17 year old son with mild OCD and ADHD

[yoggido]

I have a very bright and intelligent 17 year old son. I have noticed through the years a mild form of OCD behavior such as repetitive handwashing, walking on certain ceramic tiles in the kitchen, and preoccupation with his hair etc.. nothing that was life altering. He has a girlfriend and is in a gifted program in school. He came to me recently saying he has difficulty focusing in school the slightest noise distracts him and his mind wonders in class. I am his mother and have struggled with the same issues. I noticed a small patch of hair missing from scalp and he was embarrassed saying he doesnt know why he cut it. Again he has a preoccupation with his hair. He is also impulsive ( like me) I am on Celexa which has help me tremendously, I am also a NP. I am curious to know if it will help him what do you think? I want to try him on 10mg. thank. Stacey

[Kevin Kennedy, Ph.D.]

You might contact the National Mental Health Information Center in your city. Here is the contact information:

Sarah Ellen Thompson
Executive Director
P.O. Box 241225
Montgomery, AL 36124-1225
Phone: [phone]

Relative to medication to treat ADHD, the psychostimulants for the most part are still the front line treatments. Strattera is a good choice as a non-stimulant treatment for ADHD. In your son's case, any medication plan has to address the multiple conditions he may exhibit, and treatment for one condition may influence another condition. That is why the first priority is obtaining a thorough assessment.

[yoggido]

I have been reading up medication commonly used to treat ADHD and OCD. There are so many medications. Strettera appears have fewer side effects and easier to tolerate than others. What is your thoughts? thanks for answering my questions.  Stacey

[yoggido]

Montgomery

[Kevin Kennedy, Ph.D.]

What part of the state do you live in?

[yoggido]

I live in Alabama do you have any recommendations on a specialist to deal with adolescent mental health issues? thank you.

[Kevin Kennedy, Ph.D.]

It would be wise to arrange an evaluation with an adolescent mental health clinician for the purpose of figuring out what is occurring. It is not unusual for several conditions to co-exist. Examples with your son are ADHD, OCD and Impulse Control D/O. Any plan for medication should focus on clearly described goals. It is not clear precisley what goals would be targeted with medication and I would not give him Celexa without a thorough evaluation.