Thank you. That is my concern as well. I’m hopeful that early diagnosis and treatment will help him, especially before he turns 18.

This sounds exactly like my older sister, who was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia in her early 20s but there had been signs in her late teens. Early diagnosis and treatment (especially medication and therapy) would have made a huge difference for her but she presented so normally when around professionals and people outside our family that it wasn't diagnosed until she had a major psychotic break in college.

He is aware that something is wrong and trying to minimize your concerns.
Record your conversation about these things where he explains what people are saying. Ask if it's the same people... because it comes up more than once. Get the stalkers and ghosts too.
Make a log.,you have a start here in this thread.
Some problems emerge around 14 or so. I had a BF who had one of those.

He’s washing his hands 20+ times per day. He says he needs to. He can’t describe why.

As for the other stuff he can only explain it by saying “people always tell me that I’m adopted. Or people say we’re moving.” When I ask what people he says “nobody” or “don’t worry about it”

That's pretty much voices.
Is he adopted or of different ethnicity from you? If asked how does he explain those concerns?

I have an intake scheduled for NoCD and the Newport Academy next week. I’m hoping an IOP or PHP could help.

OCD diagnosis is years old.

He says he’s talking to “stalkers” or “ghosts” but he doesn’t see them or hear them really- he just knows what they think.

At times he is perfectly lucid and says he knows he’s a good person (he is often angry because the thoughts say he is bad or has done bad things).

His delusions or thoughts seem to center on being a bad person, our house being for sale (it isn’t), the boundary change for school (we won’t be affected), what his name is, his ethnicity, his parentage, etc. Sometimes he just asks me about those things and sometimes he is talking to himself about them.

“Our house isn’t for sale.”
“That’s my mom.”
“I never did any of those things, that’s stupid!”

When I ask who he is talking to he says “nobody”

Please check out NOCD. It is almost like a zocdoc for OCD therapists.

This sounds really hard. So if you say something like “larlo, when you say xyz outloud is that because you are hearing someone saying something? Or is it more that you feel like you have to say xyz to feel better?” how does he respond?

I’m also wondering how recent the ocd fiagnosis is/how much he knows abt the illness and has language around it because that could help him articulate what’s going on currently. Like “does it feel like when you felt like you had to say a prayer if you stepped on a crack in the sidewalk?” (or whatever his usual obsessions and compulsions are.)

Anonymous wrote:He does not say he is hearing voices or seeing things. I will try recording him.

I am working to find an ocd specialist, but they’re not common and he is especially tricky due to him finding it difficult to articulate what’s going on.

He’s not been diagnosed as autistic, though he’s been tested but he has many ASD symptoms/traits.

Keep trying on the OCD specialist. Where are you located? maybe people have suggestions.

He does not say he is hearing voices or seeing things. I will try recording him.

I am working to find an ocd specialist, but they’re not common and he is especially tricky due to him finding it difficult to articulate what’s going on.

He’s not been diagnosed as autistic, though he’s been tested but he has many ASD symptoms/traits.

Does he say he’s hearing voices? It mostly sounds like severe ocd and the saying this out loud could be a compulsion to “neutralize” the hat he considers “bad thoughts” or something but his doctor will need to confirm that’s what’s going on and that he’s not responding to internal stimuli.

Do the medical professionals need to hear him to believe you? Record him!

OCD specialist?

My son is either having intrusive thoughts or is having a psychotic episode. He is talking out loud about people saying things that aren’t true and is asking for constant reassurance about things that he knows (his birth story, the names of his relatives, where he’s lived, etc). He is 15. This is new as of the last month.

He is not a danger to himself or others and when he’s at a hospital he holds it together and is almost silent. It’s only at home that he “relaxes” enough to have his verbal outbursts.

He’s also washing his hands 20+ times per day.

Does anyone have any experience with something similar? Psychiatry recs?

Kellar Center said he wasn’t a good fit because he was so quiet. Inpatient was a horror show and might have made things worse. He was isolated and scared. We pulled him as soon as we could.