Oppositional Defiant Disorder

When parents have a child with ODD they are pretty sure that the only place that might ever be able to straighten the kid out would be some kind of specialized, extremely strict military boarding school If they all live that long. That is how tedious and enervating raising a child or teen diagnosed with Oppositional Defiant Disorder can be.

Challenges of Parent an ODD Child

“As a parent, you can’t satisfy a child with ODD, since their thinking is irrational. They beg for your attention and then want to be left alone. The sad truth is, kids with ODD aren’t very likeable. Parents often feel guilty about the fact that they love their kids, but don’t like being around them. Parents get blamed for their child’s oppositional behavior and tend to heap even more blame on themselves. The parent of a child with ODD often feels incompetent and isolated. They live with the self-imposed shame that other people think they’re bad parents, and that humiliation grows larger as their world gets smaller. Left untreated, Oppositional Defiant Disorder can lead to Conduct Disorder, a more serious pathology that is a precursor for anti-social behavior and criminality.” (Unknown source) The usual behavioral remedies or usual disciplines will not get a parent anywhere with an ODD teen. An entirely new parenting approach applies and it will take time and trial and error to chart these extremely turbulent waters. Click the link above for a comprehensive and frank treatment of the topic. By Ann Walker