OCD in Teens & Preteens
- See also: OCD in children and OCD in Adults
Parent Q&A
Archived Q&A and Reviews
Questions
- Intensive outpatient treatment for 18yo's OCD
- 12-y-o with OCD: things are not getting better
- CBT for teenager with OCD
- Inpatient care for teenager with OCD?
- 10-year-old with OCD refuses meds or therapy
- Obsessive-compulsive teenager
Intensive outpatient treatment for 18yo's OCD
March 2013
It has become apparent to me that my 18 yr old son's OCD is more severe than I had suspected and that he needs more than the ''talk therapy'' he has been receiving. He is open to tackling this issue head on so I would like to know if anyone has any experience with intensive outpatient programs that provide therapies aimed at helping individuals manage &/or reduce their OCD symptoms. Any leads would be greatly appreciated.
It's wonderful that you are helping your son look into this, especially as there are good options for OCD treatment (using CBT, and specifically Exposure and Response Prevention) in this area.
Some ideas for intensive OCD treatment in the Bay Area:
- in Menlo Park, Pacific Anxiety Group
- in San Ramon, CBT & Mindfulness Center
If these centers aren't local for your son, something to consider is that solo CBT therapists may be able to meet on an intensive therapy basis as well (multiple CBT sessions per week, extended length exposure sessions each time, etc.)
Also, the OCD Foundation website is a great resource for information from the field's experts about OCD education, how to distinguish (and approach) obsessions vs. compulsions, how families can help, etc.
It is now widely accepted that the best treatment for OCD is exposure response prevention (ERP), which is a specific type of cognitive-behavioral therapy. If you want this kind of OCD treatment, look to the OCD Foundation website, which maintains a list of inpatient and outpatient intensive treatment programs in the United States. Here: http://www.ocfoundation.org/
Most programs are self-pay, although some accept insurance. The ones that do accept insurance have quite long wait lists (about 2 months).
ERP works, but it is very specialized care, so be prepared to fight for authorizations and reimbursement, even if you have insurance. It is also probably the best treatment out there. OCD patient
Phobease is a well respected program. Based in cognitive therapy vs talk therapy...... here is a previous page on Berkeley Parents Network http://parents.berkeley.edu/recommend/therapy/liebgold.html read through and check it out. Mary
12-y-o with OCD: things are not getting better
April 2010
I have a 12 year old daughter with OCD. I've tried medication and cognitive behavioral therapy for her and things are not getting better. I'm interested in people's experiences and resources. I'd like to find out if there are any parents or kids her age who are interested in getting together or talking about working with OCD.
My husband has dealt with OCD since he was a child. It was not diagnosed properly until he was in his late twenties. Until that point, he had been diagnosed with anxiety disorders and even post traumatic stress disorder. He believes that earlier diagnosis could have helped him in many ways. For starters, he would have felt like had an explanation for the way his brain worked. Also, there are mental paths that get more firm over time and had he learned tools earlier, he might have been able to shift those paths with less effort.
As it is, he has really minimized the negative impact that OCD has on his life. The strategies that have helped the most are meditation and therapy with a psychologist who specializes in OCD. Meditation taught him how to observe his thoughts and not necessarily intervene - a critical skill when your thoughts are disruptive. It also gave him a mostly reliable way to calm down when he was afraid or over-aroused.
In therapy, EMDR has been particularly helpful, but there are other kinds of exposure therapies that a specialist in OCD would know about. He tried medication a couple of times, but found that it critically impacted him in other ways and did not necessarily resolve the OCD.
One book that was really useful for him - and for me as his partner - is The OCD Workbook by Hyman and Pedrick.
Good luck. Your daughter is struggling with a real challenge, but with your support and help, this does not have to determine her life. friend
CBT for teenager with OCD
March 2010
My son has recently been diagnosed with OCD after years of being misdiagnosed. I would like some referrals of therapists who specialize in CBT in the East Bay who either take insurance and/or will take credit cards (from my experience with therapists, I feel as if this is a stretch). And, if anyone has experienced this, what has your experience been with treatment and medications. Concerned Mom
We don't have a referral, but my husband has ocd and benefited very much from cbt, which is the right therapy for this disorder. He was able to get by for a long time without medication, but after taking a stressful attorney position has used ssri's and benzodiazepine combination (the standard protocol). With a teen, because of the slight risk of suicidal ideation with ssri's, it may be better to try the cbt alone first with benzodiazempine as needed, but that would all be for your doctor to consider. Many people lead productive successful lives with ocd so don't get discouraged. (Though it can be debilitating at times, without proper treatment, so I am not minimizing it.) It's not a great thing to have but there is far worse in life. Check out the Anxiety Disorder Association of America website, a good resource. Best of luck to you and your child. OCD in family
The best source for CBT referrals is to try the San Francisco Bay Area Center for Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (www.sfbacct.com). 510 652-4455. Just leave a message in the main mailbox and someone will get back to you. Thanks! Michael Y. Simon, MFT
Inpatient care for teenager with OCD?
Sept 2007
We're looking for recommendations for inpatient care for young teenager with OCD. Anyone with experience at Herrick Hospital or other places around the Bay Area? Thanks.
Do not go to Herrick. Check out the Obsessive-Compulsive Foundation website (google the name and you'll find it) for a list of specialized programs and info. Anonymous
10-year-old with OCD refuses meds or therapy
Jan 2005
My ten-year-old daughter suffers from obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). She is adamantly opposed to being medicated and will not talk with a counselor.
I am searching for two things: (1) a homeopathic approach (I think I can convince her to try a ''natural'' approach if I can find something helpful); and (2) a support group.
The best support group would be specifically for her, with other kids. The next best support group would be for parents of OCD sufferers. I attended a support group that consisted of adult sufferers, and although it was an enormous help to be with people who understood the condition, I didn't really feel that I could get the kind of support I need as a parent.
So many of my friends and colleagues read this listserve that I cannot, out of respect for my daughter's privacy, include my name ... but if there is some way to hook up with other parents, I would be sooooo grateful. Parent of OCD Sufferer
Homeopathy works well for this kind of thing. Christine Ciavarella (P.A.) at the Hahnemann Medical Clinic, 524-3117 Bonnie
My daughter also suffers from OCD. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is helping her learn how to manage it. She was getting no where with the once a week therapy and just going was causing her more anxiety. She attended an intensive program last summer at the Anxiety Center of Northern California, which really helped her. I would be happy to talk to you about it. I would be interested in a support group for parents, although I do not know of any existng groups. js
Frances Kalfus, L.Ac, OMD, is an experienced, classically trained homeopath who has a nice way with children and is particularly sensitive to psychological issues. I have been very impressed with the efficacy of her treatment. Dr. Kalfus can be reached at her North Berkeley office, 558-1911. Best of luck with your daughter. Jane
Obsessive-compulsive teenager
Feb 2004
My teenage son shows signs of obsessive-compulsive behavior. At first, it wasn't so noticeable, but lately, he is becoming worse. For example, he is always late for school because he is obsessed with washing his hands and face. And he normally doesn't get enough sleep because he takes so long to prepare to go to sleep, like taking extra long showers and brushing teeth, etc. Does anyone know any reasonable, good therapist in the area who treats this sickness? Also, my son does not think anything is wrong with his behavior and gets angry when we try to talk to him about it. We would appreciate any advice given. Thanks a lot. anon
I am a psychologist and from a description of symptoms, it does sound like your son might have OCD. The best approach to treating the disorder is a combination of medication AND therapy. The best type of specialist to see is someone who can prescribe the medications (very effective and helpful ones are now available)and recommend the right type of therapist. Usually, a pediatrician will have the names of the more behavioral pediatric specialists in our area who are used to seeing adolescents with this problem....it is not surprising he is defensive about it; instead of focusing on the symptoms (i.e., hand washing, etc), focus on how the specialist will help him keep within the framework of his life, i.e., being on time for school, for example. anon
Please check out the book ''The Boy Who Couldn't Stop Washing'' by Judith Rappaport,M.D. for a great description and case study examples about OCD. It's in paperback, and very interesting and easy to read (for you and your son). If he has OCD, he will be able to relate to the stories in the book, and hopefully to realize this is a brain-based disorder, and not something within his conscious control or something to be ashamed of. The treatment of OCD begins with SSRI medication (like Prozac, Zoloft, etc), rather than psychotherapy. Your primary care physician might be able to make a recommendation to a psychiatrist for you, as of course you need to establish the diagnosis before starting treatment. Kathleen
My daughter went to Rogers in Walnut Creek and a lot of Kaiser patients were there, withKaiser paying for it. It’s a “full time” intensive program but summer is coming up maybe that would work?
Otherwise, Kaiser does not have many specialtists in OCD. You must see a person that specializes in OCD/ERP or symptoms could get worse with some other treatments.
OCD is so tough!
You probably want to check out the International OCD Foundation (IOCDF). They have a referral section for therapists and programs.
Hello, I want to extend my sympathy as a parent raising a teen with ocd and how big the impact on day to day life can be when it's unmanaged. Our teen is also on the spectrum (late-identified). I want to second the recommendation about Roger's Behavioral Health Center, but also would like to recommend East Bay Behavioral Health Center. The second one I don't believe takes insurance. Finding insurance-covered specialists is challenging. If Roger's is your only option, it's a good one. There may be some wait time to get a spot, but it's worth it. They offer "PHP" (partial hospitalization program) and IOP (Intensive Outpatient / half day). I definitely sympathize w/ the disruption that this can cause to school hours, but it's a worthwhile investment of time and your school district may offer education services that are specifically for a student who is on medical leave.
Thank you all for your kind suggestions! I really appreciate your inputs and the time you took to share them. We will definitely check them out and consider the best options for my daughter.