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“ODD or Oppositional Defiant disorder, is nowadays a very common disorder seen usually in kids or children of very small age. Before we go deep into this topic, let’s see what actually is. Let us uncover more details in this article.”
The literal definition of the word disorder is something that is not in its actual state or original position. It means a state that is disturbed or confused. If we use this definition of disorder in relation to a person’s mental state, then we can understand the definition of mental disorders.
Hence, we can easily define mental disorders as a state of a person where he/she is not in his/her stable mental state and has a disturbance in his/her individual cognition, emotional regulation or behaviour. Usually, the main reason behind mental disorders is the amount of stress being exerted on an individual. We will delve deeper into the actual causes of these disorders in the later stages of this article.
Also Check: Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
What are Oppositional Defiant Disorders?
As we have seen earlier, ODD or Oppositional Defiant disorder, is nowadays a very common disorder, usually seen in kids or children of very small age. As the name suggests, in this disorder, a young kid or a small child becomes highly uncooperative or opposes almost everything said or done to him.
In other words, the child becomes highly defiant from a very young age itself. Although this disorder is treatable through good psychotherapy and parent management training, one should still be very cautious with his/her child from the very beginning.
This disorder is very common in children between the ages of 2 and 3. Usually, these children show their defiance by being aggressive, authoritative and disobeying.
According to studies, the majority of Oppositional Defiant Disorder sufferers also have some other health conditions, which can be:
- Hyperactivity
- Anxiety
- Lack of concentration
- Mood swings
- High amount of aggression
About one third of the sufferers of oppositional defiant disorders develop a serious disorder called conduct disorder.
Conduct Disorder
This disorder is related to behavioural and emotional problems, along with disregard for others and being disrespectful to others. Children with this disorder have problems following rules at home, at school or at any other place. It becomes very difficult for them to accept the norms of society
This disorder is often seen in people with Oppositional Defiant Disorders .Therefore, Oppositional Defiant Disorders should be taken seriously and should not be neglected at all.
Also Check: Turner’s and Klinefelter’s Syndromes
Symptoms of Oppositional Defiant Disorders
We know that each and every disorder or disease has some symptoms or visible patterns through which a doctor or a physician can easily judge the problem and the main cause. Thus, giving the remedy accordingly.
Similarly, few symptoms of Oppositional Defiant Disorders are as follows:
- Frequent mood swings
- Lack of concentration
- Disobeying everyone
- Becoming highly aggressive
- Not accepting the society norms
- Always blaming others
- Not taking responsibility
- Hyperactivity
- Anxiety
These were some major symptoms of Oppositional Defiant Disorders. With the help of these symptoms, one can easily judge whether a person is suffering from Oppositional Defiant Disorder or not. Hence, we must be aware of these symptoms and should consult a doctor as soon as we see them.
Treatment of Oppositional Defiant Disorders
We all know that only recognising the disorder won’t do anyone any good. Hence, treating the disorder in the right way is the most necessary step in this process.
For this, firstly, one should consult a legitimate doctor in whom he/she has full trust and then tell him/her about all the symptoms experienced. On the basis of them, he/she would give you the remedy or the course of action to be followed .
Some treatments or actions being taken by these doctors include:
Peer Group Therapy
Here, the child is exposed to other young patients with oppositional Defiant Disorder. He is made to interact with them and thus he becomes comfortable with such people. Soon, he starts to open up to others too. Here ,one or more therapists work on multiple patients at a single time.
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
It helps people control their thoughts. Cognitive therapy is an interactive type of therapy where a therapist asks questions to analyse our behaviour and thinking. This therapy removes negative thoughts from the mind of the patient.
According to the American Psychological Association, the core concepts of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy include:
- Psychological issues are based on unhelpful thinking techniques.
- Psychological issues are also based on pre-existing patterns of behaviour.
- Those living with these issues can improve with better coping mechanisms and management to help relieve their symptoms
Medicines
In many cases, the patient recovers with the help of medicines themselves, without the need for any therapy. These medicines expand the blood vessels so that the flow of blood is made easier and the blood pressure lowers as a result. This relieves the patient’s stress.
What if we don’t treat Oppositional defiant disorder?
This disorder, as we know, is very serious and thus it has a lot of adverse health effects.
Some such effects include :
- Hypertension
High blood pressure causes hypertension. This disease is common for people above 40 years of age. But for young kids and children, this is very alarming. We know that hypertension takes a heavy toll on the heart and hence for young kids it can prove to be fatal.
- Anger issues
Anyonewho is diagnosed with Oppositional defiant disorder has severe mood swings and if not treated early then this can become a big issue.
- Lack of confidence
Someone suffering from Oppositional defiant disorder always has high anxiety and thus his or her confidence would be at an all time low.
- Depression
A patient of Oppositional defiant disorder keeps himself isolated from society and hence the probability of him going into depression becomes very high.
Therefore, one should always be aware of his or her health conditions and should take actions accordingly. We should understand that we should be in good shape and good health throughout our lifetime so that we can be more and more productive. The workload on an individual is increasing day by day and hence a disciplined routine along with self care is of utmost importance.
FAQs on Oppositional Defiant Disorders
What is a disorder?
The very literal meaning of the word disorder is something which is not in its actual state or original position. It means a state which is disturbed or confused.
What are the symptoms of ODD?
Few symptoms of ODD include anxiety, hypertension, aggression etc.
Give some treatment for ODD?
Some treatments include Peer group therapy, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy etc.
