Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) is a disorder seen in children and adolescents who often behave consistently to oppose their parents or any higher authority. They have a pattern of argumentative and defiant behavior, angry and irritable mood, and pliability. It is essential for parents to observe and understand their behavior so that their ODD can be dealt with with care. Such patients require child development specialists and mental health professionals to treat mental illness.
Treatment mainly involves behavioral therapy which includes managing conflicting behavior towards the parents of the children, teaching the parents how to deal with the behavior without getting upset and affected, and without the child- The relationship between the parents gets spoiled. Although there is no reason for the occurrence of this disease in the child, yet genetics and environmental factors can be considered responsible to some extent for this disease. Environmental factors such as harsh discipline, lack of care and abuse or excessive neglect over a long period of time or for many years, and other family issues give rise to this disorder.
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Treatment for oppositional defiant disorder includes parenting training, parent-child interaction therapy (PCIT), individual and family therapy, cognitive problem-solving training, and social skills training. Parents are also given the training to manage the behavior of their children.
How is Oppositional Defiant Disorder treated?
It is important that children with ODD who have difficulties in controlling rude, aggressive, and annoying behavior towards their parents, teachers, or any higher authority are treated appropriately only during their young age. They also face rejection from their peers due to poor social abilities. The behavior if left uncontrolled, can develop and develop into a more serious disorder called conduct disorder. So, in order to correct your child’s behavior early in life and prevent him from developing any other serious disorder, it is important that you start your treatment with a good doctor.
Medication is generally not required for the treatment of ODD unless they have been diagnosed with another mental disorder such as depression, ADHD, or anxiety. Treating ODD includes parental therapy, parent-child interaction therapy, individual and family therapy, cognitive problem-solving training, and social skills training. Your experienced mental health therapist in parenting training helps you learn consistent and positive parenting skills.
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In this training, sometimes children are also made to participate so that parent and child together how to deal with problems, misbehavior and stress, and anxiety. Parents are trained to manage their child’s behavior by praising and praising their good deeds and their positive qualities and are trained to give suitable instructions so that it does not disturb the child. In parent-child interaction, the therapist helps both the parent and the child to interact and deal with the issues in the training sessions.
The therapist guides the parents from behind the mirror in a way to improve the child’s parent-child relationship with how to effectively implement the child’s behavior. It is also important that the therapist interacts directly with the child so that he can express his feelings and learn to manage his anger in a healthy way. Children are helped to learn social skills to understand problems, be involved in problem-solving, and behave positively towards peers.
Who is eligible for the treatment for Oppositional Defiant Disorder? (When is the treatment done?)
It is important to understand that the problems that the child is facing are due to their rude behavior, anger, poor social skills, stress, and anxiety due to ODD. Once determined with the help of an experienced mental health professional, the child is eligible for treatment.
Who is not eligible for the treatment?
Whether a child with ODD needs treatment from a professional mental health practitioner depends on the parent. It is important to understand whether the condition is permanent or acting in conjunction with several other negative symptoms. If a child does not show symptoms for a very long time and the behavior is controlled and effectively managed by his parents, then such a child will not be eligible for treatment.
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Are there any side effects?
No, the treatment does not have any side effects as the treatment usually does not require any medication unless the child is also suffering from anxiety and depression. Treatment mainly includes therapy which requires behavioral problems and training to develop social and communication skills.
What are the post-treatment guidelines?
Since the treatment usually does not involve any medication or surgery, and there is only behavioral training, there are no such specific post-treatment guidelines. Training is an ongoing process and positive changes in behavior are evident after about 6-12 months.
How long does it take to recover?
Therapy involves behavioral training and no medication. Therefore, it takes a long time to treat a child’s ODD with talk therapy, communicate effectively, develop better social skills and understand problems, and function appropriately without reacting negatively to any situation. It may take around 6 to 12 months to see positive changes in the baby.
Are the results of the treatment permanent?
Yes, the results are permanent once the root cause of the problems is identified. Once both the parent and the child are trained how to deal with situations and behaviors, the same problems usually do not arise again./
What are the treatment options?
As the child grows up, parents have to develop some good and positive habits from the very beginning. Right from the time she starts to understand things and behaves as she wants / Parents should watch her actions and behaviors and train her accordingly. A child’s defiant behavior can be managed by following some of the listed methods:
- Recognizing and appreciating your child’s good deeds,
- Setting limits for both yourself and your children, and Not reacting to situations,
- setting routines,
- working together,
- quality spending together,
- assigning household chores to each member of the family, and
- To prepare the child to play and take challenges positively.
