I am the mother of an adult child with ocd.

It can be overwhelming to see your child struggle with this or any condition. Just try and be there for them if they need someone to listen and whatever they tell you doesn't define them, it proves they're strong enough to face the struggles and done the hardest part, telling their closest people what's happening

Hi, thank you for the vulnerability here. You are not alone in feeling overwhelmed with supporting loved ones with OCD. Often how we want to support them does not actually support the person, it ends up fueling OCD and keeping our loved one from recovering. I hope that your loved one is in good care with an ERP specialist. We have a few resources you may be interested in; I've attached them below. Supporting someone with OCD: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QZVIeBV9M-c Reassurance and OCD: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7jzHHjSI4Ek

Big hug to you. I can't imagine what that's like. Here is an article that may be helpful to you in your situation: https://www.treatmyocd.com/blog/how-to-lovingly-detach-from-our-childs-ocd-and-anxiety

So am I! Yikes, what a challenge! As parents, we think can do the same for any of kids whether they have OCD or not. But people with OCD do not benefit from reassurance (such as 'don't worry, you won't get sick, etc.) In fact, reassurance makes OCD worse! So does doing as the adult child asks in order to alleviate their stress (for example washing your hands or doing something a specific way to calm them down.) The best we can do as parents is to instill confidence (you've got this!) and assert yourself as unwilling to give in to their OCD's demands. There is much more to this! Here is an article that may be helpful. https://www.treatmyocd.com/blog/reassurance-is-actually-making-you-less-assured

It's so hard to love an adult child who suffers but will not seek help. So much time wasted and lost when they should be building a life for themselves they love. Breaks my heart every day. My son can not keep a job due to ocd and it's really ripped his self esteem to pieces. He now obsesses over politics on tv to the point he is angry with everyone around them for not being ampted up as much as he is and it's ruining his relationships. It's heartbreaking.