OCD in a child...does anyone know anything.
 

Well in the mist of everything else Lexi has really been going through a rough week. I truely think she is OCD.

She has a dr. apt. on Thurs. For the last year we've been dealing with the whole hand washing/ germs/ asking the same questions over and over, etc. Well it got better and thought maybe just a phase. (That is what the Dr.s said at that time for me not to worry, etc) Well this last week it has been insane!!!! She is at the point in Sunday school class that she was interputing the class due to her excessive hand washing and even cried when she touched a boy and couldn't wash her hands after that.

I'm really worried about her. She is soooo stress. There have been a few ladybugs in the house (happens every spring it seem) and she is soooo afraid of them. There was one on the floor and she made me pick it up, wash the floor and still everytime she walked over that spot had to wash her feet. She's now scared to touch some people. She'll say I touched (so in so) Mommy, Do I need to wash my hands. etc.

I've tried to reassure her that germs will not harm her, its ok and nothing is going to happen to her. We've prayed and prayed with her that Jesus would take her fears away, etc. (Which afterwards she told us ..."Jesus has long hair, he needs a hair cut" lol) I told her the ladybugs were good luck, etc. I've tried to think of every trick in the book. Now it is interferring with her sleep. She wakes up, finds a fuzzy on her blanket and won't go back to sleep. She puts her finger near her ear and says...I think it has ear wax on it and has to wash her hands. Its just crazy...There are a million more things that she has been doing.

She was even walking around the house today saying to herself.."its ok Lexi, Mommy said germs wont hurt you." What is up with that. I'm so scared for her and Just want her to feel better.

Has anyone had any experience with this. I know there are meds for this kind of stuff but she is only 4. I meet with the dr. again on thurs. so hopefully will get more insite. I don't want to hear its a phase thing again. This child is really bothered. I tried to think of anything that could have trigger this and can't think of nothing.

Please keep her in your prayers that God will bring peace over her!!!

I have a 6 year old son with ODD, ADD, OCD... We just took him to the doctors about 2 months ago, we were reluctant to but could not hold off any longer. The doctor started him on Concerta 18mg and just bumped him last week to 27mg. He is doing awesome. We see such a difference and so does the school. He is learning, able to function normally and happier.

I also know several other children that have also been put on meds with improvement. It is not everyone's choice to do this, but for us it is working. The only side effect we see is loss of appetite, so we have to make sure he is eating. As well he is also seeing a psychologist for the behavioral parts.

All the best, I understand.

Lexi doesn't seen to have any behavior problems, but I do see a change in her behavior (not bad, just different) and listening skills. She just seems so overwhelmed when she is going through this and I feel so sorry that I can't take the pain away.

The last 3 days have been mind blowing. I feel like she is loosing it. I've tried to keep her mind occupied with other things, but she always goes back. I just pray for guidance. Is there a test they do, for this kind of stuff.

Wow, I really don't have any advice to give but I truly feel for you and your daughter. It is very clear that something isn't right and the both of you will be in my thoughts. I hope that the doctors appointment goes well and that soon you will have the answers you need.

Yes there is. Here anyway, we saw our regular doctor who listened to us and our concerns and then asked us many questions. It was kinda like a basic ask questions, see answers make a quick diagnose of disorder..... Then after that he then referred us to a specialist who did the proper diagnosis and decide a treatment from there.

It is good that you are doing this for her so young, I have a friend (a teacher) who works with all types of disorders and she says the sooner you seek treament, the better the results. She says before eight years old has the best results.

thank you. She actually is a very outgoing child and meets friends so fast. She is more of a leader than a follower. Tonight she wouldn't even go to bed. Kept getting back up crying, etc. So finally hubby went to bed and she said she wanted to sleep in our room. She is currently on my side of the bed, but at least sleeping. Yesterday morning she was up at 5 am. (which is not like her) saying she couldn't sleep. Today same thing. I told if she wakes up in the middle of the night to wake me up and not just sit in her room. She said she was waiting for Daddy to get up cause she didn't want to wake us up early. Bless her heart.

that is good. She has been doing this on and off the over a year. It comes and goes and keeps getting a little worse each time. I swear even at 2 years of age she was obsessed with keeping her room clean. She would not sleep in her crib if a toy was on the floor. She would cry until someone came in the room, she pointed to the toy, we picked it up and put it away, then she'd lay down and go to sleep. I was worried about it them. I mean it was super bad! The doctor said it was way to early for her to get something like that. Now I'm thinking it wasn't

I have 3 children and while reading your post I tried to think if any of my kids have ever reacted to situations in the same manner and they havent. I know that kids go through many phases as they grow up and no 2 children are the same. I just wanted to say that Im sure you are nervous and afraid...they are our babies but you are doing the right thing as a mommy....trying to find help. she will be ok, she has a great mom who is trying her best to find out if there are any problems and early intervention is key. without turning this thread into my own, I will say that something with my son at one was point was not right, at age 2 he was dx with autism, all these professionals told me"prepare yourself for a long hard road, he will never be the child you thought you were going to have". He is 8 yrs old today in regular ed, happy normal 8 year old. so while it is scary and we worry so much, we are so strong and god helps us through it all. if you ever need to talk I am a PM away :)

Ahhh shoot, Denise! I know you were concerned a while back and we talked about it, but I thought it had gotten better. I will be praying for Lexi. Poor girl! She shouldn't have any worries at that age. How is she with Bella? Does she think Bella has germs? I just feel so bad and wish I had answers for you. I didn't realize how complicated OCD could be until I did some searching on the internet when you first mentioned this. I hope and pray you get answers and help so she can live a happy and carefree life! Hugs to you!

Denise, I am so sorry, I feel for you and your babygirl! God will see you through this hon. I can definitely see where you're coming from... it sounds like it's really wearing on her and on you too. It has to be exhausting. I know I have a bad thing with washing my hands too much. I was them sooo many times throughout the day, my hands will actually get raw. I also have to wash them before I go to bed or I can't go to sleep.

Please know we're all here to support you though and please let me know what the doctors end up saying. I thought about you today and wanted to send you a few little things in the mail for baby Bella but can't find your address so I'm going to PM you tomorrow.

Prayers! :love: :hug:

I have a son with autism. OCD just goes along with the diagnosis. I can't stress enough to you that anyone around her needs to understand that her fears are VERY real to her. She can't help herself!!

I was against medicating at first until his doctor told me "As long as you medicate the child FOR the child, not yourself or those around him, you are doing the right thing"

Bless her little heart. I hope you can find some relief for her.

My son Morgan went through a couple of months of obsessive hand washing. I took him to his doctor and she said that her daughter had similar issue for awhile and told me to give him flax seed oil. I did that, but I don't know if that was what helped so much as finding the cause of the anxiety. With Morgan it turns out it was because we were getting ready to move, and he thought that we were leaving his stuff and his grandma (my mom) behind. Once we got moved and he seen that everything was in order, it went away completely. It's not always the case with all kids and OCD hand washing, but sometimes it can be something simple.
Ethan has dealt with several different OCD phases because of his genetic disorder. Its always something, but we just take it in stride and just educate him and ourselves about whatever it is he is obsessing about at the time. Right now it is nothing major besides clock watching. I am not an OCD expert by any means, but maybe if you allot her a certain number of hand washings a day, she can mark off when she washes, or you could set an egg timer and let her wash them every so many minutes, and gradually make that time longer week to week?

I can only imagine how upsetting this is for you and poor little Lexie. Praying for you both and that you will find the help you need.
:ghug:

Oh Denise - I didn't know you were having issues with Lexi. It does sound like she needs to see a specialis - a child psychologist. I would never rely on a regular pediatrician to make an accurate diagnosis for something like this. Just the fact that you said she has done this before and it gets worse each time concerns me.

Mental health issues should not be taken lightly as they can exacerbate quickly. I have a cousin who was diagnosed as bi-polar, schizoprehnic, with OCD when she was 12. It had been going on for years before they finally took her in to be diagnosed. It is so much easier to treat when the symptoms are newer than when it has been around for a long time.

Sending my heartfelt prayers for you and Lexi and tons of hugs as well......

Bella is germ free to her. Bella is her best friend! no problems there.

I worked for an organization that treated children with these types of issues (some even worse). I would suggest that you get her in for some counseling. They may put her on something for a while to help her...Doesn't mean she will be on it for the rest of her life. Just breaks my heart to hear these kinds of stories...I used to see children like this everyday.

I pray all works out for you and your little girl

I call Dr. Litz this morning to discuss how our night was...which was really terrible. No sleep. He said this is way beyond his expertist and is referring us the Meridian Services. He said they specialize in this type of behavior and feels better if we'd go to them and he'd keep in contact with them too. HE said they would call us sometime today. They have counselors that help kids. He said it was a great place. He did agree that it is no longer considered a phase. Early treatment is the key!

Please continue to keep us in your prayers.

We've prayed alot with her, I called my parents and they prayed too. My Dad talked to her and said that Jesus had a special little mouse for her to keep in her pocket that she could take out and play with when she was feeling these feeling and That mouse would help her know that Jesus is with her and germs,etc can not hurt her. It could be her own special little pet. (Trying to get her mind off things) She is very excited this morning to get that little mouse. lol She said she will name it Stuart Little.

Thank you everyone!

Oh my heart is breaking reading this. I can't imagine being such a young, innocent child, and being so truly scared and unable to control or understand her emotions.

You are a rockstar for DEALING with this NOW. My mom has taught pre-school for the past 20 years and so many parents are so stuck in denial and refuse to get their child seen or properly diagnosed.

Good luck with Lexi and please keep us updated. Give her a huge hug from all her YT friends!!

Lexi has a much better day today. I tried keeping her busy with everything I could think of. She's loving her mouse. lol We had her planting flowers in pots for my bosses daughters greenhouse, she was diggin in the dirt and very comfortable with it only after a few times of saying. This is really dirty mommy, is it ok. I said yep...isn't this fun! She still had issues but better then the last three days. When we came inside we took a shower, ate supper and she played a few games on the computer. In a 2 1/2 hr time she only washed her hands once. I think we wore her out today. Too tired to think about her worries. She feel asleep at 9 which is much better than the 11:30 she's been doing. Thank all of you for your prayers and continue to pray. They still didnt call yet with the day and time I'm to go to the counselor. I'm sure they will tomorrow. Again thank everyone for their help and pms too.

So glad she had a better day. I thought about her all day. I wonder if she has some anxiety about something that she just doesn't know how to deal with. I hope every day gets better and better.

I'm so glad that Lexi had a better day today and I am praying that she can overcome this fear or whatever it is. Poor baby. When we talk on the phone, you always tell me something funny that Lexi has done or said and it always gives me such a laugh. Hearing her struggle makes me feel so sad, for her and for you. Hugs to you...give Lexi some kisses from us! I'll be praying!

I'm glad Lexie seems to be improving. The mouse was a great idea! I went through similar issues with both of my eldest daughters at a similar age. My eldest was forever washing her hands, they were red and sore and both daughters would freak out if there was even the slightest bit of dirt on them. And they both out grew this problem-now I'm forever nagging them to clean their nails:rolleyes:My second daughter was petrified of bugs, she would literally get hysterical if there was a bug in the house and we spent a whole summer doing indoor activities because it became so extreme! Neither me nor thier dad is afraid of bugs so when we saw one we would pick it up and try to get her to touch it, we let her name it and then released either outside or back into the house depending on what type of bug it was;) It worked! They both still have a whinge if theres a spider in their room and we remove it without fuss but its a great step up for dtr 2. My son is just entering the "fear" stage-he is 3. I keep telling him "bugs are our friends" and I even bought a baby tarantula which we have watched shed skin and grow-he named it Incy Wincy! We're hoping this will help but he still freaks out if a spiders sneaks up on him or runs out of his garden toys!

I am so sorry your going through this, I can't imagine how hard and painful this is for you both:( She is only 4 so it's hard. Are you sure there isn't something bothering her, sometimes kids wont tell cause they get scared, like maybe someone is bullying her?
I know it's a long shot, but I thought I would ask.
I do also wash my hands a lot, but not to that extent.
Sweet little baby is only 4 so it must be so hard and I mean you can't put a 4yr old on medication, I wouldn't anyway.
I think your a great mom and so patient . I think counseling would for sure help her and with your love and guidance maybe make this OCD manageable .
I wish you all the luck and love in the world.
Sending prayers and warm thoughts.:hug::hug:

My 13 year old has ODC but with doing things 3 times, its like of weird, she has to shut the light off 3 times, she usually puts on 3 different shirts , changes 3 times etc, she is also on concerta and it does help, until I took her to a psycologist I really thought it was me, I used to change her the minute she had spilled a little something on her clothes etc... she actually is doing alot better but most things take her forever to do because she is also a perfectionist... her make up has to be perfect, her clothes have to feel perfect...I would deff she the specialist they really make them understand and give you pointers to help her. Ill keep you in my prayers!

I am so glad she had a better day. My son has OCD, ODD, ADHD. I know that it is hard to see her go through this. I struggle on a daily basis with my son and the medication. He gets tics from the concerta and all the other meds so we just work with him everyday. We have seen specialists after specialists and the one thing I have learned is to take it one day at a time. Everyday may be different for you both. Hang in there and you will do great. She sound so much like my son. Prayers for you and your family!

I'm so sorry you're going through this. I hope her appt goes very well.

My 7 year old started having some tendencies a year ago. His isn't about handwashing though. He needs certain things to be just perfect. He gets real bad during stressful times, like starting 1st grade and stressful times during the year, then 2nd grade started and it was real bad for about 2 weeks. Where he wasn't going to sleep until very late because something was just not right in his bed. Or one of his stuffed animals ear wouldn't stay just as he put it. He has other things that keep him from getting certain things done quickly like brushing his teeth. The knob on the bathroom sink wiggles when you turn it off, so it has to be in just a certain position before he'll stop touching it... When i tell him to hurry up from brushing his teeth as we'll be late for school, he gets overly upset, so i try to be very careful about what I say.

Fortunately he is at an age where we can talk about it and rationalize things, and try to find solutions. He was calling it his "bad habit", i told him he has no bad habits. He just needs to use his brain to help him stop. That he can be in control of his body and what he does. I see him trying and he's always very proud when he has stopped himself. He also erases so much with his homework to get each letter just so. Last year, his teacher suggested we let him erase each thing only once then he has to move on to the next. This works out most of the time but occasionally he erases so much he puts tears in his paper and gets upset.

The good thing is that i see him improving all the time, i feel like most of his little quirks are just a phase at this point and I try to give him lots of opportunity to be in control of other things and decisions in his life so he's not so involved in controlling all these other little things.

Working in the medical feild for over 20 years,and having alot of special needs pts in our office,it's growing in numbers the amount of OCD,and ADHD children we see daily. My nephew is a higher functioning Autistic. Alot has been managed by his diet. He also is involved with alot of specialist and programs. Getting and staying activly involved is key. Zachary had to have the line going across his sock has to be straight. Nothing can get him wet. He has to have everything to his "standards". It rough on my brother and his wife. Things have gotten so much better. A Reiki specialists gave them treatments and counceling, and diet changes have made huge difference. Meds can work,but there are alot of alternatives out there as well. You can research it on the computer. It can be overwhelming,but it is possible to treat. Sending you well wishes and good luck in you journey. Don't give up!!

We have an apt for Wed. of next week. She did better today. Didn't even have any symptoms til around lunch time. I swear I just don't understand how it comes and goes, then comes on strong. (Maybe I'll find out Wed) Although she did better she was extremely HYPER today. Almost like she need to get it out so instead of washing, etc. she was a mile a minutes. Maybe it all goes hand in hand.

When ever she touches her nose, she always needs to wash her hands, and we've been explaining to her that its ok to touch your nose, your hand is not dirty and full of germs, but if you feel the need to wash then go ahead. Well she was sooooooooo proud of herself tonight. She marched down stair to tell me that she had touched her nose and didn't feel the need to wash. Then she said Look what else I can do and not be scared ..........The finger went way up in the nose, came out and in her mouth. lol I about died laughing. I was like no no lets not go that far. We don't do that. lol I'd say now that's progress. hahahahaha

Lexi is my child who is always funny and makes us laugh with the things she comes up with. I'll share one more funny story about her. We were driving in the car the other day and lauryn was talking to me about her boy troubles. lauryn said uggg I just need to meet my prince charming. And Lexi pipped in from the back seat in a loud voice and said...."Lauryn prince charming is not real he is fake and beside, he has a girlfriend" We died with laughter and said back. Well who's his girlfriend. She said...Cinderella duh!
hahahahaha

:lol tears Too funny!!! Glad you've had a better past 2 days with her... hope you still find out some answers!