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Showing content with the highest reputation on 08/14/2017 in all areas

  1. I am an adult female. I was never diagnosed with any mental illness as a child, as my parents addressed any psychological issues as solely behavioral problems to be disciplined. That being said, I suffered from very severe OCD symptoms that (I suspect) **might have been a result of PANDAS. [As this was never diagnosed nor treated, it is purely personal seculation based on the symptomology and relative timeline of exposure to streptococcus- I also share other speculations as to possible causes for the disorder, though mostly suspect the former.] I can say that for myself; the OCD began to dissipate very significantly after puberty and continued to do so over the years. I have no significant nor any life debilitating symptoms remaining of OCD whatsoever. The most debilitating and severe period of OCD that I had was between the ages of about (I think) 7-12. However, the habitual thought patterns that I had developed in my brain during that time (mind you with no counseling/medication or understanding of it as a disorder whatsoever) did take a significant amount of years to fully recover; therein many behaviors still remained. I say this because I do believe that it is highly possible that the neurophysiological OCD had in fact been mostly if not wholly eradicated during the pubescent period in which I would had been experiencing many hormonal and chemical changes in the brain possibly countering or overwhelming some others. (Again- this is much personal speculation.) Nonetheless, because OCD is what it is, I find it impossible to consider these behaviors would disappear at the same time. Gradually they did go away. I imagine then on came bigger problems of being a teenager and every little bit by bit the tics and compulsions and obsessions did dissipate. I was VERY secretive of rituals (tapping/counting/hoarding/maaany others) and did them in a way not to be seen. Because of this and that whatever my parents might had known was never pronounced to me as a "mental disorder", I credit my ignorance to having an actual illness in a way to having had allowed me to recover; as there was no stigma or added obsession (i was highly obsessed with everything) that I was handicapped with a psychological ailment. In a way, the denial around me helped. This is NOT to diminish that as a whole, however I suffered far more severely because of it. But it is worth noting i think that sometimes less attention may help with recovery. Overall of course, a child needs their mother so much, and for one with ocd- they really need their mom. I love my parents who did just as they felt best, but during that time (that to this day I remember SO well as being so truly horrifying for me), I didn't have that. I was so extremely confused, shameful, scared, and exhausted. And so incredibly isolated. I am so grateful pediatric illnessness like these are finally recognized and kids now can have amazing mothers like you who are on their side of the struggle with them rather than at the other end of it. No child should have to feel so shamed, scared, and alone. Illness, treatments, recoveries and even regressions are just as any other experiences and trials of life. They are part of each individuals journey into becoming the person they are meant to be. And children are (be them healthy/disabled/'normal'..whatever) absolutely beautiful and perfect every step of the way. This is what I wish my mother would had said to me. So i could have understood that I'm not my illness, but my strength to battle this is part of what makes me so incredible and builds my character into the fantastic person I am to become. (Of course- this and also 'lets see a psychiatrist and get treatment'), but all the same Sorry about the tangent! I came about writing this commenr ( now... memoir) in searching this subject in Google just now out of random curiosity while reflecting upon my past. When I saw your q, I felt I just had to respond with hope because my google search q was: "my pandas ocd gone after puberty". When I read this, I was so inspired by you and what you are doing for your child. Asking these questions, treating her, and being in the fight along side with her. I joined just so I could write this to you to thank you for what you are doing for her and to send the hope to u both that it absolutely goes away. I can only imagine how exhausting and challenging it could be for a parent. But can also know first hand how horrible it is to have the illness, and to go it alone as a kid is beyond awful. So that's it, really. BLESS you mom for taking care of your girl and it absolutely does get better, as I feel that indeed post pubescence changed everything. So yes- hope is there and she WILL recover. I had a fantastic time by high school being ocd free (mind you tendencies there but I feel this is a bit of personal brain wiring and takes lots of time and work . It was NOT like it was before puberty). Keep being the AMAZING kick mom you are. I'm so SO happy she has you. Just needed to respond. [[**As a side note: in respect to the other comment made by a parent in which i felt some ocd kids might be getting stigmatized by the illness and certain behaviors are being either dismissed or over addressed as psych symptoms when in fact they are either one of 2 things: an unrelated call for help or personal struggle environmentally that isn't to do with ocd, or otherwise just a very healthy response to stresses of puberty. I wanted to throw out the fact that nearly every pubescent child/young adult/teen are often incomprehensibly 'nuts by nature' too! Please consider it's a crazy time for them (thier brains, bodies, self identy, sense of life..) and the healthiest girl during puberty can be a total weirdo obsessive anxious nightmare of a kid too I wouldnt had wanted my parents to say to me it was the 'ocd' every time I acted out (either by way of empathizing/diminishing/ reprimanding or whatever) and I could be horrid at times. I fear it would had kept the obsession for me longer and I would had never believed I would be rid of it. . Maybe i would had even used it as an excuse to get away with bad behavior which would had also drawn self identity to ocd and inhibited recovery . A BIG part of breaking this very strong mental lock is to forget it whenever possible. And it is VERY hard to do, but a beautiful thing when it happens. And each instance builds into healing. Sometimes it is rare and fleeting. Sometimes it is overwhelmed by something else negative (like even some nutty teen drama being created). I would just hate a reminder if it wasn't on my brain already. So i say, if they are being teen brats and it is not 100% textbook symptomatic of OCD, then dont call them out on having a psychological illness, call them out for being brats! (Just my opinion)]]. Good luck to you and your amazing kid. You're really a hero to me. Truly. Much love.
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