bettybomb
- Date posted
- 4y
aurokoiaurokoi
- Date posted
- 4y
Omg!! You’re a good mom for wanting to support your son. No matter the form of OCD, all OCD gives us anxiety about something we fear, and that fear can stem from ANYTHING. If our brains can think it, we can be afraid of it. I think the biggest support you can give your son is knowing that he might be coming to you with seemingly weird and out of the blue obsessions, and not reacting to him reacting to having those obsessions. Remind yourself that the goal of OCD therapy is to get rid of compulsions that strengthen OCD: it’s going to be hard to watch him struggle when he’s denied that reassurance, but he’s going to be a lot stronger for it too. OCD isn’t a death sentence, it’s just another hiccup in the grand scheme of things, and this little hiccup isn’t anyone’s fault. Some of us just need to tackle life a little differently :) best of luck!
Inferno Inferno
- Date posted
- 4y
I wished my mother took the time to understand my problems and I want her to not think I’m crazy for doing stuff repeatedly
ARTnotOCDARTnotOCD
- Date posted
- 4y
Try learning about it and learning how it affects him if he’ll share. Talk with his therapist about ways to help that aren’t enabling. Remember that even when you are open to learn and try to understand, there will be stuff that doesn’t make sense. Practice self care along the way. There are also groups for family members of those with OCD. Good luck to you both. 💜
bettybombbettybomb
- Date posted
- 4y
Thank you so much for taking the time to write this. Much appreciation!
EPSuleimanEPSuleiman
- Date posted
- 4y
Take him to therapy, and let him be open! OCD is scary. Always be there for him.
💙💙💙💙
- Date posted
- 4y
Everyone else has already given you great advice, but I just wanted to jump in and say you're an incredible mom 💛 for such a confusing and misunderstood disorder, it really brings me a lot of hope seeing that younger generations are starting to have the support system that so many of us wish we had!
babbiebabbie
- Date posted
- 4y
Be as gentle as you can. Eschew punishment in favour of hugs/kind words whenever possible. The OCD brain self-punishes constantly, so keep discipline minimal and loving. This will also help foster your relationship with your son, making him more likely to come to you when he is anxious instead of turning to harmful activities, especially as he enters young adulthood. Thank you so much for asking, for caring enough to ask. Wishing you both all peace and good.
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Cayla Davis
- User type
- OCD Conqueror
- Date posted
- 25w
AMA for Parents: Supporting a child with OCD while managing my own—Ask me anything!
Hi everyone, I’m Cayla. I’m a mom that’s lived with OCD since childhood, but my breaking point came more recently after having my son. I was consumed by terrifying thoughts—What if I hurt him? What if I did something awful without realizing it? I was so afraid of my own mind that I couldn’t be alone with him. The shame and exhaustion were unbearable, and I convinced myself I was broken. In 2024, I finally sought help. ERP therapy at NOCD was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done, but it saved my life. Even now, I have tough days, but I know I don’t have to be ruled by OCD. When my 12 year old daughter began showing signs of OCD, I felt overwhelmed with guilt. I never wanted her to go through what I had, but I knew what to do. I told her that I have OCD too and made sure she knew it wasn’t her fault—and that she wasn’t alone. One of the hardest parts of this journey was trusting someone else with my daughter’s OCD. I knew how vulnerable it feels to share intrusive thoughts, and I wanted her to feel safe. Her NOCD therapist was able to establish trust and genuine empathy from the start, and that relationship gave her the confidence to face ERP head-on. Seeing her build that trust made me certain she was in the right hands. ERP has helped both of us reclaim our lives, and it is beautiful to see my daughter managing her condition and making visible progress. Parenting with OCD while raising a child with OCD isn’t talked about enough, but I know so many parents are struggling with these same challenges. If you have questions about managing OCD while parenting, helping your child through ERP, or breaking cycles of guilt, drop them below—I’d love to share what I’ve learned. I’ll be answering all of the questions I receive in real-time today 4-5pm ET.
Anonymous
- Date posted
- 24w
I am the mother of an adult child with ocd.
Overwhelmed
alex_x504
- Date posted
- 13w
Hello, someone I care about has OCD.
Someone I care about has OCD, he often gets worried to answer certain things in fear that he might be wrong or gets anxious in times when certain conversations such as dealing with negative emotions come into play and in the event something goes wrong even though we deal with the issue it takes him a long time to put himself back together. Often times worried about his image, hyper focused on being a good person etc etc. I believe I’m doing my best but as someone who doesn’t struggle with OCD I cant fully comprehend him and i wish to learn more about it, not just read it off of google. Any advice would be appreciate it. -Thank you!
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