>>��I didn't mean to say there is a cure, I know there isn't, but I do know that therapy alone can help more then the use of anti-depressants. Too many people relasp and then when the meds don't work they have to switch or raise their dosage and then it can cause major problems. I think I read in another post that your son will take meds for the rest of his life...What happens if your son can't take any of the meds any more? He won't be able to cope without his meds, because he was dependant on them for help, he wasn't finding help from himself.
>>��I'm not trying to start an argument. If people want to take meds go ahead, but remember there are other options to help yourself.
>>��There are natural ways...and therapy alone will help a person.
>>��I know that you come to this board to express and give your encouragment to others and I see that you are amazing in your comments that you write, but we need to remember that meds don't solve the problems people do. I do feel that Meds should be used for more serious problems. I know that 5-htp can help OCD patients, which is safer to take and has less side-effects.
>>��I have a hard time believing that OCD or depression is caused by a chemical imbalance. It even says in the commercials of anti-depressants that it "may" be a cause of a chemical Imbalance, which means they really don't know.
>>��Another thing why I'm worried about these meds is the long-term effects...nobody really knows what these drugs do to a person when used long-terms.
>>��New side-effects are coming out...breast cancer is now a side effect.
>>��It just worries me, that's all...I don't think kids need to be on these...
>>��>>��There is no "cure" at all for OCD. It can come back at anytime. Stress has been shown to exacerbate the OCD symptoms. Medication helps many people to a point of very close to cured. My son has benefited greatly from medication, in addition to his understanding of how OCD works. Most books, articles, and comments by OCD experts attribute the illness to a chemical imbalance. That is what I am basing my comments upon. Depression has also been linked to the same cause. It is still being researched further, but for now, that is the general belief. SSRI's have been proven effective in combating this illness, especially when the anxiety is so high that one cannot function in everyday life and may be to the point of suicide, which is the case for a couple of the people to whom I wrote. My son was non-functioning when he began on medication. It has worked wonders for him.
>>��>>��I realize that all people have varying degrees of success with medication and therapy. But when someone asks for help, I try to steer them in the direction of the two known treatments for OCD that have been proven successful, medication and therapy. Therapy can be a long-term treatment over many months. Medication can take anywhere from three weeks (in my son's case) to twelve weeks to help curb the OCD symptoms. In my opinion, that is a much quicker result.
>>��>>��Of course, the patient's doctor has to ultimately decide which method of treatment is best suited based on the whole case. We are only here to offer opinions and advice. The main advice that I can stress is to DO SOMETHING. An action, even if it turns out to be unsuccessful, is better than no action at all. Thank you for listening.
>>��>>��John 16's Mom