How can I help my son with OCD who refuses to take prescribed medication?

@1000anonymous1000 Thank you for sharing! Yes I think he feels that way. He says he is afraid it will numb his feelings. I have tried reasoning: (1) you can always stop taking, (2)side effects may not be any worse than feeling anxious, frustrated, unable to function (spent 7 hrs in his room on Mon), and (3)the brain is an organ like heart and thyroid - when there are problems w organs people take med. I just can’t understand how he can be ok w being so miserable when there is a solution to try. You said you don’t know who you are with medication. I have told him that anxious and angry and blowing up are not who he is. And medication would bring the chemicals in the brain to where they should be so that he could think clearly and manage himself. He is trying to do everything his peers do (HW) but with a deficit that they don’t have. It would be like expecting a person with a sprained ankle to run a marathon. Was there anything that helped? Are you taking medication that has helped?

@Anonymous My medication is actually making me feel like it’s not working anymore maybe because I developed ocd not too long ago and I been taking it ever since I was diagnosed with GAD, but I’m going to a psychiatrist real soon to learn how to deal with it if they Suggest something I’ll post about it. My ocd is pretty bad right now so I also relate to him staying up all night and in my room all day

@1000anonymous1000 Thank you for this insight. I was under the impression that medication for GAD is not specific to OCD so maybe your psychiatrist will recommend another medication for OCD. Our psychiatrist nurse practitioner said the med she prescribed will take away the intrusive thoughts (?). Not sure if that means all. I hope you find something that addresses the OCD. And yes, please keep me posted.

@Anonymous Well, a medical professional saying that medication will take away intrusive thoughts is really weird. Medican CAN reduce the symptoms of OCD to zero, but I have never experienced that myself (only for the first two weeks I ever took an SSRI, after that OCD had been back), nor has a friend of mine, who also suffers from OCD. If your son starts medication with the expectation, that a pill will cure him, he might get frustrated, when it doesn't happen for him. For me some of the SSRIs I tried took the edge off of things and stabilized me. As hard as it is, ERP is the best way to get a grip on OCD, imo, medication can help to be able to do ERP in the first place.

@djflorio Yes, we are not big medication fans and declined the med route w our other son for ADD. But at this point we feel the OCD is debilitating for our son. And we have told him this will help him to manage and he might be able to go off at some point. I like the training wheel analogy a lot. I will definitely use it with him tonight when we most likely will have a conversation about the day and the option of medication. Thank you!

@Zoë_84 Thank you. That is a good reminder that this is trial and error with medication. Why do you say it is imp to watch my son? Suicidal concerns? The clomipramine medication recommended for him is not an SSRI but a tricyclic antidepressant. The nurse practitioner said a side effect could be sleep disturbance. Did not seem concerned about any other side effects. I’m just wanting him to try something bc he is miserable now so what can it hurt to do some trial w med.

@Anonymous Oh, okay, I mainly ever took SSRIs. And yes, there is the risk: "... However, other investigations suggest that antidepressants may increase the risk of suicidal behavior, particularly among pediatric and adolescent patients. ..." https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6493906/#:~:text=An%20analysis%20of%2027%20trials,increased%20risk%20of%20suicidal%20behavior. I never experienced that side effect, but people taking medication (and their parents) should be aware of the possible risk. If I may ask, why are you seeing a nurse practitioner and not a psychiatrist?

@Zoë_84 She was the first available to see for medication prescription. He sees a therapist twice a week with NOCD however he has been on vacation. The NOCD therapist recommended med to help him engage w ERP therapy. We were going to do med before finding out about NOCD - cancelled appt - tried ERP alone for 3 weeks. My son spends hours in room ruminating or praying. The NP only prescribes and follows up w med. She said it would calm his anxiety down.