Expert: John Date: 9/23/2005 Subject: Why would a 23 year old man never get better?
Question
My son is 23 years old and has Oppossitional defiant disorder and obsessive compulsive disorder and is very depressed. He has been on alot of different medications, and never seems to get better what should I do?
Answer I SUGGEST YOU TAKE YOUR SON TO THE NEAREST TEACHING HOSPITAL IN YOUR AREA (ONE THAT HAS A MEDICAL COLLEGE ATTACHED TO IT) AND MAKE AN EFFORT TO SEE THE CHIEF OF INPATIENT PSYCHIATRY AND EXPLAIN THE SITUATION TO HIM OR HER. THE TEACHING COLLEGE WILL HAVE THE LATEST INFORMATION ONOCD AND MAY BE IN A BETTER POSITION TO HELP YOUR SON. THE CHIEF OF INPATIENT PSYCHIATRY SHOULD BE ABLE TO REFER YOU TO A PSYCHIATRIST IN YOUR AREA WHO HOPEFULLY IS BETTER VERSED IN DEALING WITH OCD ISSUES. IF THERE IS NO CHANGE IN HIS BEHAVIOR WITH A CHANGE IN MEDICATION THE DOCTOR MAY RECOMMEND HOSPITALIZATION. IF HE HAS NOT HAD BEHAVIORAL MODIFICATION THERAPY ALONG WITH DRUG TREATMENT THIS MAY BE AN AREA TO EXPLORE. HE MAY BENEFIT FROM BEING ON TWO ANTIDEPRESSANTS AT THE SAME TIME. THIS IS NOT UNCOMMON. IF POSSIBLE HE MAY FIND SOME HELP IN WORKING WITH HIS HANDS AT ANYTHING HE FORMERLY LIKED TO DO. WHEN WORKING WITH ONES HANDS ONES MIND IS ALSO OCCUPIED. IT ITSELF IS A FORM OF THERAPY. LIKE WORKING WITH WOOD OR PAINTING OR EVEN CARING FOR A CAR. IT KEEPS ONE BUSY AND KEEPS ONES MIND OFF OF THEMSELVES. DOING NOTHING IS THE WORST THING TO DO AS ONE IS ALWAYS ALONE WITH THEIR THOUGHTS. MOST PEOPLE DO NOT UNDERSTAND DEPRESSION AND THAT GOES FOR PHYSICIANS AND SOME PSYCHIATRISTS AS WELL. UNLESS THEY HAVE HAD PERSONAL EXPERIENCE WITH DEPRESSION PEOPLE DO NOT UNDERSTAND HOW IT LOCKS THE INDIVIDUAL INTO CONCRETE AND INTO SLOW MOTION FROM WHICH THEY FIND IT IMPOSSIBLE TO ESCAPE OR EVEN ASK FOR HELP. IF YOU CANNOT MAKE IT TO A TEACHING HOSPITAL AND IT WOULD BE BEST IF HIS PRIMARY CARE PHYSICIAN MADE AN APPOITMENT FOR HIM THEN I WOULD CONSIDER CHANGING PSYCHIATRISTS. ABOVE ALL DO WHAT YOU CAN TO GET HIM SEEN BY SOMEONE AT A TEACHING HOSPITAL.
