- Date posted
- 6y
- Date posted
- 6y
It’s frustrating for sure, so try to figure out what you need to understand his/her OCD and have empathy and what your child needs to feel supported and get better. Frustration can cause poor decisions or words used that children process differently because they’re emotionally vulnerable as their brains are still developing. Even if the child is older, mental illness leads to emotional vulnerability. So take a step back and breathe to soothe your mind, like using mindfulness (which helps me and a lot of people a ton!), and then approach it. Detecting parental frustration is easy in mentally ill individuals, as I know well personally (I have heightened awareness), which can make it worse if their OCD soothes them to think they can control something. Understanding and empathy is first. Attend to your needs when possible so you can better support your child to be happy and get better knowing he/she has a supportive person and/or system. Growing up, my father had no empathy or understanding of me as a person or what I was going through being bullied at school everyday for 12 years. My depression was something I could grow out of to him and he never supported me or told me “we’ll get through this together”, which is all I wanted was someone who understood. With no friends, it led to the loneliness I still feel today. I could tell when I’d start talking about my depression that he would change in his listening, speech, and tone to show he just didn’t care. So please have empathy and understanding by doing what you need to get that solid foundation of OCD, such as articles about what OCD is and how to help someone get better.
- Date posted
- 6y
You may want to look inward and try to see what issues you are dealing personally that make you feel unable to help with your child’s needs. Good parenting starts with parenting the parent. Good luck.
- Date posted
- 6y
It’s very difficult, try maybe educating yourself a bit more. I know it’s hard dealing with someone whom has a mental illness. But since I don’t know very much of how your life has been with your child there’s only so much i can say.
- Date posted
- 6y
be patient. be loving. be understanding. i know it’s hard. but remember it’s also harder on your child as well.
- Date posted
- 6y
I understand that it must be difficult. It may help to read about the illness and learn about it, there are plenty of great websites out there with lots of information and support. I know that it must be frustrating as a parent but please remember that it will also be difficult for your son/daughter to cope with. From my experience, I found that having supportive parents really helped me to cope better as OCD can be a very isolating and lonely illness so to have my family understand my difficulties made a big difference. Your child will really appreciate you being there for them. We are all here to support you, if you would like help to understand OCD better, I am sure we can try our best to help you. I hope you don’t mind me asking, has your child got support from mental health services? If so, they may be able to help you to support your child.
- Date posted
- 6y
Your child needs to know that you support them. By getting upset or angry at them for having OCD, isn’t very therapeutic or helpful. This disorder isn’t something that we can help. It is just is a part of who we are. It might be helpful to get your child some form of therapy or learn about ways to help them deal with their anxiety.
- Date posted
- 6y
Therapy for yourself may be an idea too.
Related posts
- Date posted
- 23w
Overwhelmed
- Date posted
- 14w
I have to be alone with my children tomorrow and I'm scared. Harm OCD has me panicking and ruminating. I don't want to hurt my babies they mean everything to me. I keep fighting for them, I got a better job for them and I want to create a better life for them. I'm so afraid that I might hurt them so I need to be away from them but I also don't want to be away from them. The thoughts and images are so much. I'd rather die before I hurt them. Accepting the uncertainty of possibly hurting them is not something I can accept or live with. And it doesn't help having existential ocd because that says none of it matters anyway. I just want to be the old me, I hate this disorder I hate this disease I hate me for having these thoughts. I'm sorry for ranting. I just need to get it out. I hate this worry disorder!
- Mid-life adults with OCD
- Older adults with OCD
- Suicidal OCD
- NOCD Therapy Alumni
- Harm OCD
- Existential OCD
- False Memory OCD
- OCD newbies
- Date posted
- 12w
WHY is it so bad?? who was gonna tell me 16 was just DREAD, my ocd has flared up worse than ever and i can’t go to therapy weekly anymore. im getting worse and i can’t do it. I just want to give up.
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