Can kitesurfing treat kids with OCD? Obsessive Compulsive Disorder has gripped 14 year-old Jacob Olivier for the last seven years. But now US physicians are recomending daily kitesurfing sessions to help relieve his symptoms - and its working. Kitesurfing is my medicine, my doctor, my healer, he says. Story by Lori Griffiths. Living in fear 24/7 since his world turned upside down at age seven, Jacob Olivier has finally found relief among the wind and waves. Following an extreme case of Strep Throat with a raging 104 degree temperature, Jacob’s behaviour immediately began to change. Prior to this, he was just a normal kid with lots of friends until a choking incident triggered a fear of eating. Jacob started to believe that he would die if he ate anything and stopped eating for over two weeks, subsisting on protein shakes and mint chocolate chip ice cream. He came close to being placed on a feeding tube. I just woke up one morning and couldn’t function.” he says. “I started screaming, thinking if I ate I would choke and if I choked, I’d die.” These fears quickly gave rise to fears of anyone close to him dying. At a loss of understanding, parents Manuel and Tammi, traveled the USA in search of an answer, ultimately receiving a diagnosis of Rapid Onset Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). After unsuccessfully trying various medications, with horrible side effects, Jacob began Exposure Response Prevention treatments at a neurobehavioural institute. The harsh treatment was a reverse of the behaviour displayed. For Jacob the treatment was to say, Yes I am going to choke. Yes it is going to hurt. Yes I might die. etc. The fear level has to be raised to the highest possible point and within 45 minutes the attack of anxiety from that fear begins to subside. The more this treatment is endured, the less and less time it takes to come back down. We just didn’t know what to do. says Tammi. One day I had a perfectly happy child, and the next the little boy we knew had disappeared into a nightmare. Jacobs life continued to spiral out of control. Eventually he could only function in a small home school environment. His fears escalated to believing there were glass shards in his hands and something in his eyes. He had to blow his nose constantly and continually call home to make sure everyone was alive. “I didn’t know what was happening to me and I couldn’t control it. he says. I lost all of my friends but one, and I was petrified. Everything scared me: would my parents die? Would I die? Did I close the fence so my dog can’t get out and die? I check the fence every five minutes. The phone rings: what’s wrong? Who died? I re-check the fence? Where is my dog? Where are my parents? It just never ends.” he explains of his day-to-day thoughts. Relief came purely by accident when his father injured himself and couldn’t continue the kitesurfing lessons he had begun. Jacob asked to take over and, with the assistance of instructor Shaun Jackson, he found peace for the first time in seven years. “I dropped the kite down in the window to stand up and for the first time there was no noise in my brain.” he remembers. My mind is blank. beams Jacob as he explains the immediate absence of fear when he is kitesurfing. I can’t see anything but the beautiful ocean, I hear nothing but the wind and I feel happy again. Manuel and Tammi were stunned at the instantaneous transformation. Jacob is balanced in the ocean and, since kiting, his world has become much calmer. He no longer calls and begs to be picked up from class every half hour. Since kitesurfing he has only called once since January. To this end, the family makes sure to have Jacob at the beach every day (wind or not) so that some part of his day can be pain free. Manuel, who resumed kitesurfing, spends afternoons on the beach with Jacob noting the absolute pleasure he feels kitesurfing with his son and observing him at peace. “Jacob’s OCD is all fear based and for a few hours a day he is so happy, relaxed and just spends time as a normal kid. Sadly, when we leave the beach, his fears return so we make sure to take him every day.” Physicians have suggested that the family keep Jacob within 100 yards of the ocean as much as possible, to which Jacob thinks living on a boat wouldn’t be half bad. Quickly excelling at the sport, Jacob has a quiver of eight, 11 and 14 metre kites, so he can be sure to ride in any Florida conditions, And I am also learning the new foil!” he enthuses. Thriving in the Jupiter Kite Beach environment he is quick to thank everyone for being so kind, friendly and for helping him to learn. Mentored by Damien Leroy, who is impressed by how much drive and passion Jacob has for the sport, Leroy has no doubt that one day he could be a world champion. His willingness to learn and try everything is something very rare! reckons Damien. Jacob analyses everything and really tries to understand the concept of whatever it is. His smile, happiness and overall presence on the beach is magical. He will truly be something very special in the future. Get ready and remember the name: Jacob Olivier!” Kiting for only six months, Jacob recently placed fourth in his division at the Miami Kite Masters tournament. Thrilled to have done so well, he notes that this was the best weekend ever in his life and he’s stoked to have found his sport. He also picked up his first sponsor recently too, Kurtis Surf Goggles. “I am so excited to be a part of their team!” he grins excitedly. In addition he has created a new trick: the stalled backflip. “I kept seeing people fall on their backs so I figured I’d stop once my board hit the lines. So, I’m looking at the water and I stopped and looked back and then came back around and down. It’s sick. For some reason, I’m just not scared anymore. Kitesurfing is my medicine, my doctor, my healer. Jacobs advice to other kids going through anything difficult in life is: Ride the wave of life. There will be ups and downs, but there will always be happier things ahead. With OCD, things go up and down. You know there will always be good and bad, but just keep going with the waves.” This article appears in the latest issue of Kiteworld Magazine, the original international kitesurfing magazine. kiteworldmag
Posted on: Thu, 21 Aug 2014 13:46:18 +0000
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