I’ve talked a little bit about OCD and how it affects our life. I thought it would be helpful to share some of the ways we are trying to adapt to OCD. In our household, OCD means:
a lot of washing of hands and lips = extensive soap consumption
a lot of lotion to combat dryness of hands and lips
a lot of clothing changes = a lot of laundry
a lot of cleaning items = rapid wipes consumption
and a lot of towels thrown on the bathroom floor when they are deemed to yucky to use anymore.
There are other issues but these are the ones I’m talking about today.
Soap – We are currently ignoring the increased soap use. Kiddo has been asked to stick to one pump of soap per washing. I tried to convince hubby to switch back to bar soap because it lasts longer but he’s a spoiled man 
He said he’d rather buy more soap than use a grimy bar of soap. Okay then.
Lotion – I don’t really discourage this one because kiddo’s hands, lips and arms were getting like leather. Now that we’ve added the lotion into the routine, his skin is healthier in spite of all the extra washing. I do ask him to stick to one pump here as well. We quickly discovered that lotion had to come from a pump container or kiddo overuses it. We’re talking an entire large bottle of lotion each week. Stuff that used to last at least a month. Having it in a pump container helps him monitor his usage better for some reason. It still doesn’t last like it did but it’s a little better. Baby steps here.
Clothing changes – This one is still tricky. I could really stress over it and hassle him all day or I can work it from the back end. Pants, unders and socks all get washed as normal. But kiddos shirts now get a light cycle or a rinse only. He wears at least 3 shirts a day and I figure they haven’t been on long enough to warrant more than that. I’m also trying to convince hubby to let me put a clothesline out back. I think the savings on energy consumption would help combat the increase in laundry soap expenses. Hubby is a little resistive because he thinks the neighbors will think it’s trashy. He’s a bit silly that way
Wipes – this is one I’m just ignoring right now too. It falls under the not wanting to nag kiddo all day long. I do have one rule – he has to dispose of them. He’s very bad about just tossing them aside after he’s used them. We’ll work more on this issue when some of the bigger ones get a little more under control.
Finally, towels – This one just occurred to me yesterday. The issue has been four or five or more towels just tossed on the bathroom floor (or in the hall or on the stairs, etc) when kiddo decides they are too wet or dirty to use anymore. So, now I’ve switched him to hand towels rather than bath towels. I told him he can use one bath towel for bathing each day and 3 hand towels per day. The hand towels should be one until around lunch time, one until dinner time and one until bed time. I figure 3 hand towels are less than the equivalent of one full bath towel and he can set it right by the sink rather than trying to hang it on the towel bar after he washes. He doesn’t like to get too close to the toilet so he always leans to hang the towel and often drops it onto the toilet and that is it for that towel. There we agree I don’t want to use a towel that was on the toilet either, lol.
And there it is. That is what I’ve come up with so far to try to manage OCD in our household. I’d like to end with a poem I wrote for my kiddo 
My OCD son
I wish I could tell you everything is okay
And you don’t really need to wash a hundred times today
I wish I could help you feel calm and secure
I wish the costly treatments were more of a cure
I wish that hugs shared with you weren’t stiff and uneasy
And that you didn’t spend so much time worrying if something is greasy
More, I wish I knew what thoughts plagued your soul
So I could obliterate them forever, leaving you peaceful and whole
Even so, I would never change who you are
And the journey we’re taking will teach us to stretch so far
I want you to know that I’m thankful for you
And that I’ll love you forever and unconditionally too
So take my hand and let me share all your years
Exalt in your joys and dry up your tears
For that is my privilege and claim as your mother
And my love will shield and protect like no other
<3 <3 <3 <3 <3
Have a great day!
Your poem is beautiful! You should really think about officially publishing some of your work…you have a real knack for saying what’s on your heart in a way that is so touching and poignant. I’m sure it helps others to read it, who may need encouragment themselves.
An idea for the soap: my kidletts tended to use way too much soft soap as well, and my solution was to only allow them one pump, just as you…the trick to get even that toned down was to wind one of those little rubber bands around the base of the pump where it sinks down into the bottle. This lessens the amount of soap you’re actually able to get from one squirt!
For you, though, I think the trick would be to get your little guy to not mind having it there…
Wish you all the best! :}
Bethany~
Hey, just a thought on laundry. I don’t use fabric softener anymore. Too expensive and flamable (yikes!). I found a great tutorial at http://goodmama.typepad.com/goodmama/ for making felted dryer balls (just click on tutorials). I just grabbed some felting wool at Hobby Lobby in some cute colors. 1 ball of yarn was one dryer ball (I got the thick yarn – less winding) . They work great. I liked them so much I ended up making a bunch more and giving them away for Mother’s Day gifts. I have 4 that I use in an extra large load, but you can get away with using just 2 balls per load. They also work great to fluff pillows and comforters.
I have a liquid soap dispenser that I think I got from Pampered Chef. You put a small amount of liquid soap in to one line and then fill the rest with water. Shake to mix. When pumped the soap then foams. You still get clean hands but use waaaay less soap.
Hope this helps a bit.
Tressa
Those dryer balls are really neat! I may have to try them out. Thanks for the link.
We used to have a PC soap pump until a door to door salesperson decided she deserved it more than we did. That and my soap dish :p Oh well. Hubby buys a store brand foaming soap so it is pretty much the same thing. Kiddo just thinks he should use 4 pumps of it every 5 minutes. Every time he washes, the sink is just full of soap foam! I’ll definitely have to try Bethany’s rubber band trick
Thanks for your comments and hugs!
I really love the poem. I know that he’s gonna remember all these trials that you are helping him to overcome as he grows older and he will remember the patience and love that you used to help him.
clotheslines are back in style now! Claim you’re a hippie and go green and all that jazz!
I understand the leathery skin and the soap consumption. I wash my hands about 30-40 times a day, sometimes more, which is mild compared to people dx’d with OCD; part of my handwashing is because i work in a hospital, tho even at home i’ve already washed my hands ten times in the first hour of the day!
I can’t tell how old your son is, but I have little suggestions if you are interested; if you’re against meds, exercise can help (I run and it helps me focus better and relieves stress) and if youre ok w/medication paxil is really a great choice.