Reply to 11 year old DD has OCD/anxiety

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Two of my kids have ADHD/anxiety.  The oldest was diagnosed before K.  He started on Prozac in 3rd grade through an NIH study on CBT.  We'd done a lot of CBT prior to the study but DS was never able to access the techniques when he was in an anxious state - and he could go from fine to crisis in 0 flat. That part of the brain that regulated fear/anxiety was hyper-reactive and the medication helped rein it in.  His anxiety didn't go away completely but medication allowed him to control it rather than it control him.

My younger DS didn't start an SSRI until he was in 6th grade.  His anxiety manifested a bit differently than older DSs and it took me longer to recognize how much of an impact it was having on him.  Once he got to a therpeutic level, it was so much better.

My only regret with both of them is that I didn't start them sooner.  They're now in HS/MS and I can easily imagine the road they'd take if we'd not treated their anxiety with medication.  They can utilize their CBT tools but it just isn't enough. [/quote]

PP, I have a child with the same diagnoses. Are your kids still on an SSRI? And are they medicated for the ADHD? My son was on an SSRI for two years (life-changing) but we stopped when we left stressful public school. I haven't tried a stimulant yet. Or rather we did a quick painful train a few years ago and I am wondering if we should try again.[/quote]

I'm the PP.  Yes, they're both still on an SSRI (year round) as well as ADHD medications (during the school year and as needed).  We've tried both stimulant and non-stimulant medications for the ADHD.  My oldest first tried a stimulant medication in 2nd grade but didn't do well and we switched to a non-stimulant which seemed to have no benefit so we discontinued until 6th grade when his psychiatrist suggested it to help with the emotional dysregulation exacerbated by puberty.  We also had him try a stimulant medication and he did really, really well with it - very different response than in 2nd grade. Glad we gave it another try.  My kids go to FCPS schools and I wouldn't call them 'high pressure' at all. The stress they experience is no different than at any other school any where else.

FWIW - we participate in longitudinal ADHD research at NIH.  The researchers have been fabulous and we've had some great conversations about medication - they don't push it but are 'fluent' in the research. [/quote]

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