What is Oppositional Defiant Disorder?
You've heard obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), attention deficit disorder (ADD), attention deficit hyper activity disorder (ADHD) and many other popular behavioral disorders.
But have you heard of Oppositional Defiant Disorder?
What is Oppositional Defiant Disorder?
ODD is catergorized as a behavior disorder.
ODD is defined as a condition in which a child displays an ongoing pattern of uncooperative, defiant, hostile, and annoying behavior toward people in authority.
The child with ODD often has trouble with normal day to day activities, including but not limited to, activities involving family life and school.
Often children and teens with ODD have other behavioral problems, such as attention deficit disorder, learning disabilities, mood disorders, and /or anxiety disorders.
Some children with ODD go on to develop a more serious behavior disorder known as conduct disorder.
Symptoms of Oppositional Defiant Disorder
- Throwing repeated temper tantrums
- Excessively arguing with adults
- Actively refusing to comply with requests and rules
- Deliberately trying to annoy or upset others, or being easily annoyed by others
- Blaming others for your mistakes
- Having frequent outbursts of anger and resentment
- Being spiteful and seeking revenge
- Swearing or using obscene language
- Saying mean and hateful things when upset
- Moody
- Easily frustrated
What this says to me....
I have a three almost four year old daughter. She fits the diagnosing criteria of oppositional defiance disorder to a tee. She's smart mouthed, stubborn, and a troublemaker.
She could be the poster child for ODD.
That is if I would let a Dr. diagnosis her with oppostional defiance disorder. Basically if I felt ODD was something that needed treatment or warranted a special name or diagnosis to call her "different" then her peers I would. However I simply see her as my unruly child; she's just Megan.
Point blank she's just a a little brat. Don't get me wrong I love her with all my heart (she's a mini me to a TEE).
As a matter of fact I'm 100% sure my mother would say "she's just like you were at this age". I guess I am partially responsible for this genetic defect of unruliness.
So did/do I have ODD? Doubtful....however had researches coined a termed for an unruly, bratty, bright child 30 some odd years ago certainly I would be a "suffer".
My daughter is three years old. I do recognize that she has a very stubborn temperament and wants things her way or no way.
Again she's THREE years old.
Oppositional Defiant Disorder
Is ODD a a legitimate diagnosis?
Gateway Disorder?
In my opinion oppositional defiant disorder or ODD is a gateway disorder. In saying this I must admit that I believe ODD is a label given to unruly children by therpists without a complete picture of the child's life.
Should the behaviors that lead to the diagnosis of ODD continue it's most likely that the child was never a sufferer from ODD at all, rather it was another underlying diagnosis; such as conduct disorder, attention deficit disorder or simply their environment.
A child that continuously misbehaves should be seen by a therapist in an attempt to rule out other possibilities of "bad behavior".
It's important to note that children are often unable to articulate their feelings and they act out in an attempt to be heard. It's not unheard of, quite common actually, for a child to experience a bout of bad behavior after a major life event (divorce, new school, moving etc.). These bouts of bad behavior can be as short as days to as long as weeks or months even depending on the individual child's personality and the circumstances surrounding the change in behaviors.
In order to ensure a diagnosis of ODD is in fact a "real" diagnosis environmental factors, school life, and home life should all be taken into consideration.
It's also important to keep in mind the individual child and his or her personality.
It's possible you may just have a unruly child on your hands (like I do).
Keep in mind that some of histroy's "greats" have been unruly and stubborn. You may just have the next Einstein on your hands.
More Rersources
- Oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) - MayoClinic.com
Oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) — Comprehensive overview covers symptoms, risk factors, treatment of this disorder. - Birth Order Personality Traits: Can You Relate?
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