Drug and alcohol addiction and abuse. Recognition. Prevention. Treatment

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Oppositional Defiance Disorder (ODD)

(Diagnosis can be confused with TBI – Dr. Paul Swingle, Dr. William Goldie p.2, and other conditions )

ODD: Easy to Confuse with other Conditions, Very Difficult to Handle

Do you feel your child is non-compliant, has little or no respect for others, and possibly openly defies you? Does he/she challenge or oppose you, often with a sense of resentment or even aggression? Do you feel his or her level of opposition is happening more frequently than what is typically observed in other teenagers during the ‘classic’ teenage rebellion years? Does he/she act or proclaim a ‘right’ to be angry or hostile, projecting the blame often to the parents, teachers, or other authority figures?

Oppositional Defiance Disorder (ODD) is often the diagnosis when an adolescent child or teenager has developed a distinct and recurring, pervasive and almost default pattern of behavior marked by extreme open defiance, hostility, resentment and aggression.

Diagnosis of ODD normally seeks to identify a pattern of hostile, negative and defiant behaviour that lasts for at least six (6) months, during which time four (4) or more of the following criteria must be present and occur frequently:

argumentative with adults
loss of temper
refuses to comply with or actively defies adult requests or rules
deliberately irritates and provokes others
blames others for his or her mistakes or poor behaviors
is often easily frustrated or irritated by others
angry and resentful
spiteful or vindictive

Intervention is possible and necessary and often involves techniques in behavior modification. Ignoring the symptoms can result in the adolescent failing or falling behind in academics and social activities, all the while contributing to feelings of isolation, failure, and low self-esteem which in turn often contributes to substance abuse issues.

Indications of ODD are often mistaken for mood or conduct disorder, psychotic disorders, traumatic brain injury, ADHD, mental retardation or impaired language comprehension.

If you suspect your child may have ODD or any other mental disorder, consult a medical professional in your area.

More information on ODD can be obtained by clicking on the resource and article links below:

http://www.parentteen.com/oppositional_defiance_disorder.html

http://www.mentalhealth.com/dis1/p21-ch05.html