OCD & Siblings

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) affects not only sufferers, but their whole family as well. Being privy to the havoc the disorder often causes can be especially disrupting, confusing, and upsetting to children. While parents are likely expending every ounce of energy they have trying to help their child with OCD, I think we need to remember that siblings suffer also. In my family’s case, my son Dan’s OCD was not evident until he started college far from home, so his two sisters weren’t around him. That’s not to say their lives weren’t affected. While our older daughter was living on her own at the time, our younger daughter was still at home. With our limited knowledge, my husband and I explained Dan’s illness to them as best we could, and kept them up to date on what was happening with him. In retrospect, I think we should have done more. At the time, only our immediate family knew about Dan’s OCD, so our daughters really couldn’t talk with anyone else about the situation. My husband and I should have talked with them more about their feelings, instead of only updating them on Dan’s health. Were they jealous Dan was getting so much attention? After all, I spent three weeks fifteen hundred miles from home helping him get through his freshman year of college. Did they feel confused (I think that’s pretty much a given; we all were), scared, or neglected? What were their fears and concerns? Did they think they might develop OCD also? Why didn’t we pay m...
Source: Psych Central - Category: Psychiatry Authors: Tags: Caregivers Disorders Family General Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Parenting Stress Excuse Fears Feelings Fifteen Hundred Miles Freshman Year Havoc Immediate Family Ocd Ounce Privy Retrospect Sibling Issues Siblings Source Type: news