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Ponderings & Insights From the desk of Dr. Grady K. Baccus,
Ph.D. |
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May, 2004 |
Volume 1 |
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First, Let me welcome
you. Our bi-monthly communiqué
is designed to stimulate thought and offer insight. We sincerely hope you
enjoy and welcome your comments and feedback. Feature Article: · Oppositional Defiant Disorder - How to identify if your
child is suffering ODD symptoms. What
are the steps you should take. Where can you find support, help and information. Resources on
ODD: Books Rex Forehand and Nicholas Long.
Parenting the Strong-Willed Child. NTC Publishing Group, 1996. Russell Barkley. Defiant
Children Second Edition. Need Parenting Advice? Log on to our website where you can send Dr. Baccus an email to ask him for advice on the
parenting or childhood behaviors you face.
Dr. Baccus will respond within 24-48 hours. Free of Charge! Dr. Grady K.
Baccus, Ph. D. Phone: (614) 888-5133 Fax: (614) 888-8331 Email: visit us on the web: |
Oppositional
Defiant Disorder I often meet with
parents of teenager’s who are experiencing distress and anxiety at the
behaviors of their children. If you
have teenagers perhaps you can relate?
Have you ever thought to yourself that should you have known that
raising teenagers would be so difficult you might not have attempted it? Certainly when a new parent is gazing
proudly at their newborn baby it is nigh on impossible to ever imagine that
this placid, playful adorable baby could become a grievous source of
emotional pain and anguish. Another common
proclamation I hear is “I never even thought to do these types of things when
I was growing up”. That statement is
often followed by the often muttered statement similar to reminiscence that
should they have behaved in a similarly unruly manner their parent(s) would
have ‘made them regret their foolishness’.
These idea’s can be little more than romantic reflections of our own
childhood; long since passed. One very important point remains the same. There is a teenage behavioral phenomenon
very present across our nation – Oppositional
Defiant Disorder. This article is not
meant to be a document to form diagnosis nor treatment. Rather I would like to pose to you some
considerations that may help you identify if your child is suffering more
than ‘misbehavior’ and help you to see a glimpse of how you can positively
influence your child’s environment along with steps to take toward your own
emotional well-being. There are many family
influences that can lead to Oppositional Defiant tendencies being
demonstrated. In my practice I have
provided psychological evaluations on more than ten thousand
adolescents. In the analysis of this
vast collection of data I have identified that oppositional behavior comes
demonstrated in as many differing forms as it does backgrounds of stimuli. I will list some of
those behaviors but encourage you that in the event that your child has
either encountered emotional trauma or is demonstrating behavior that you are
uncomfortable with, your best course of action and indeed, the most
responsible step you can take is to have your child professionally diagnosed
and treated. I find myself all too
often disappointed at the degree of suffering a child or family are enduring
when the intervention of effective counseling introduced years earlier would
have significantly altered their situation. What is Oppositional
Behavior? All children behave
oppositional from time to time. They
may argue, talk back, disobey, and defy their parents or teacher for a number
of reasons. They may be tired or
feeling stressed. This is not a disorder and can be controlled with effective
discipline. However, when your child’s
behavior stands out as being overly hostile, aggressive and angry when
compared with other children of the same age socially and academically, and
it is disruptive to your family life you should consider whether there is a
possibility of your child being Oppositional Defiant. Common Behaviors of
Children with Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) Children who suffer
ODD will display an ongoing pattern of
defiance, being uncooperative and hostile toward those who have
authority over them including: *
frequent temper tantrums * continued arguments with adults *
active refusal to comply with the rules or the adults who set
them *
intentional efforts to annoy and upset people *
consistently blame others for their misbehaviors *
easily provoked by others
* frequent displays of anger
and resentment * seeks revenge when
they perceive they have been wronged
* open statements of hate and
resentment when angry * negativistic outlook on life *
obscene language * abuse of drugs and alcohol *
early commencement in sexual activities. What Causes ODD The cause of
Oppositional Defiant Disorder is unknown at present. Suggestions have been made that the
disorder is inherited or could be caused by chemical imbalance in the
brain. In my practice I have tested
thousands of children who have the displayed behaviors synonymous with
Oppositional Defiance. Analysis of
their history and background show many common threads that could be
considered the motivators of the Oppositional Defiant behaviors they demonstrate. Some of these include: * loss or grief (death of a
grandparent) * physical or
emotional abuse as a child
* sexual
molestation * under discipline. Discipline is an
incredibly important factor in controlling all childhood behaviors. A situation that I see quite often in families
with a child who is demonstrating ODD is one where parents cannot agree on a
discipline approach. For example one
parent is overly lenient and the other is overly strict. The overly lenient parent assuming more of
a nurturing role with the child and the other being the perceived
disciplinarian. ODD children will
quickly and effectively manipulate this imbalance to their advantage playing
one parent against the other. Regardless of
whether the parents have discussed their disciplinarian differences or not,
usually each parent sees the other’s parenting and disciplinary style as
ineffective. This can result in active
undermining of their partners approach.
This is often an increased occurrence in divorced families but is
still certainly very evident in whole family situations. Effective parenting
is unfortunately not a skill we are taught it tends to be more of a “trial
and error” philosophy. Before you can
ever hope to raise successful young adult’s parents need to first find that
place where they can agree and be united in their parenting approach.
What to do if you
think your child has Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) The first thing you
need to do is seek diagnosis. Have
your child professionally evaluated.
This may then involve your needing to participate in family counseling
to support your child to learn new behaviors and response styles. The disorder affects the whole family and
the most effective approach is to work as a family to resolve the issues that
are affecting your child to produce ODD. Support for Families
with ODD Children There are a number
of avenues for support and education.
Books are readily available including Ross W. Greene The Explosive Child. Harper Collins, 1998. Organizations like Tough Love provide support and can be found online at www.toughlove.org. Dr. Grady K. Baccus, Ph.D. |
