Acceptance

I am often asked the same question.  It is always asked by well intended, concerned family members or close friends.  It goes something like this:  "So... When will Grace be able to STOP taking medication?  Because, you know, she seems to be doing really well now..."  and then their voice trails off a bit and they look at me cautiously like they are afraid that maybe I will bite them.  Well, first of all I won't bite anyone.  I promise.  This is a valid question from an uninformed, but well intended person.  My answer is this.  Grace will NEVER stop taking medication.  She is doing well BECAUSE of the medication and therapy that she receives. PERIOD.  Am I worried about how the medication will effect her while she is growing up and entering puberty?  Of course.  But we are confident that nothing could be worse than entering puberty while suffering the effects of full blown OCD.  OCD is a terrible, tormenting mental illness and the best thing we can do for Grace is protect her from the worst of it and give her the skills to cope with the rest of it.

The people who ask this also only see snippets of Grace's daily life.  They see her being successful.  They see her being happy.  They aren't seeing the daily struggles that she still has.  Even now she struggles with daily compulsions that she simply cannot control.  She has motor and vocal tics that she fights to suppress in public.  She has needs to check and recheck constantly.  We are in a constant cat and mouse game with her dosage of medicine in order to "stay ahead" of her symptoms.  She sees a psychiatrist weekly.  Her OCD is a part of her.  She knows it.  Her father and I know it.  It also makes her wonderful.  This is who she is - OCD, psychiatrists, medication and all.  And we love every single bit of her.