| Oppositional Defiant Disorder is commonly called, | | | | (or teen) knows right from wrong or the appropriate |
| (ODD). There is a fine line between children defying | | | | behavior for the situation. If the behavior continues on |
| authority and behaving badly at times and when such | | | | and on after punishment and stern talks and |
| behavior is serious enough to be diagnosed as ODD. | | | | explanations and seems to be "on purpose" you may |
| All parents are familiar with the "terrible twos" and a | | | | have Oppositional Defiant Disorder going on. Keep in |
| certain amount of defiance in the teens. When the | | | | mind that a time or two of these occurrences can be |
| behavior lasts for a prolonged length of time (more | | | | attributed to age or irritability at the moment or a |
| than six months) or when the defiant behavior is | | | | number of other reasons, but it is the continued |
| extreme and more persistent than other children of the | | | | intolerable behavior that we must watch out for. |
| same age, we may be able to define the behavioral | | | | Arguing with adults, deliberately trying to bother or |
| problem as oppositional defiant disorder (ODD). | | | | upset another child or an adult, spiteful, revenge |
| The young person with Oppositional Defiant Disorder | | | | seeking, saying hurtful things to others, throwing |
| regularly shows a pattern of hostile, irritating, | | | | repeated tantrums, shouting obscenities or swearing, |
| uncooperative and mean or rude behavior towards | | | | always blaming others and arguing and refusing to go |
| adults and people who represent authority. This bad | | | | along with the rules are some of the demonstrated |
| behavior is interrupting to the day to day life at home, | | | | types of behavior in the ODD child or teen. |
| at school, or any other activity in which the child is | | | | We all wonder what could be the cause of such bad |
| involved. | | | | behavior in one child and not in another, and often even |
| If you find Oppositional Defiant Disorder in a child, you | | | | from the same family! The absolute cause is not really |
| will often find other behavioral problems. Depression, | | | | known for sure. There appears to be various causes: |
| anxiety, mood swings, hyperactivity, and trouble paying | | | | biological) brain damage, chemical imbalances,) genetic |
| attention are some of the other behavioral problems | | | | (inherited tendency for emotional problems such as |
| these ODD children may experience. | | | | depression) and environmental reasons (discipline, |
| The symptoms of ODD are easy to see. Whether or | | | | attention (lack of), and numerous problems for which |
| not they are actually ODD is determined by the age | | | | the parenting or lack of parenting could be to blame |
| and frequency and seriousness of this kind of activity, | | | | for this affliction. Often, the exact cause can never be |
| as well as the seeming intent, when you know the child | | | | pinpointed or there may be a combination of causes. |