Nancy Bourne-Capon looks back, remembering toy building blocks stretching from one corner of her family’s living room to the other, a brightly coloured pattern of blues, reds, greens and yellows.
If she moved even one, her then four-year-old son, Nathan, would notice, break down in tears, and become extremely physically agitated and upset.
“Everything had to be a certain way and we just kind of worked around it,” says Nancy. “He’d have these compulsions, but we could usually get him to understand that he needed to move on. We could move him off of being stuck and re-direct him to a new activity.”
Nathan was later diagnosed with autism and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). As the years passed, and with support from his family and therapy, Nathan thrived; playing soccer and hockey, earning some honours grades in high school, working summers at the zoo, and graduating from a massage therapy program at college.
But then he became seriously ill with Celiac disease, which triggered his OCD and a life-threatening eating disorder that led to him being hospitalized twice.
“It derailed him,” says Nancy. “He couldn’t get out of bed; he could barely keep himself going and he couldn’t understand what was happening. It was very scary for him and his dad and me.”
Nathan developed a complicated relationship with the washroom; Nancy describes how he was afraid to eat because he didn’t want to end up in the washroom with a celiac reaction, yet he was afraid to leave the washroom in case he had an accident. By the time he was referred to the Frederick W. Thompson Anxiety Disorders Centre at Sunnybrook, Nathan was spending as much as 17 hours a day in the family washroom.
In March 2022, Nathan entered the Thompson Centre’s live-in program for OCD, the first program of its kind in Canada.
“Going to the Thompson Centre program reminded me of being at school. I was taught about OCD, what it is, and how it can be managed,” says Nathan. “They helped me recognize that certain things I was doing were caused by OCD. I also learned about new medications and different kinds of treatment. The staff were nice to me and helpful.”
Nancy says she is grateful to the Thompson Centre for helping Nathan accept his diagnosis and reminding her family that they’re not alone.
“The team at the Thompson Centre were all very caring. The additional family and caregiver education sessions provided during the time Nathan was in treatment were helpful,” says Nancy. “We got to meet others who had loved ones that were in the same cohort as Nathan and share about our struggles.”
Nancy is also co-chair of the Thompson Centre’s new Patient & Family Advisory Council which brings together patients, family members, and staff to help enhance patient care and services.
She adds, raising awareness is critical to help reduce the stigma.
“Increased awareness and understanding of OCD may also help individuals and their families identify the symptoms of the disorder that they are struggling with and enable them to reach out for treatment.”
Nathan is now back at home and continues to work with the Thompson Centre team and his family on coping strategies.
“By going into the program, Nathan learned firsthand that he wasn’t the only person experiencing OCD and that there were other people who were struggling,” Nancy explains.
“We are very grateful that we have been able to become involved with the Thompson Centre and encourage those who may be suffering with OCD to reach out for help.”
