Situation Snapshot
For many, it’s hard enough being a teenage boy. When increasing anxiety also is evident, along with a debilitating fear of germs and a family history of autism, Tom found himself just wanting to be normal. It got to the point where he was having suicidal thoughts, and refused to hug anyone, even his mother, for fear of spreading his germs.
Goals & Challenges
Tom’s mum just wanted her happy boy back, without worrying about the impact on him of traditional masculinity views.
What Accoras did
Initially, our Case Coordinator started with safety planning, followed by a mix of acceptance commitment therapy, somatic grounding, and exposure therapy.
But his anxiety deepened. His fear about germs intensified to the point that his obsessive-compulsive cleaning rituals left his hands so raw and blistered that he had to wear surgical gloves.
So our Case Coordinator moved forward to focus on diagnosis, along with acute ongoing support.
They collaborated and corresponded with medical professionals, during which the family stayed strong, with Tom being officially diagnosed with OCD after a lengthy period.
The Accoras CPSP program helped him with his suicidal thoughts.
The outcome
The journey for Tom required a number of teams to help him see hope once again, which is one of the strengths of Accoras – being able to access timely support across different programs and teams.
What she says
After 6 months of medication, weekly psychiatric visits, 3 weekly psychologist visits, we almost have our smiling wildly funny young man back. It couldn’t have been done without your support and care. Thank you.
-Tom’s Mum
