Treatment / Help for kind of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

[milanbenes]

Revered Members of the Community,

a 16 year old relative, very intelligent, very clever, very confident, has in the last 4 months developed symptoms of some kind of obsessive compulsive disorder.

Symptoms are things like:

. if he has to leave the house at 07:20 to go to school and it becomes 07:21 before he leaves then he will not leave as he says he is too late

. putting clothes on and twenty minutes later saying they are dirty and putting them in the washing machine

. saying that food is possessed and refusing to eat it

. etc

Reading and advice from doctor's has suggested it is caused by a hormone which is released at this age (he's 16) and it has been suggested that he does not have enough of the hormone.

Does anyone know anything about this kind of condition, and where to seek private treatment for it ?

It is such a shame to see such an intelligent, talented young person (makes me feel old saying that, but it's true) missing out on his true potential because of this condition which has come from nowhere.

I put the question here because we have a massive range of people with a massive range of experiences and maybe somebody can give a hint on where to seek private help/treatment to find the cause and cure for this young man.

Please treat this question with the respect it deserves, this is not a joke and deadly serious. This means, for the hard of hearing, if you ain't got a clue keep your trap shut.

Thanks all,

Milan.

[threaded]

Yet again, this is another one where riding a bicycle will help. Especially ride it in the sunshine. Something about vitimin D and it's regulatory effect on hormones, but can't remember it all.

[Flubster]

My wife has OCD with regards to keeping the house, herself and the children clean. The kids are constantly told to wipe their hands with anti-bac wipes when playing in the garden.

I find that beating here with a large stick usually gets through to her, but have to repeat this method 3 or 4 times a week, just to be sure.

[EternalOptimist]

The bits about sticking rigidly to a routine sounds more like autism to me

[Old Greg]

I don't know about the condition but it sounds like your local Child Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) should be able to advise. This is an NHS service and the access route may be via GP referral, but if you speak to them, you can expect them to be helpful (although I'm sure these services vary from place to place). I don't know about private sector treatment but the CAMHS might be able to point you in the right direction, particularly as their own clinicians probably do the private work on the side. An important rule of thumb (IMHO) for private sector treatment is to make sure you see someone who specialises in the area (in this case adolescent Mental Health). Don't just pick someone with an impressive office / qualifications / fee structure who is set up in the private sector and is an 'expert' in everything, adults, adolescents, children etc. A good resource for services (probably mainly NHS) is: www.youngminds.org.uk/camhs/

Sounds tough and I hope it works out for you all.

[Burdock]

Milan,

This is a really useful web site: http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/
It deals with all forms of psychological illness, including stress, depression, anxiety, obsessions and phobias.

Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) might be able to help, although this is hard to get on the NHS (apart from severe cases), and is quite expensive privately.

[Paddy]

It seems possible that it is the start of OCD but usually people with OCD do not consider their own clothes dirty, just everyone else’s clothes. Constant washing of hands is a clue and the inability the throw away anything in case it’s needed.

Unfortunately when OCD happens in adulthood there is little that can be done because the adults get in self denial and they are used to making excuses for their behaviour.

[milanbenes]

thanks all

Milan.

[Diestl]

Booze and sex, works every time.

But seriously I think the GP should refer him to a specialist.

[milanbenes]

no problem, Zeity, he's like a distant cousin, but doesn't matter, we do what we can to help.

Thanks all,

Milan.