Anxiety diagnosis and medication - struggling to get any improvement

[Jeff_M]

Hi there, keen to hear any suggestions/shared experiences for Anxiety/maybe OCD. My 15 year old daughter was diagnosed as having OCD about a year ago but we're not sure that's what is really happening. We've tried three medications to bring down the anxiety so she can function - get to and stay at school for a day. If she has OCD it seems to be ruminations/obsessions/compulsions, not contamination OCD, with most obvious manifestation being obsessive perfectionist approach to schoolwork, but diagnosis is also that she has all of the anxieties at a high level. She tried two SSRIs last year but neither had any effect and one made her quite agitated. She's now been on a tricyclic for three months but only a therapeutic dose (as I understand it) for six weeks, and she's not feeling any improvement. Therapy isn't really working as her anxiety is still so high. Today we went to look at hospital treatment but she didn't like the idea and I could see how the procedures would trigger her anxieties. We've looked at lifestyle things like calming, meditation and exercise but she hasn't been in the frame to do any. Keen for any thoughts/suggestions on next or other steps.

[Petal22]

Hi Jeff M,

Wellcome to our forums!

Please let your daughter know she is not alone, many people have this condition and it completely treatable! Your daughter can learn to master her OCD…..

I was diagnosed with this disorder by a psychiatrist, I had severe anxiety OCD…..after my diagnosis I did an 8 week group therapy at a clinic that specialised in OCD, this was an intervention into the OCD this is we’re I learned to master my OCD… I was given many tools for my OCD it took time and practice to learn these skills but once I learned to master the skills I was able to break free of the grips of OCD….. I’ve been free of this condition for 4 years….. going strong……

the therapy I did was meta cognitive therapy…….

I was also put on a antidepressant to manage my anxiety….

my OCD was rumination, obsessions, compulsions……..

with the therapy I did I learned what my compulsions were and I worked on stopping them….. I now no longer do compulsions….

please let your daughter know there is HOPE for her that she can master her OCD and break free of its grips….. if I can there is HOPE she can too..

please ask me any questions, I’m here to chat 😊

[Petal22]

Hi Jeff M,

I also just wanted to ask you has your daughter had treatment from someone who specialises in OCD?

The therapy I did was the best I believe for someone who has this condition it teaches us to become more aware of the vicious cycle of OCD and how to break free of it.

I believe it’s a specialised condition, I believe just a normal psychologist doesn’t have the full understanding of the condition….. OCD is a vicious cycle……… it’s a cycle you can learn to break free of with the correct help…

im here to chat

[romantic_thi3f]

Hi Jeff M,

Welcome to the forums and thank you for reaching out.

It sounds like you are taking such a proactive role in helping out your daughter and it must be really difficult to be trying different medications and suggesting different things to help her OCD.

I won't comment too much on the medications due to the nature of the forums, although I will suggest a child psychiatrist if you both are only seeing a general GP. I ask because they do have a greater understanding of the different medications out there and could help to filter why certain things might have worked and others less so.

What I will say though is that therapy is so important for OCD- how long has she been in therapy? Is that a collaboration between both of you?

I also agree with Petal22- not every therapist has a good understanding of OCD and some treat OCD in the same way that they treat anxiety, but it is quite different and so treatment needs to be different too.

Hopefully this can give you something to think about and look at-

Take care,

rt