My daughter was just diagnosed with OCD, and is in denial. Her brother is the source of contamination for her. Everything he does, triggers her. She will not be in the same room as him, and it's only getting worse. If you were a child in denial, refusing medication and therapy, what helped you to finally accept help?
Dealing with a child's OCD, especially when it involves a sibling as a primary trigger and there's denial about the diagnosis, is incredibly tough for any parent. The feelings of distress you're experiencing are valid. Denial can be a significant hurdle, but it doesn't mean help isn't possible. Gently encouraging open conversations about her fears, without pressure, might slowly open the door to her accepting support. If you’re struggling and need more assistance, remember that help is available. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to us at NOCD to find out how we can support you. Also here are some helpful resources: https://www.treatmyocd.com/what-is-ocd/common-fears/fear-of-infertility-ocd https://www.treatmyocd.com/my-ocd-journey/our-familys-journey-through-ocd-recovery https://www.treatmyocd.com/what-is-ocd/common-fears/is-ocd-considered-a-mental-illness
It probably will depend on why she's in denial. Is she afraid of being 'crazy?' Does she just not believe these are obsessions, but that they are reality? Is she scared of treatment? Maybe something else? I have experienced all of those.
Thanks for breaking down some possible reasons. I hadn't considered anything other than that she may be embarrassed. I will have to work on finding out the root problem(s) behind her denial.
@Anonymous You're doing good even starting ❤️ I had it severe as a child and was never diagnosed. It was a hard road. Even if your daughter doesn't come around immediately, she probably will eventually. It just gets too hard not to sometimes.
I agree that talking with her and finding the root of her denial is an amazing place to start. Something else you may want to look into is alternative types of therapy. Even if your daughter is older alternative therapies could still be extremely helpful for her, instead of just dropping her into ERP and maybe making her feel like she’s crazy or something is wrong with her, she can be presented with activities that feel a lot more comfortable and normal and still get the opportunity to improve OCD and become more comfortable with the idea of therapy. I also encourage you to remember that therapy looks different for everyone, ERP is considered the golden standard of therapy for OCD patients and it works for a ton of people, but for me it made my OCD worse so I switched to CBT, DBT, and animal therapy with my cat, it still helps me get to the root of the fear so I can work through the obsessions and compulsions it’s just in a way that is safe for me. I think it’s important you also allow her the ability to figure out what works best for her, having a sense of autonomy in therapy can also help her be more open to it. Support groups are also a great resource and almost always free, you can see if she is interested in entering one for people her age. I know this might be a bit of word vomit so I apologize in advance
Thank you so much! Your insight is very helpful. It has been so difficult watching her struggle. I will definitely look into the other therapy types you mentioned. Maybe one of those will be more appealing to her and she will be willing to at least give it a try!
@Anonymous Of course, I was diagnosed when I was little so I know what it feels like. I hope she is able to find something that works for her!
So I've had OCD since I was a child. Like really young. The first intrusive thought I can remember was when I was 5. It just keeps getting worse and lately they've been making me physically ill or throwing me into extreme panic attacks again ( ones where I can't move my body ) the other night I thought God was trying to kill me because I was thinking about ending myself from OCD+ life issues but in reality I was just having a panic attack😭😭it affects me daily. It gets a little better with therapy but I don't see therapy coming into my life any time soon and I'm not even sure if I would want to go (for multiple reasons). To wrap this up if you have severe ocd can you tell me what it's like?? I don't want to label anything without proper research and hearing others perspectives. Thank you!! <3 (My profile says all of my subtypes if that helps any)
I’m going through a really bad flare up. I developed ocd many years ago when I had my first child. Postpartum ocd. I suffer from harm and pocd. At first I had mostly mental and some physical compulsions but the physical faded away pretty early on and i’ve just done mental compulsions since. My ocd was in remission for alot of years and if the ocd would pop up now and again, I was easily able to shrug it off and not engage. A few years ago I went through a stressful time in my life and the ocd came back to stay. At first it was bad but then it got better and has been pretty mild until now. It’s been really bad this week and the physical compulsions are even back. I never thought it would ever get this bad again. My ocd is making me doubt who I am and how I feel. I know it’s all ocd and not real or true but the ocd makes it feel so real that I can’t easily dismiss or disprove it. The more I try to disprove it the more real the ocd makes it feel. I’m really struggling and don’t know how to get back on track. I don’t have access to a therapist because there are no ocd specialists near me and my insurance doesn’t cover online therapy. That’s why i’m reaching out here. Has anyone been through a rough relapse? How can I get through and past this??
Since I developed ocd as postpartum my ocd has mostly always targeted my kids. It started as harm and then switched to pocd. Both are equally very painful. For years I was mostly able to keep my ocd at bay but when it comes back it’s so bad. I have a son and a daughter and my ocd switches back and forth from kid to kid with horrible intrusive thoughts and now even intrusive ocd dreams. With each thought I get past and start to feel relief another one pops right up. The thoughts feel so real and true even though I know it’s just the ocd and not how I think or feel, the ocd always makes me doubt myself and question everything I think or do. I know other moms/dads go through this too. Please anyone who has or is going through this please tell me how you deal with this. 😪
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