Troubled Teens Resources

You can’t blame a parent for becoming utterly confused with the whole list of acronyms available to label their troubled teenagers. There is Oppositional Defiant Disorder, ADD, Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder. There is bi-polar and conduct disorder and teen depression, all of which increase the liklihood of teen age drug abuse. It takes a heap of courage to sign up to be a parent these days.

So how do you tell if your ADHD child has ODD? What’s to tell them apart? Both disorders present behavior that is irritating and disruptive. But there lies the difference. Your ADHD-er has absolutely no intention upsetting the apple cart. The ADHD kid really rather have no attention drawn to their upsetting behavior at all. Studies point out, that with ODD, it is a different story.

• What is the difference between ODD and ADHD?

• ODD is characterized by aggressiveness, but not impulsiveness. In ODD people annoy you purposefully, While it is usually not so purposeful in ADHD. ODD signs and symptoms are much more difficult to live with than ADHD. Children with ODD can sit still.

• What difference does it make if you have ADHD or ADHD plus ODD?

• A lot! Children and adolescents with ADHD alone do things without thinking, but not necessarily oppositional things. An ADHD child may impulsively push someone too hard on a swing and knock the child down on the ground. She would likely be sorry she did this afterward. A child with ODD plus ADHD might push the kid out of the swing and say she didn’t do it.

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The link above will take you to more on ODD.

Teens at risk for behavioral problems display a variety of characteristics, making it very difficult for parents to determine if the teen is slipping into a rebellious stage or if there are deeper problems to be addressed. Parents of ADHD teens are concerned that the ADHD pre-disposes their teens to Oppositional Defiant Disorder or predisposes them for problems with teen age drug abuse.

“Many children with oppositional defiant disorder have other treatable conditions such as ADHD, depression and anxiety. If these conditions are left untreated, managing ODD can be very difficult for the parents, and frustrating for the affected child. Kids with oppositional defiant disorder may have trouble in school with teachers and other authority figures and may struggle to make friends.

ODD may be a precursor to other, more severe behavioral disorders such as conduct disorder, but this is controversial.”

Though the factors that may lead to ODD are not known, the more risk factors in evidence, the stronger the likelihood of it being present. They are as follows:

• Having a parent with a mood or substance abuse disorder
• Being abused or neglected
• Harsh or inconsistent discipline
• Lack of supervision
• Poor relationship with one or both parents
• Family instability such as multiple moves, changing schools frequently
• Parents with a history of ADHD, oppositional defiant disorder or conduct problems
• Financial problems in the family
• Peer rejection
• Exposure to violence
• Frequent changes in daycare providers
• Parents who have a troubled marriage or are divorced

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