Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD)

ODD is a psychiatric disorder that is characterized by two different sets of problems. These are aggressiveness and a tendency to purposefully bother and irritate others. It is often the reason that people seek treatment. When ODD is present with ADHD, depression, tourette’s, anxiety disorders, or other neuropsychiatric disorders, it makes life with that child far more difficult. For Example, ADHD plus ODD is much worse than ADHD alone, often enough to make people seek treatment. The criteria for ODD are:

A pattern of negativistic, hostile, and defiant behavior lasting at least six months during which four or more of the following are present:

1. Often loses temper

2. often argues with adults

3. often actively defies or refuses to comply with adults’ requests or rules

4. often deliberately annoys people

5. often blames others for his or her mistakes or misbehavior

6. is often touchy or easily annoyed by others

7. is often angry and resentful

8. is often spiteful and vindictive

The disturbance in behavior causes clinically significant impairment in social, academic, or occupational functioning.

Make you Family Strong

Make sure that you are as healthy and strong as you can be

Children and adolescents with ODD will find the weakness in the family system and exploit it. Is there tension between father and mother? They will aim to worsen this. Trouble with the in-laws? These children and adolescents will try to exploit this. Are you out of shape and exhausted after work? That’s when they will be most trying. Are you worried or depressed about something? They will try to figure it out and torment you. Dealing with a child with ODD is very exhausting and trying. It will take about 1/3 to ¼ of all your emotional, mental, and physical resources. If you knew that you would be chopping wood for four hours every day, You would make sure you got enough rest, a good diet, and had plenty of time to relax. The same holds double for dealing with ODD in the long term. You have to take care of yourself in ways you would not have to if your child did not have ODD. This includes things like:

1.     Find a baby-sitter and go out weekly away from this child and your home with your spouse or significant other.

2.     Make sure you have plenty of time to piss and moan about the difficulty of this to your spouse or friends.

3.     Get adequate exercise. There is nothing better to blow off steam than exercise that is fun.

4.     Get enough sleep

5.     Eat well and don’t try to go on a big diet.

6.     Don’t try to do too much. Remember, caring for a kid with ODD is a big job!

7.     Get help if your marriage is in trouble

8.     Do everything you can to stop drinking if you or your spouse has a drinking problem

9.     Make sure you have some hobby you enjoy and can do when things get rough.

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Limit Television

Television is a major force in our lives. Study after study has shown that Television is filled with violence, drug and alcohol use, and sexuality. The average child spends at least 2-3 hours a day watching this stuff. Many children spend 4-6 hours a day watching this. It should not be any wonder then that children who watch a lot of TV are more violent, are more likely to do drugs, and are preoccupied with sex. In a child with a problem like ADHD or ODD, this is clearly something that needs to be done. The American academy of Pediatrics recommends the following: (16)

Limit all media use to no more than 1 to 2 hours per day.

Monitor their children’s use of the media.

Coview television with their children.

It also goes without saying that it is impossible to limit children’s viewing if the parents are watching Television or playing video games all day and night. Turning off the TV is the most effective but radical solution to a host of child psychiatric problems. My advice is to be radical and do it!

Eliminate or reduce video and Computer games

Anyone who has ever seen a child play nintendo can see that there is a very potent force at work here. Unfortunately, the vast majority of computer and video games are violent and are becoming more graphic, not less, in their depiction of violence. As mentioned above, large amounts of television viewing can cause increased psychiatric problems for children. Although there is a less research on games, the same trend is there.

About 33% of children play computer or video games. (11) As anyone who has a child knows, these games can be very addictive. One out of five children from grades 5-8 are as addicted to computer games as an alcoholic is to alcohol. (10) The earlier children start playing these games, the more likely they are to get addicted. Children who play lots of video and computer games aren’t as nice to others. Children who play violent games are more physically aggressive and are not as intelligent.(12) Unfortunately, the question remains whether or not children who are aggressive and have problems are attracted to these games or whether the games make them that way. With TV, the evidence suggests that violence on TV makes more violent kids. Given that video and computer games are a much more powerful medium than TV, I think it is quite safe to assume that they are having a detrimental effect on children.