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"Helping you with Oppositional Defiant Disorder"by Anthony Kane, MD | ||
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Oppositional Defiant Disorder
Introduction
Oppositional Defiant Disorder is a psychiatric behavior disorder that
is characterized by aggressiveness and a tendency to purposefully bother and
irritate others. These behaviors cause significant difficulties with family and
friends and at school or work.
Oppositional Defiant Disorder is sometimes a precursor of conduct disorder. Much of the literature tends to lump these two conditions together. However, they seem to be distinct entities and, although conduct disorder does have a genetic component, ODD does not. DescriptionOppositional Defiant Disorder children show a consistent pattern of refusing to follow commands or requests by adults. These children repeatedly lose their temper, argue with adults, and refuse to comply with rules and directions. They are easily annoyed and blame others for their mistakes. Children with Oppositional Defiant Disorder show a pattern of stubbornness and frequently test limits, even in early childhood.These children can be manipulative and often induce discord in those around them. Commonly they can incite parents and other family members to fight with one and other rather than focus on the child, who is the source of the problem. Behavioral SymptomsCommon behaviors seen in Oppositional Defiant Disorder include:
Many parents report that their Oppositional Defiant Disorder children were rigid and demanding from an early age. Normal children, especially around the ages or 2 or 3 or during the teenage years display most of these behaviors from time to time. When children are tired, hungry, or upset, they may be defiant. However, children with oppositional defiant disorder display these behaviors more frequently and to the extent that they and interfere with learning, school adjustment, and, sometimes, with the child's social relationships. The Diagnosis of Oppositional Defiant DisorderThe diagnosis of Oppositional Defiant Disorder is not always straight forward and needs to be made by a psychiatrist or some other qualified mental health professional after a comprehensive evaluation. The child must be evaluated for other disorders as well since Oppositional Defiant Disorder usually does not come alone. If the child has ADHD, mood disorders, or anxiety disorders, these other problems must be addressed before you can begin to work with the Oppositional Defiant Disorder component.If you feel your child may have Oppositional Defiant Disorder, there is a quick screening test. Go to: Oppositional Defiant Disorder Test The Causes of Oppositional Defiant DisorderWhat is the cause of Oppositional Defiant Disorder? The real answer is that nobody knows. However, since as scientist we hate to admit this, we have two current theories.The developmental theory proposes that Oppositional Defiant Disorder is really a result of incomplete child development. For some reason, these children never complete the developmental tasks that normal children learn to master during the toddler years. The learning theory suggests that Oppositional Defiant Disorder comes as a response to negative interactions. The techniques used by parents and authority figures on these children bring about the oppositional defiant behavior. ODD is the most common psychiatric diagnosis in children and it usually persists into adulthood. One would think a lot of research would be done on this condition. That is not the case. While there are hundreds of research studies on ADHD and childhood mood disorders, there is very little research on ODD. Co-morbidityOppositional Defiant Disorder is frequently goes along with other disorders. 50-65% of Oppositional Defiant Disorder children also have ADHD. 35% of these children develop some form of affective disorder. 20% have some form of mood disorder, such as depression or anxiety. 15% develop some form of personality disorder. These children frequently have learning disorders and academic difficulties.If your child has Oppositional Defiant Disorder it is important to know there are other co-existing problems. These other problems usually must be addressed before you can begin to help your child with Oppositional Defiant Disorder. The Prognosis of Oppositional Defiant DisorderSo what happens to these children? There are four possible paths.
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