Hit and Run OCD

Anyone have any experience with Hit and Run OCD? My 18 yo son started struggling really bad with it in December and we didn't find out until March. A 20 min drive to work turned into an hour and a half.

[Tikirob]

I have experienced this only a couple of times but know for others with OCD where it’s a huge compulsion.

Regardless of what the obsession is the results and treatments will be the same. Ocd just morphs into different obsessions and compulsions.

[Dopeydora]

Hi there. I suffered with this type of OCD for years, a short journey taking hours and on a couple of occasions contacting the police to check for accidents. The best treatment is ERP but it is tough going.

[3BirdLover]

I don't know if it is the same as my OCD symptoms, but one of my obsessions is being afraid I hit someone when I am driving. Is that what your son is experiencing? When I first started experiencing this, I didn't even know anything about OCD. It was in the late 1970's and I don't know that it was even discussed then...I just thought I was very weird. I silently suffered for a LONG time. ...it was too embarrasing to discuss. Anyway, this obsession still goes on and off. I would have to go around the block and be sure no one was laying in the street....even that took me forever to believe when I saw with my own eyes they were not. Even getting out of the car and examining the area was tormenting. Logically I KNEW I didn't hit anyone, but my brain would not leave me alone....I had no sense of satisfaction. It would torment me all day.

The more you learn about OCD the more it is crucial to find an OCD special therapist (don't settle for any therapist...I've done that and they do not understand) who deals with this. They will probably start him on ERP treatment which will help him settle down. I would recommend you do not wait because it can only get worse and it sounds like he is struggling alot already. They might also recommend some meds that will work along with therapy.

If you take a look on the National OCD Foundation website for therapists in your area. iocdf.org/covid19/informati... will help you, or even call them for recommendations.

I wish I had known about ERP therapy when I was so bad. I'm still on medication for OCD and depression, but it is SO MUCH BETTER and I can live my life with joy.

Be encouraged....your son CAN GET WELL!!!!!

[MothFir]

Totally agree with 3BirdLover. Hit and run OCD is fairly common and was already being discussed in some of the early books about OCD (like "The Boy Who Couldn't Stop Washing"). Treatment should be straightforward, but does require commitment and some work on the part of the sufferer and family. Medication can really help augment the therapy.

The only thing I'd add is that if for some reason you cannot get a one-on-one therapist for your son, you should not give up. Most of the real work of recovery is done by the sufferer. They just need guidance and goals. You can get a lot of that from self-help books, podcasts, group support, etc. But a therapist is probably best if you have access to one, and there are lots of online options - with COVID, even a local person might being doing their sessions online, and that can still be quite effective.

I've had the hit-and-run obsession a few times but fortunately it's not been a major issue for me. Medication and ERP have helped with it as well as with my more troublesome obsessions.

[Hidden]

Thank you everyone for your replies! We honestly had no idea that he was experiencing this until the cops showed up at our door one night asking for him because someone complained about his vehicle continuously turning in their driveway and they were suspicious. Then about a week later someone called the cops on him at work because he kept circling the parking lot and were suspicious. He would continuously have to retrace his route to reassure himself he didn't hit anything, any bump in the road would make him have to turn around, parking lots or backing up were even harder. If he lost focus (daydreamed) for even a split second, he had to turn around because something may have happened and he didn't know. He said his biggest fear was going to prison for not knowing he hit someone. He eventually told us and I was heartbroken. I've been working with him getting out and driving and he's been doing better. Now that he knows he may be going back to work soon when they start opening things back up, he's getting worked up again. It's all he can think about and it consumes him. He also started sleeping in the living room about a month ago, he continuously washes his hands to where they are raw and bleeding, etc. This is a hard thing to see your kid go through. I have to admit I have been really trying to educate myself, find the right and wrong things to say and be his support. His dr did start him on medicine, Klonopin and Adderall, he was briefly on Risperidone and they took him off of it. I don't know if his bad day today was because they quit the Risperidone or not, as he was only on it for a month.

[MothFir in reply to Hidden]

Definitely sounds like OCD. Are any of those medications SSRIs? I'm not sure but I think they are more like sedatives. Some otherwise good family doctors don't know much about OCD and go the sedative route when SSRIs are generally more effective at reaching the root cause of OCD.

He would also probably benefit from ERP therapy, which may be what you're already doing. If not, look into it and if possible get him a therapist or at least some self-help workbooks.

So far my daughter does not seem to have "inherited" my OCD, but she does have some mild anxiety issues and you're right, it is tough to watch your kid be upset by things you don't really understand. But your son's behaviors are pretty classic OCD and treatment (meds and therapy) is straightforward and usually quite effective. Good luck!

[Hidden in reply to MothFir]

I keep seeing people talk about these workbooks. Could someone point me in the right direction on where to find them.

[MothFir in reply to Hidden]

I've got a lot of self-help books but only one is sort of a workbook -- "Stop Obsessing!" by Edna Foa and Reid Wilson. Other good books that have helped me are "Brain Lock" by Jeffrey Schwartz and "Coping with OCD" by Bruce Hyman and Troy Dufrene, but they're not workbooks. I mentioned workbooks because I've seen other people on this site say they have helped. You might try starting a separate post asking for recommendations.

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Dear morningstar1, if this is OCD, this may not be the most effective medication combination. Klonopin is an anxiolytic, but Adderal is for ADHD. Is this your son's primary care provider or a psychiatrist who has treated a lot of people with OCD? There is a great book that you & your son might want to read, by Jeff Bell, a radio announcer with OCD. It's called "Rewind, Replay, Repeat." He had something very similar, but it was with a boat instead of a car. I highly recommend it!

[davidovergoliath]

I have had OCD for nearly 40 years. I had that in the beginning of my journey into this mess and still do every once in a while. I strongly recommend CBT treatment. I wish I had had that 30 years ago. I wish you the best success, and for your son, on this journey. A veteran