Hello dotty. I have nothing but compassion for your son,and I hope that they can help him with the new research,and therapy,and medication if need be that is available today. Don't be nervous,and you are doing fine in what you are asking. You have given me good advice,and you are not asking to many questions. Since the mid 1950's I have been showing signs,and behavior that has baffled my parents. My dad was a WW Two veteran,who never had a father,because his dad died 3 months before he was born in the flu plague of the 1916-1920 period. He didn't know what was wrong,and it made him angry at me. In the mid 1950's where when my symptoms started. In the mid 1960's, my problems became worse with the onset of panic attacks. The doctors didn't know anything at that time. It wasn't until around 1980,that a well known Phobia Clinic opened up ,and people started to understand. It wasn't until 1990,that I knew anything about OCD. My dad became more accepting of me when he learned about these things later in life. My mother couldn't ever grasp my problem,and I don't believe that she ever understood it. She was having physical problems,and she couldn't handle my problems. I've seen many psychiatrists,and a psychologist since the early 1970's. I am familiar with the turns in one way,and the equal turns in the other way afterwards, that your son is experiencing. I don't know what causes that. I also understand the fixations with objects,and other people interfering with those objects,and I would become aggravated about it. As a matter of fact,I don't like crumbs either. In the back of my mind,I don't like the mess,crumbs are uncomfortable if you touch them,and if they are not cleaned up,they crumble more,and then they draw roaches depending on what kind of environment you live in. That kind of stuff would be in the back of my mind. These obsessions are loads of thoughts in the back of my mind that worry,and haunt me. These are the kind of things that are probably bothering him. It's not the absence of thoughts,it's the presence of many thoughts that rush in the back of our minds,and some of these thoughts stick,and become to big,and grievous,and you become burdened with more thoughts,and you don't know what to do.Then confusion comes in.Then sometimes these thoughts start to distort,or twist. It's hard to explain.Then they won't go away. They will subside after awhile. When the thoughts won't go away is the Obsession part of it. While we have these thoughts,and do things to make these thoughts go away, is called the Compulsion. Then you are side tracked,and have lost focus of the circumstances at hand. For what ever reason,it can get worse,and a panic attack can occur. I don't know if this is a biochemical imbalance,and whatever else it is. My doctors put me on minor tranquilizers long ago,back in the late 1960's. Around 1990, one of my doctors tried one Medicine on me,and then another one which was more affective. Luvox has helped me in a way with the onset of these thoughts. It helps me to disperse these thoughts that start to accumulate,and worry,or terrify me. It's been a big help. It takes about 2 months to get into your system. The Xanax has been a help,but it's addictive,the Luvox isn't. I wish that they had the Luvox back in the 1970's,but they didn't. There have been some Bible scriptures that I have I've read in the Psalms that have helped. I'd lie down,and look at these scriptures. I'd would find one that comforted me,then another,then another. I'd look at this scripture,and anxiety would subside. Love,and acceptance helps. I've had CAT scans,and they have shown normal reedings. I've been hospitalized two times. The second time a doctor tried a radical treatment,and it almost left me shattered. He withdrew all of my medication at once,and tried something else,and I had a seizer. All of what he tried failed. That was in about 1980. Doctors are human,and sometimes make mistakes. That Luvox surely was a good thing that really helped,that I started taking in about 1999. My self esteem was very bad when I was young,but now it's very good. I have been through allot of things,and I have seen my strengths,and talents. I have seen my weaknesses also,which are many. A chain of events have gotten to me recently,and I have gone into a slump,but I believe that I'm going to make it through the maize one more time. I read a Book called," Telling yourself that truth". I read it about 20 years ago,and that helped me to work on my self esteem. Also if someone is putting me down,and it's detrimental to my self worth,I confront them,and tell them what they are doing,and they might not like it,but they get the message. That's helped me. A psychologist recommended that I should do this.