felizabeth9

New Member
I have a 7 yr old with a Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)/depression diagnoses that manages to behave in school.I'm wondering if anyone else has experienced this as it makes it very hard to get help. He is on risperdal and celexa at the moment, although the risperdal scares me with the potential side affects.
 

smallworld

Moderator
Welcome! I'm glad you found us.

Many of our kids hold it all together in school but feel safe enough at home to let all their frustration and anger out at home. I have three kids who have been doing that for years!

Sorry for the questions, but your answers will help us point you in the right direction.
What kind of doctor diagnosed your son? What kind of doctor is treating him?
How long has he been on Celexa? Why was Risperdal added? What doses is he taking of each?
How does he do in school, both academically and with peers?
Any speech or developmental delays?
Any sensory issues (for example, sensitivity to clothing tags, loud noises, food textures)?
Any mental health issues or substance abuse in the family tree?

If you haven't read The Explosive Child by Ross Greene, I'd recommend getting your hands on a copy. It has helped many of us parent our extra-challenging children.

Again, welcome.
 
Hello Felizabeth! Welcome to our corner of the world.

Smallworld asked some great questions, and answering them will help point you in the right direction. Just wanted to offer my welcome (I too am from the Midwest, with a 7YO, who is an angel at school and then turns into one of the children of the corn when she walks in the door. I get it.) and let you know you are not alone.

You found a safe, soft place to land.
 

felizabeth9

New Member
He was diagnosed by a child psychologist after years of begging the gp to do something for him! Right now he is seeing a therapist, Occupational Therapist (OT), and a pediatrician who gives out the drugs. He does have some very slight speech issues but intelectually is above many of his peers, although he does have problems with friends. The celexa was tried after prozac, we would see improvement than it would quit working. The risperdal was added 6 months ago as he was sucidal, he abuses all the family members including the pets, goes into rages at the store, grandparents, etc.. There is a history of depression on both sides of the family and even abuse( probably tied together). We have never abused him although sometimes we wanted to give him away.
 

smallworld

Moderator
Felizabeth, we're not doctors and can't diagnosis over the internet, but it sounds to me as if there may be more going on than depression/Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) (and may be why the medications aren't working). Many of us have found that our kids need very thorough evaluations to really put the pieces together of what's going on. I'd recommend an evaluation with a developmental pediatrician, a neuropsychologist or a multidisciplinary team at a children's or university teaching hsopital. Wtih an accurate picture of what's going on, you will be able to put the proper interventions into place to help your son.
 

Marguerite

Active Member
I was thinking the same thing, smallworld. A label like Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is just descriptive rather than diagnostic. A lot of kids have Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) as part of a more specific disorder, such as Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD) in some form. The slight language delay is worth considering in the picture as well. Perhaps a more specific diagnosis could provide more support? I would be digging further. It's good he's getting some help now, but he may need more specific help.

Is he doing better on the medications? Some kids do, it's like "Wow!" but other kids it seems to make little difference.
My vote - go for the "Wow!", if something is helping then keep it. If it's not, then ask for further ideas.

Get "The Explosive Child" - it helps. It can give you insight into how his mind is ticking, which in turn can help you deal with him better. If he DOES have Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD) in some form (or similar) then this could explain a lot of things you may be trying to discipline out of him. Some things just don't respond to discipline - it's like punishing a blind child for bad handwriting and making mistakes when copying off the blackboard; or punishing a deaf child for inattention.

Keep us posted, let us know how you're getting on.

Marg
 

felizabeth9

New Member
How do you get a referal to go anywhere that specializes in this? We don't live near any major cities. The risperdal has made life tolerable I just wonder about possible problems with long term use. More than anything it's great to read about people that have the same issues, there's no support groups or anything around here either. There is no speech delay, some very slight lisping and stuttering that comes and goes.
 

tammyjh

New Member
Hello and welcome.:D

We obtained our referral from our pediatrician. He didn't really want to at first but husband was pushy and he gave us the referral to a neuropsychologist. It was a very thorough evaluation. and gave us a lot of insight into her strengths and weaknesses.

As far as how they behave at school, my difficult child has always been able to hold it together at school much better than here at home. Wait, I take it back....her first year in K was horrible but after that, we moved and I had her repeat K and it was for a half day instead of a full day...she was like a different child. She did very well in school from that point on. She started showing her colors at school a little more there in the last few years but its not escalated to the way she is at home yet.
 

nvts

Active Member
No fair. Everyone already said the good stuff! So, welcome!

I have to say I LOVE your avatar! Stuie and Eric Cartman are my secret heroes (the get to say whatever is on their minds...no matter what! they are the absolutes in difficult child-dom!).

Kitty: I cracked up over Tink being one of the "Children of the Corn"!
What a description!

Welcome to the crowd!

Beth
 

sandman3

New Member
Hello Felizabeth!

The others have given some great advice! My difficult child 2 has been on Risperdal for over 2 years and he's been fine....I know how you feel though, the documented side effects of medications tend to get me all up in a hissy fit more than the benefits! Just watch and be aware. Also my difficult child 1 has always held it together at school and then would come home and literally "explode". Made it very difficult to get an "accurate" diagnoses (hence the quotes!) but with my non-stop insistence for help, we are finally getting somewhere. You have to fight for it! They're not gonna just hand it over to you, but you can get that referral and you can get answers. Bring on your "warrior mom" skills and MAKE them help you. NO is not an acceptable answer. It will be so worth it in the end.
 

alevine76

Struggling for air
Welcome. I too am new to this site and find it very encouraging to "talk" with other parents who have been in my shoes. I had to fight really hard to get the diagnosis for my difficult child and we still battle our insurance company and doctors to get what we need for our son, but it is worth every penny and hour we spend.

I really liked the comment below about discipline by Marguerite. It is very fitting with my situation and I am sure many others here.

As a parent who doesn't like to give medication, if you are worried about what your child is taking get a second opinion or even a third to make sure you are doing the right thing and then you can rest easy if everyone is in agreement or make a change if necessary. Good luck!
 
Top