What To Do At Home With Adolescents With Oppositional Defiant Disorder?
Oppositional defiant disorder is a relatively common psychological disorder in minors, and in addition to causing discomfort, it also has a significant impact on the quality of life of the entire family.
Luckily, there are strategies that help correct these types of behavior patterns, and although it is necessary to have the help of psychology professionals to treat these cases, many things can also be done from home in that direction. Therefore, in this article we will review some Advice for parents of adolescents with oppositional defiant disorder.
As its name very well expresses, oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) is an alteration that is linked to behavior that breaks with social norms and the tendency to refuse to cooperate or collaborate with others, and lose temper easily, adopting hostile attitudes. It is diagnosed in children and adolescents, and if it is not treated in therapy, it usually triggers the appearance of other more severe psychological alterations.
Of course, in oppositional defiant disorder the symptoms are not as extreme as those that characterize the conduct disorder (previously known as conduct disorder), since in the latter physical violence, the destruction of property of others, is very present. others, and theft.
Between The distinctive symptoms and behavior patterns of oppositional defiant disorder the following stand out.
Furthermore, oppositional defiant disorder often occurs with other mental disorders, especially Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, with which there is a high comorbidity. Specifically, although It is estimated that around 3% of boys and girls develop oppositional defiant disorder, among those with ADHD, this percentage rises to 30%.
What to do when living with and raising a teenager with ODD?
These are the main guidelines and advice that parents of a teenager with oppositional defiant disorder should take into account.
1. Convince him of the practical aspects of attending therapy
First of all, it is important to do everything possible to ensure that they want to attend psychotherapy, given that in this context it will be possible for them to adopt other behavioral patterns. going beyond mitigating the most extreme symptoms which offers the use of some psychotropic drugs (under medical prescription). To do this, it is advisable that you do not do it from arguments based on morality, since this can make them become defensive when they feel that we want them to “fit in” with a series of roles linked to “what is right.” Instead, emphasize the practical consequences of what going to a psychologist can bring to your daily life.
2. Set clear limits to comply with at home and outside
Make those limits, the basic rules that must be met, be few and very clear, so you always have them in mind. In addition, clarify from the beginning what the consequences of not complying with the rules are: that you withdraw your help or collaboration in aspects of their life that they took for granted (for example, reducing their weekly pay). It is important that the punishments are not very extreme so that your priority does not become breaking up with everything because of the anger that the situation produces, and that you continue to feel interest in not going beyond those limits.
And, on the other hand, never make exceptions in compliance with those rules and set an example.
3. Make rules not just an imposition
It is important that the adolescent does not see the rules as something that he or she has to bear, but rather as something that also brings good things. For example, the rule system applies to the entire family, so he or she knows what to expect from others and is assured that they will not act in ways that are detrimental to him or her. In other words, you must show that system of rules as a general framework that applies to several people at the same time.
4. Congratulate him/her on his/her progress in therapy
Acknowledging and appreciating their progress out loud is even more important than punishing bad behavior. Also, don’t just show your satisfaction with their progress; Let him see how you proudly talk about him or her in front of others.
Related article: “The 16 types of reinforcers (and their characteristics)”
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My name is Thomas Saint Cecilia I am a psychologist specialized in the cognitive-behavioral model and I work caring for adults, adolescents and families, either in person in my office located in Madrid or online via video call.
