Mesivta boy changes

amother

Antiquewhite

Mon, Dec 11 2023, 9:09 pm

I would start with talking to the pediatrician but it sounds like you may need a good psychiatrist as well as a therapist who specializes in this. Hatzlacha!! It's not easy!

amother

Butterscotch

Mon, Dec 11 2023, 9:13 pm

My nephew is a mesivta bachur who started acting unlike his usual self- tired all the time, not into learning, behavioral changes- his parents had bloodwork done and it turns out that he has Lyme Disease as well as a vitamin d deficiency. They are working with a Lyme specialist and Baruch Hashem beginning to see results, slowly.
His case may be totally unrelated to your son's, but I think it is very worthwhile to have him tested.

amother

Eggshell

Mon, Dec 11 2023, 10:01 pm

amother OP wrote:

Yes. All around religious ocd

Please talk to your pediatrician.

My brother was like this, years ago. It started with OCD, and everyone thought it was so nice that he is so frum. Until it wasn't nice anymore.

amother

Carnation

Mon, Dec 11 2023, 10:11 pm

amother Eggshell wrote:

Please talk to your pediatrician.

My brother was like this, years ago. It started with OCD, and everyone thought it was so nice that he is so frum. Until it wasn't nice anymore.

Same. My brother actually got a ridiculous amount of positive reinforcement for what was actually such unhealthy behavior. BH eventually my parents realized it wasn’t normal or healthy and they took him to a psychiatrist who helped him with a few sessions. I don’t know if he ever had issues again in the future (he’s an adult and I wouldn’t bring it up with him now) but the psychiatrist definitely helped him tremendously (and fairly quickly to my recollection) when he was in 8th or 9th grade.

My parents went straight to a therapist who specialized in anxiety/OCD and didn’t bother with the pediatrician. I do remember that they went to someone frum that they felt he would be more likely to respect and listen to.

amother

Azalea

Mon, Dec 11 2023, 10:12 pm

I agree with the Lyme issue can exabberate ocd if kid was very literal. When my child had Lyme and there was brain inflammation, he had religious ocd too and it decreased when treated for Lyme.

amother

NeonPink

Mon, Dec 11 2023, 10:17 pm

Yes to the psychiatrist. But any time you have a personality shift, it's good to do a bloodwork panel. My doctor tests for lyme, does a thyroid panel, checks iron, white cell count, checks for celiac, and other things.

amother

Antiquewhite

Mon, Dec 11 2023, 10:26 pm

Sudden onset OCD/anxiety can also be pans/pandas. That's why a medical consult and workup is important - to determine if there is an underlying medical cause. Otherwise treating symptoms and behaviors is not effective enough