCD. My courses can also act as a supplement. The OCD course for kids and teens will give him the skills directly. The OCD course for parents (you have free access to as a member) will teach you how to help him directly as well.

[Sue S]

<p style=”text-align: left;”>Thanks you for your reply. Natasha</p>
 

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