Hoping to understand and help a grandson with OCD

I am here as the grandmother of a 21 year-old college student who has had relationship OCD. His father is his trigger, which makes visiting home very difficult. I am a psychotherapist but not an expert in this area at all. Would love to know more about OCD and to hear that there is hope for this wonderful young man. One issue is that he is a new member in a Christian church that teaches that Jesus is the only way to Salvation. He is anxious to save the souls of his family members and fearful that we are all going to hell because we refuse to judge people of other faiths as being wrong. He insists that Jesus is going to heal him, and we certainly hope that is true! Yet we are uncertain as to whether this zealous intensity might not be part of his OCD. We certainly do not discourage him from the idea that healing by Jesus is possible!

CatGee

Date posted: Yesterday

I really love to hear about family members educating themselves and being a source of support. Way to go!

grandma orb

Date posted: 19h

@CatGee Thank you! I am excited about this resource. Thanks for answering, and best of luck in many blessings.

Cat-Mom

Date posted: Yesterday

Hi! I have relationship OCD. Mine impacts the relationship with my long term boyfriend. It’s I think been a big reason I’ve been very wary of milestones with him despite getting along wonderfully and me loving him. We just moved in together after 4 1/2 years and the whole process of moving is what turned the original intrusive thoughts into a breakdown. I started therapy and increased my Zoloft (was trying to taper when all this happened, lol). And overall I’ve been a lot better emotionally! But the thoughts are stubborn and I want them gone. The only advice I would give is for him to speak to a therapist. A psychiatrist too if these compulsions are impacting daily life. The hyperfixation on Christianity sounds a bit obsessive. I wouldn’t be surprised if that’s another way this disorder is rearing its head. Best of luck!

grandma orb

Date posted: 19h

@Cat-Mom Thank you so much for this answer to my first post on this website. I love that you are feeling better and managing that very important relationship, and I think you are right that my grandson‘s obsession with Jesus being the only way to Salvation is part of this. Man, he is in a lot of pain. But he just found this website and told me about it, so I am hopeful. Blessings on you!

Cat-Mom

Date posted: 18h

@grandma orb Of course! I hope he begins to feel better soon. I’ve personally dealt with GAD/OCD since childhood, and I will say I was in a sort of remission for a LONG time! It’s one of those things that never doesn’t fully leave us, but with the right therapy and medication, you can go a long time forgetting you have it. The thing I’m personally accepting now is being on meds since I was a little kid is making it VERY hard to wean, so putting that on the back burner for now. If it’s also of any hope, my dad was diagnosed in his 20s with GAD/OCD (in the 80s!!) treatment was a lot more primitive then than now, but he has also gone long periods of time in remission. But the beginning was especially HARD, he quit his job, moved home, and really struggled for a bit until therapy and meds started doing their work. All of this to say is it’s a really bumpy road, but your support is already worth its weight in gold. If I didn’t have my dad to speak to, I would’ve made some BIG life mistakes out of fear and felt so incredibly lonely in my fears and grief. It’s great you and your grandson found this resource, NOCD has been a lifeline for me.

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