I downloaded the app as my son (age 35) is suffering from ocd - not working and not willing to take medication or therapy. After two years of begging him to do something for himself we are at the point of banning him from our house, but then he is on the street (which we would like to avoid). Illinois has poor mental health care solutions and the Health Dept folks say “have the police remove him”. Not exactly helpful. Certainly we are not the only ones in this situation. My son is highly intelligent but can not overcome this disability. Any suggestions are welcome

I'm so sorry, this is so hard for you all. The one thing that comes to mind is "Ethan Smith", he is ambassadeur for the IOCDF, if you search for his keynote speech at you tube, it's amazing, he had severe OCD and his parents had to act in the tough love way...You can reach him at justethan@iocdf.org or ethocd@gmail.com He always answers and have good advices to give, maybe some inspiration for you and your son.

Unfortunately, there’s not much you can do to force someone to begin treatment. There’s an abundance of resources out there, including this app, which make treatment accessible and affordable. I want to be clear that I think it’s perfectly reasonable to have boundaries in your life to ensure your own well-being. I’d just like to ask, how would you feel if you’d learned a friend had banned their child from their home for having diabetes? Or if they were struggling with autism? Because we know OCD is a disorder at the level of the brain, of which the sufferer does not have full agency or control over it. You, of course, are under no obligation to do anything you don’t want to do. I also understand the personal frustration of having a loved one suffering from OCD.

Banning him probably isn’t the right solution but the frustration of having a family member with ocd is real. Ocd is debilitating for the sufferer- like last night I couldn’t make dinner because I was stuck in a loop for hours on end. It’s not his fault. I do hope he takes a step towards getting treatment.

I’m sorry that you all are going through this. Before I respond, could you elaborate a little more on begging him to do something? What have you guys tried?

What have you tried with your son? Have you told him about ERP or other treatment or given him resources?

Thanks for the suggestions- we have tried getting him to therapy- tried home therapy where he counselors come to the home weekly only to have them “give up” as he will not even write up goal for his life. I suggested he download this app but he would not do it.