Questions some other specific treatment options

[Dadof2kids3cats]

Hi, Lynn's Dad again. We've come across some information about a couple of further treatment options that might work for Lynn, and wanted to hear from anyone who had experience with or is familiar with either of these:

The OCD Center of Los Angeles, which offers teletherapy (as well as in person therapy) and appears to have a substantial program that specifically addresses health anxiety.

The Psychological Care and Healing Center of Los Angeles, which offers an Intensive OCD Program with a total of 4 hours of OCD therapy a day (including two hours of ERP) and 4 hours of other therapy, plus "supportive housing"

(LA seems to be a really good place to have OCD , considering that they also have the OCD and Anxiety Program of Southern California offering the 4 day Bergen Treatment there.)

Thanks!

[Scouns]

interesting. I think that sounds great! I’m so glad that is an option for Lynn. I wish I was able to afford those types of programs and get rid of this once and for all. It’s frustrating what the cost of mental health care is. I hope she gets better there.

[Dadof2kids3cats in reply to Scouns]

Thanks for your good wishes. IDK if Lynn is that likely to do either of these. Almost certainly not right now: her psychiatrist suggests that her OCD is probably too severe right now for her to be doing ERP outpatient, and while we are pretty well off, a residential program for OCD that is not covered by insurance would still be a stretch for us—we would also be chary of having her on the opposite side of the country for a long period of time.

So, right now we are waiting to see if the Prozac works for her and what is an effective dose, and her psychiatrist has agreed to raise her Klonopin dosage in the meantime (to 1.5 mg/day) with the hope that this will moderate her anxiety enough to keep her out of the ER. She is also hoping to do some individual therapy focused on other issues.

Our hope is that she can eventually be stabilized on Prozac (or some other medication if the Prozac isn’t effective) with her symptoms moderated enough to make outpatient therapy tolerable. In the meantime, we are researching the options we might have for outpatient ERP, and also for a residential program if that ultimately turns out to be necessary. (We will probably try to get her on the waiting list for McLean, since that list is six months long, and if she has not made much progress by then we’ll probably be more ready to consider a residential placement. We’ve also been told that the McLean program takes insurance, although we have not yet checked on whether it takes ours.) If possible, we would like to find an ERP practitioner whose experience includes a substantial specialization in health anxiety; the local therapist with such a specialization who I was asking about a few days ago is not taking new patients at this time.

[Mom2DnJ in reply to Scouns]

Hi. I agree that health care is far too expensive in the US. At this time my family can afford OCD therapy 2x a month and we rely on free samples of a medication that works wonders but isn’t available in generic until 2027. However OCD isn’t an illness that anyone will be able to get rid of because they have money. There are people who return to treatment centers multiple times throughout their life while there are some people that have never been and just have a good OCD therapist and the right meds. I’m just saying please don’t feel defeated because you can’t afford a specific treatment…try different combinations of what you have access to. The iocdf website has many resources. 🩵

[Scouns in reply to Mom2DnJ]

It's just tough to know I spent thousands of dollars as a single mom that I could have used on better things knowing that none of the treatments or things I tried worked or helped me in any way. Would you mind telling me what the medication that you said works wonders is called?

[Mom2DnJ in reply to Scouns]

It’s Trintellex. I completely understand feeling like you’ve wasted money. The OCD specialist sessions are $250 plus travel since it’s 1 1/2 each way by train…which cost $40. 🩵

[Scouns in reply to Mom2DnJ]

Is that an SSRI? And it does help?

[Mom2DnJ in reply to Scouns]

it’s a SNRI…SSRI’s weren’t helping.

[Scouns in reply to Mom2DnJ]

I have never heard of that one and I thought I had tried them all.

[Mom2DnJ in reply to Scouns]

It came out in 2016 for MDD…maybe that’s why…some psychiatrists won’t prescribe something off label. It took a lot of trust in him.

[ISTY in reply to Mom2DnJ]

If I may ask what is the medicine that works wonders? Thank you

[Mom2DnJ in reply to ISTY]

Trintellex