My 15 year old son has just been diagnosed with OCD in addition to severe ADHD. I’m overwhelmed at all the resources and feeling lost about how to help him best while we wait for a first appt with a psychiatrist to do medication management.
Appreciate any and all feedback
How long until appointment?
Once it was difficult to find anything about OCD - it just wasn't known about widely and there were hardly any resources. Now it's easy to feel overwhelmed.
I can suggest The OCD Workbook as a good CBT-based guide. It also has an extensive section aimed at family and carers, and a section on OCD in children.
There are also books aimed at children and young people. For intrusive thoughts, try Overcoming Unwanted Intrusive Thoughts by Sally M Winston and Martin N Self.
I don't have anything to offer for ADHD but medication is often offered for this. The medication prescribed for OCD is usually an SSRI antidepressant such as sertraline, and though clinicians are reluctant usually to prescribe this for under 18s exceptions are made for OCD. This can be boosted by a low dose of aripiprazole, an anti-psychotic - being prescribed this doesn't mean the patient is psychotic!
Make sure that all clinicians treating your son know what other clinicians have prescribed, as some medications react with one another.
And make sure you take care of yourself as well - it can be frustrating and exhausting for family members!
there are many resources books support groups etc It is late now here Remind me tomorrow and I’ll suggest a few Gavrial
Look up Dr. Bridget F. Walker. She has a book for parents of kids with OCD and also a book for teens with OCD. Very helpful!
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