What is oppositional defiant disorder (ODD)?

Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) is a type of behavior disorder. The majority of diagnoses occur in young children. Children with oppositional defiant disorder are disobedient, hostile, and uncooperative with peers, parents, teachers, and other authority figures. Others are more troubled by them than they are by themselves. ODD is a disruptive behavior-related mental health condition that affects children. Of course, every child every once in a while displays frustration and disobedience. Children with ODD often have difficulty regulating their emotions, controlling their impulses, and following rules or instructions. This can lead to problems with social relationships, academic performance, and daily functioning. ODD is typically diagnosed by a child psychologist or a clinical psychologist and can be treated with a combination of therapy, medication, online counselling, and support for both the child and their family. Developmentally appropriate tantrums or purposeful behavior are not included in the definition of ODD.

ODD involves, instead:

• A long-standing pattern of disobedient and argumentative behavior or attitudes toward adults such as cares, teachers, or other adults' selfishness toward others
• A regular case of anger or irritability

Every child exhibits oppositional behavior on occasion, especially when they are weak, hungry, anxious, or upset. They might pick a fight, retaliate, refuse to do something, and refuse to follow their parents, teachers, and other adults. For toddlers aged two to three and preadolescents, oppositional behavior is a typical stage of development. Openly hostile and uncooperative behavior, however, turns into a serious concern when it's so common and persistent that it stands out in comparison to other kids' age and developmental stage and when it interferes with the child's social, family, and academic lives. A persistent pattern of disrespectful, defiant, and hostile behavior toward authority figures is present in children with oppositional defiant disorder (ODD), which seriously impairs the child's ability to function on a day-to-day basis.

What are the signs and symptoms of ODD?

ODD symptoms could consist of:

• Regular outbursts of rage
• Extreme argumentation with adults
• Often challenging the rules
• Active defiance of adult requests and rules and refusal to abide by them
• Attempts to deliberately irritate or anger people
• Accusing others of her errors or bad behavior
• Being easily offended or touchy with others
• Recurring rage and resentment
• Anger can lead to rude and hateful speech
• Angry disposition and desire for retribution

The signs are typically present in many contexts, but they might stand out more at home or at school. Among all school-age children and adolescents, ODD affects one to sixteen percent of them. Although the exact causes of ODD are unknown, a lot of parents report that their ODD-affected child was more rigid and demanding than their other children from a young age. There's a chance that social, psychological, and biological factors are involved.

What Causes ODD?

Oppositional defiant disorder's cause is unknown, but several factors are thought to be possible contributors by medical professionals. These elements include:

• Relationships between parents and children - There may be evidence of inconsistent or excessively harsh discipline from parents of children with ODD. Sometimes parental behavior may encourage bad habits.
• Genetics - Some children with ODD have parents who suffer from mental health conditions like substance abuse, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and mood disorders.
• Environment -ODD risk is higher in kids who experience abuse, neglect, or rejection.
• Psychological well-being - Children with ADHD are more likely to experience problems. When it comes to meeting ODD criteria, children with ODD frequently appear to have underlying temperamental traits like being easily irritated or emotionally reactive.

Treatment for Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD)

The effectiveness of ODD treatment depends on several factors, including the child's age, the severity of their symptoms, and their capacity to engage in and tolerate particular therapies. The typical course of treatment includes a combination of the following:

• Psychotherapy: Psychotherapy is a form of counseling including online counseling that works to improve a child's coping, social, and problem-solving abilities as well as their capacity to express and manage their anger. The goal of a therapy approach known as cognitive behavioral therapy is to change the child's thinking (cognition) to enhance behavior.
• Family therapy: This can help to enhance family relationships and inter-family communication. Parent management training, a specialized therapy approach, teaches parents how to influence their children's behavior for the better. As part of behavior management strategies, parents and children frequently create contracts outlining rewards for good behaviour and consequences such as punishments for bad behavior.
• Peer-group counseling - A child gains improved social and communication skills.
• Parent Management Training (PMT): PMT involves working with parents to develop effective strategies for managing their child's behavior. This may include teaching parents positive reinforcement techniques, setting clear limits and boundaries, and helping parents develop effective communication skills. The goals are to improve the parent-child relationship and help parents establish proper boundaries and rules.

It's unlikely that your child will perceive their actions as problematic. Instead, your child will likely gripe about unreasonable expectations or lay blame elsewhere. Consult with a child psychologist or child psychiatrist who specializes in behaviour issues if you suspect your child may have ODD or problem behavior or if you have concerns about your ability to parent a difficult child.

Online counselling and therapy can provide several benefits for individuals dealing with Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD):

• Teach emotion regulation and coping skills - Therapeutic techniques used during online therapy sessions like cognitive behavioral therapy and dialectical behavior therapy can teach children tools to recognize, understand, and manage their emotions effectively. This helps reduce impulsive and aggressive reactions.
• Improve social and communication skills - Through social skills training, role-playing, and practice, the best child psychologist through online counselling can help children with ODD learn interpersonal skills like listening, taking turns, cooperating, resolving conflicts constructively, and managing anger. This fosters better relationships.

Contribution: Dr (Prof) R K Suri, Clinical Psychologist, life coach & mentor TalktoAngel & Ms. Swati Yadav, Psychologist