Such an extreme case for such a young kid

[Momo-P]

This has been going on for awhile now, but it wasn't until today I really got to thinking about it. Basically, I have a younger cousin, she's about eleven. Like a lot of people she has some OCD in her (in fact everbody does to an extent) but recently it's gotten bad. Like REAL bad.

It originally started out with her worrying about ticks. She use to sleep with her dog everynight, but then she got so paranoid and pushed him away. She would force her parents to strip the sheets of her bed before sleeping and check all her clothes thoroughly before dressing. She was just that afraid.

Then it turned to pregnancy. Although she's old enough to know how getting pregnant works, she actually got to the point she felt uncomfortable around her dad and older brother. Like she wouldn't even sit where they did because she worried about getting pregnant.

Then it jumped to gum in her hair. She got some in her hair and then started worrying about even going near trash cans like some was actually going to jump out at her or something.

To put it simply, it's sad. She's not very old, and she's already suffering with things usually teenagers and adults have issues with...and even then it's usually not this bad. Her parents give her medicine if I remember correctly, and she also has someone she talks to, but it's so sad. It's tragic enough when this stuff happens to people, but to such a young kid? I know my mom said her hands up to her wrists are currently red. Apparently her kick right now is washing her hands. She also thinks her parents don't want her anymore because, while they don't hate her, they obviously get frustrated. She never behaved like this before, so of course they want her to feel better! Unfortunately she interprets their annoyance over the situation as hating her.

Basically...I just pray and ask you pray for this little girl. She isn't that old and it's such a sad situation. Last summer she wouldn't go outside because of the bugs and therefore didn't have any friends. Even the few friends she did have apparently began to think of her as weird, and get this, I think my aunt even mentioned how their PARENTS even thought she was weird.

So just...ya. *sighs*

[Kamille]

I'm praying for her in truth.

[EricTheFred]

I'll pray as well.

This sounds like the various things my brother went through with his son, who suffers from Aspergers. My nephew has grown up to be a fine young man (in fact, a valedictorian) but from ten-ish up through middle school he was a walking mass of obsessions and fears.

Is she getting regular counseling? Some parents fall into the trap of just giving the medicine and crossing their fingers. Medication helps but isn't a complete solution. (personal experience on this as a life-long ADD sufferer)

[Danderson]

Will definetly pray.....My brother has started the whole tick thing last year (he just started high school then), but it's more of a hidden thing that he does when he thinks none of us are looking, so it's not too bad.....yet...

[Shao_Zeng]

I'll also be praying.

[Blitzkrieg1701]

Wow. I'm definitely praying.

[Alexander]

I'll pray as well.

This sounds like the various things my brother went through with his son, who suffers from Aspergers. My nephew has grown up to be a fine young man (in fact, a valedictorian) but from ten-ish up through middle school he was a walking mass of obsessions and fears.

Is she getting regular counseling? Some parents fall into the trap of just giving the medicine and crossing their fingers. Medication helps but isn't a complete solution. (personal experience on this as a life-long ADD sufferer)

Suffer? Well, speaking as an aspie, I can definitely say it isn't always like that. But I'll save that discussion for later.

Anyways, this reminds me very strongly of myself as well. I shouldn't be quick to make any diagnosis, but it does sound like she's displaying some Aspie qualities already.

Although I can't say for sure as I would need a lot more personal information about her.

[SnEptUne]

I was kind of like that when I was around 11 years old. But instead of avoiding trash can etc..., I just paid more attention to be careful. I was quite small for my age at that time and got sick very easily. I would wash my hands like every 10 minutes, but eventually the frequency is reduced because it isn't easy to be like that at all. But unlike other more "fortunate" kids, I lived in a very small place with no washroom and hot water, and there are others things much more gross than gum, such as bathing in the kitchen when your neighbour threw out the defecation to the canal connected to the kitchen. Try to get her to go outside instead of spoiling her with checking her bed etc... Feeding her medicine is just plain ridiculous.

[Momo-P]

I was kind of like that when I was around 11 years old. But instead of avoiding trash can etc..., I just paid more attention to be careful. I was quite small for my age at that time and got sick very easily. I would wash my hands like every 10 minutes, but eventually the frequency is reduced because it isn't easy to be like that at all. But unlike other more "fortunate" kids, I lived in a very small place with no washroom and hot water, and there are others things much more gross than gum, such as bathing in the kitchen when your neighbour threw out the defecation to the canal connected to the kitchen. Try to get her to go outside instead of spoiling her with checking her bed etc... Feeding her medicine is just plain ridiculous.

Except that's the thing, you can't just say "go outside and stop whining". This stuff seriously scares her and forcing it upon her will only do more harm than help.

As for the medicine, they do give it to her, but they also have someone she sees I think...every week? So it's not like they don't try and have people talk to her over this stuff. They do.

But anyways, thanks for the prayers guys, I know her family appreciates it...

[Shao_Zeng]

I was kind of like that when I was around 11 years old. But instead of avoiding trash can etc..., I just paid more attention to be careful. I was quite small for my age at that time and got sick very easily. I would wash my hands like every 10 minutes, but eventually the frequency is reduced because it isn't easy to be like that at all. But unlike other more "fortunate" kids, I lived in a very small place with no washroom and hot water, and there are others things much more gross than gum, such as bathing in the kitchen when your neighbour threw out the defecation to the canal connected to the kitchen. Try to get her to go outside instead of spoiling her with checking her bed etc... Feeding her medicine is just plain ridiculous.

i some what agree..

[EricTheFred]

Suffer? Well, speaking as an aspie, I can definitely say it isn't always like that. But I'll save that discussion for later.

Anyways, this reminds me very strongly of myself as well. I shouldn't be quick to make any diagnosis, but it does sound like she's displaying some Aspie qualities already.

Although I can't say for sure as I would need a lot more personal information about her.

In his case, I think the "suffer" verb is very appropriate. The poor kid was a mess any time his life was disrupted in any small fashion, to the point of being unable to sleep or eat. Since his mother has some serious psychological issues of her own, such disruptions happened quite often.

He's a strong kid, though, and as I mentioned, he's been able to learn and grow into a fine young man.

[SnEptUne]

Except that's the thing, you can't just say "go outside and stop whining". This stuff seriously scares her and forcing it upon her will only do more harm than help.

As for the medicine, they do give it to her, but they also have someone she sees I think...every week? So it's not like they don't try and have people talk to her over this stuff. They do.

But anyways, thanks for the prayers guys, I know her family appreciates it...

I didn't say they should force it upon her, but they shouldn't treat her as if she isn't normal by feeding her medicine and checking her bed even though they know it isn't anything to worry about. Although there are no one right answer regarding raising children, the acts of checking everything over may make her think her concerns are real and valid.

Moreover, I don't think they should push the responsibility to a stranger. They could however use suggestions made by the professional.

[Shao_Zeng]

I didn't say they should force it upon her, but they shouldn't treat her as if she isn't normal by feeding her medicine and checking her bed even though they know it isn't anything to worry about. Although there are no one right answer regarding raising children, the acts of checking everything over may make her think her concerns are real and valid.

Moreover, I don't think they should push the responsibility to a stranger. They could however use suggestions made by the professional.

again i agree,I went threw something like this when i was younger and my mom and dad didn't do anything like check my bed because they knew i would make me think whatever i was thinking more real and they did force me to go out side because they knew most of these things kids do are ridicules and should be stopped..

[SnEptUne]

It is very typical for parents to do everything in their ability to make the children happy as a duty, such as buying/making them whatever they want, let them waste foods and paper etc... But in doing so, they are only satisfying their own selfish moral of being an ideal parent; they would feel nice about themself that they would sacrify their lives for the children. But in doing so, they are not the only one sacrified. Like a chick didn't break their own shell, the children will grow up weak and fragile.

[Momo-P]

I didn't say they should force it upon her, but they shouldn't treat her as if she isn't normal by feeding her medicine and checking her bed even though they know it isn't anything to worry about. Although there are no one right answer regarding raising children, the acts of checking everything over may make her think her concerns are real and valid.

Or it may show her that her ideas are just stupid. It's just like a kid who thinks there's a monster in the closest. Do you just say "there's nothing in there hun" or do you actually open it and show them? Duh. You open it. The same with the bugs in the bed. If the parents strips the bed down and shows the kid, they can see with their own eyes that their worrying is stupid. Maybe you disagree, but I definitely don't. I remember worrying about bugs in my bed when I was younger (course I actually had a spider in my bed once, so I have a reason to freak out) and my mom did the same for me. Did I still worry a bit? Of course, but I knew it was dumb because I just seen the bed clean.

Although stripping her bed may make her worries are valid (and to an extent they are, bugs can get in your bed), at the same time it'll more than likely do the opposite. If you see there's nothing in the bed, it's kind of hard to keep worrying.

Moreover, I don't think they should push the responsibility to a stranger. They could however use suggestions made by the professional.

They DO talk to her. They talk to her all the time about it, heck, she even comes to me and my mom and talks to us about it. The kid gets info from all around, but it doesn't help. Whatever problem she has can't just be cleared up like a normal person's fears, it stems much deeper as an actual medical problem. That's like taking a person with ADD and trying to apply a normal person's rules to them. It won't work because their body is different, the same is for her. You can't just use normal procedures to help her, you have to go that extra and "insane" mile.

[SnEptUne]

What make a person normal? People are getting too dependent on medicine these days. There is a saying that the disease of the heart must be cured by the medicine of the heart, not medicine of the body.

You seems very sure that when a kid said a monter is in a closest, you must open it to show him/her so. Have you considered that here are many other cultures where such practice is discouraged? What on earth is a monster anyway? I was afraid of evil spirit, ghost, and vampire, but I have never heard of monsters when I was a kid. Maybe it is a cultural difference? But regardlessly, being raised as a Christian since kidergardened, I pray when I was afraid. And sometimes, my parents would sleep with me (i.e. co-sleeping)

[Doubleshadow]

Has he been checked for signs of a known condition by a trusted professional and has the diagnosis been affirmed by another doctor not affiliated with the first?

I had similar issues, but grew out of them. Your cousin maybe the same way, but a thorough evaluation by more than one expert taking into consideration all relevant factors in the situation might be best.

Praying for you all.

[Lady Arianrod]

I will pray for her.