My son 15 years old showed symptoms of contamination OCD 3 months ago and a month ago started vitual ERP . He is doing 50% of what asked but resisting ... he doesn’t want to get educated and admit he has it . He believes he may have it. I keep talking to him to accept the thoughts and act the opposite but I don’t really know if he understands because he is either sad or annoyed. He refused to talk to the psychiatrist the first time for medication but now he said he will see him again . I guess he understands but he is so unhappy and doesn’t follow his homework ERP when I am at work . Will medication help him ?

ocdillustrated

Date posted: 5y

I can only imagine the pain and frustration of having a child who isn't fully engaging in treatment. You're all set to take action, but it doesn't sound like he is at that point yet. You can't force him to be ready. Pressing him to do exposures is likely going to increase his resistance against them. ERP has to be challenge by choice, a voluntary decision. What you can do is decrease your accomodation behaviors. It might be worthwhile to have a session or two between you and his therapist to develop a plan to change your behaviors in ways that put the burden if the OCD symptoms back on him. If you're accommodating symptoms, that's less motivation for him to change

Fear Strikes...

Date posted: 5y

Well said!

gioula

Date posted: 5y

I don’t accommodate at all but he gets so worse now without school and the validation that covid is giving him

Fear Strikes...

Date posted: 5y

@gioula Sadly, the viral pandemic can be validating. I wonder how therapists are addressing that issue?

ocdillustrated

Date posted: 5y

@gioula Would you be willing to glance over an assessment of accommodating behaviors? It's possible that you aren't doing any. But it's also very common for loved ones to not identify them. My parents thought that they didn't participate in my OCD at all, but when my therapist did this assessment with them, they checked off half the boxes

gioula

Date posted: 5y

@NOCD Advocate - Katie Sure where do I get it ?

ocdillustrated

Date posted: 5y

@gioula Here's the link https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.dmertlich.com/assets/FAS.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwig6tuut7HpAhWHK80KHddDAfMQFjABegQIAxAB&usg=AOvVaw1jedLB42Z6xtn5_jAlnHCl&cshid=1589393513989

gioula

Date posted: 5y

@NOCD Advocate - Katie Thanks . How do you interpret the score though ?

gioula

Date posted: 5y

@Fear Strikes Out Ours just tried to minimize it and tell him your parents take precautions

ocdillustrated

Date posted: 5y

@gioula I wouldn't worry about the score so much. Just read the types of accomodation to see if they're happening in your family. If they are, that's something you can bring up with your teen's therapist to strategize how to gradually reduce accommodation

gioula

Date posted: 5y

@NOCD Advocate - Katie There are for sure accommodating due to the covid when you bring stuff from outside or when triggers are high in the hierarchy but thanks

Fear Strikes...

Date posted: 5y

@gioula How many of the 19 forms of accommodations have you performed in the last few months?

gioula

Date posted: 5y

@Fear Strikes Out 4

Fear Strikes...

Date posted: 5y

@gioula That was informative then, right?

ButterflyStar

Date posted: 5y

Medication didn't work at all for me. ERP is the best for OCD. I would say be patient, give it time, trust God with your son and see what God will do. Start to pray to God for your son. Remember, it's not your fault! And it's not his fault either!

Fear Strikes...

Date posted: 5y

Medication, in and of itself, is not sufficient to treat OCD. It is often part of the treatment to augment ERP progress, but is basically a band-aid until the ERP tools are employed. Research suggests that the combination of ERP and medication results in the greatest likelihood for success.

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