OCD Action

dippy
Member

hi guys i dont have ocd but my daughter who's 12 does she's been on meds for 5 weeks last night she said that she wants to stop taking them, because she doesnt want the ocd to go! and thinks without it she wont be special anymore, or be noticed i've tried to explain to her its not the ocd that makes her special its her. i think she's lived with it for so long she cant imagine being without it, or is it the ocd itself triggering the thought if anyone else has experiences of this or has been in a similar situation. i would really appreciate any thoughts ,as i think im going crazy! thankyou x

Tue Feb 14 2012 12:52:30 #
BT
Member

I don’t know, Dippy. I’ve known people to be afraid of losing the ability to ‘see’ harm etc, but not want to cling on to their obsessions for the reason your daughter is giving - not being special any more.

You really do need specialist advice.

Tue Feb 14 2012 13:00:09 #
dippy
Member

hi emailed you back last but it didnt get there so thankyou so much. i know we've got the psychiatrist in 2 weeks im going to speak to him on my own first,but he is rubbish! im not just saying it. im going to have to stand strong on this one. thanks jeanette.x

Tue Feb 14 2012 15:07:19 #
Mike
Member

She could be saying this because 1) she really does feel that she won't be special anymore, or 2) because this is some sort of compulsion where she's afraid of being without OCD. Either way, these are both bad reasons to stop taking medication. If she is doing really well and the doctor feels that she may not need the medications, especially if there are bad side effects, that would be the only reason to stop taking them. Even in that case I would be extremely hesitant to stop the medications, because OCD is a chronic condition that she will most likely have for the rest of her life, and if something causes her to have a bad spike in anxiety at any time in the future, being on the medication will help prevent it from being even worse.

Mike

Tue Feb 14 2012 22:13:20 #
Truddles
Member

Hi Jeanette,

It's probably the OCD, she's had it for so long and probably can't remember a life without it. She's not really known anything other than living with OCD and so is possibly frightened of what to her is the unknown. She really should be getting CBT to help her through this. Go to the Resource Centre and have a look at the NICE Guidelines. This outlines what treatment she should be getting.
You can also call the OCD Action Helpline 0845 390 6362 for advice as to how to proceed if you're having difficulty accessing treatment for her.

Have you signed up for the OCD Parents' Support Project? It's an online support group complete with online seminars for parents whose children have OCD.

Tue Feb 14 2012 22:51:33 #