Aunt W/ocd

[KathyRN137]

Our family of 4 has made 3 trips to WDW together and we are used to accommodating for the needs of our autistic son. My DH's aunt, who is like a grandmother to the kids, really, will be coming with us on our next trip this November. She is a healthy 75yrs old and very excited about going to WDW! She has what seems to be a mild obsessive-compulsive disorder, about which she is very open, (she jokes that she is not unlike the TV character, Monk!). She does not take any medication.

She has visited WDW before and LOVES it, particularly the MK. I often wondered why she has declined our offer to come to Disney with us in the past, especially since we joined DVC before last years trip. I finally figured out that she must have had misgivings about sharing a bathroom...she's a bit germ-a-phobic. When we offered to bump-up from a 1BR vacation home to a 2BR (so she could have her own bathroom), she jumped at the chance!

I am very excited that she will be joining us. She adores the kids and they love her. Has anyone had any experience traveling with someone with OCD?? Do you have any advice for me?

 

[Forevryoung]

Since nobody is going to give you a tip, I will-

I do not have a germ phobia but I do have my own OCD/Anxiety issues.

Your Aunt has been doing this for a long time- she knows how to handle herself and she knows what's going on. I would bet that she has a routine to reduce her anxiety and make herself more comfortable. Let her do it and then just move on. Dont think twice about it. Keep going with your conversation and your day. She is probably self conscious about it already. Let her know once at the beginning that she can ask you for whatever it is that she needs and then dont bring it up again.

I'll keep thinking.
-K