STYLETHREAD -- LET'S TALK SHOP!

AllieGurl · Marc Jacobs

OCD ?

Cortney1982 · Chanel

Oh that's bad! I do think they have medication for it. Definintly voice your concerns. I'm sure it makes him miserable to the point where he would consider medication.

Bastet · Kate Spade

I don't know how close you are to your nephew. Maybe he would listen to you if you told him that talking to a professional can't hurt him and that maybe it could help him. He's probably aware on some level that something is wrong. One of my college roommates probably had OCD. She was a prisoner to her rituals but her parents convinced her that nothing was wrong, so she didn't get help. If your nephew's parents don't listen to him and/or make fun of his problems, he probably can't talk to them about it. Maybe he would be happy if someone else was willing to help him. From what I understand, a combination of medication and behavioral therapy can really help people with OCD.

Also, how close are you to your brother or sister? Maybe if you talked to your nephew's parents, they might listen to you if you list all of the behaviors you just listed in your post. From what I understand about OCD, counting steps and obsessions with even or odd numbers is a classic symptom. His parents should realize that and stop joking about it.

-- Edited by Bastet at 09:09, 2006-09-08

halleybird · Hermes

That definitely sounds like OCD. I have it, and although it's often made fun of, in movies and otherwise, it is a really painful condition. Like Batset said, it really makes you feel like a prisoner and it can majorly affect someone's life decisions. I'd highly encourage him to talk to a professional. People with OCD have low seratonin levels, and they usually have anxiety and/or depression, also. The most common form of behavioral therapy for people with OCD (especially those who are compulsive-heavy, which it sounds like he is) is helping them break the rituals, but I would only advise this when under the care of a professional.

MTV actually did a surprisingly good documentary of people with OCD on their True Life series. You may want to ask if he's seen it; it could be a good conversation-starter.

Feel free to PM me if you want. I don't have a lot of compulsive behaviors like your nephew, but I do have the obsessive part and it is not an easy thing to live with.