Oppositional Defiant Disorder

All children get oppositional from time to time. Especially during the teenage years, youngsters are often argumentative and easily annoyed. According to the DSM-IV-TR (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders), Oppositional Defiant Disorder refers to a "recurrent pattern of negativistic, defiant, disobedient and hostile behavior toward authority figures" that significantly impairs a child's functioning with his family socially or in school. The problem has to be present for at least six months to be considered a disorder, and it includes some of the following behaviors:

• Often loses temper
• Often argues with adults
• Often actively defies or refuses to comply with adults' requests or rules
• Often deliberately annoys people
• Often blames others for his or her mistakes or misbehavior
• Is often touchy or easily annoyed by others
• Is often angry and resentful
• Is often spiteful and vindictive

I strongly suspect that many parents reading this checklist will say, "Hey, that's my kid." It's important to note, however, that if these symptoms occur only during a psychotic or mood disorder, then the diagnosis of ODD is not supposed to be given.

What most parents of bipolar youngsters will tell you is that when the child's mood disorder is active, his oppositional behavior intensifies; when the mood becomes more even, the negative behaviors lessen. In other words, if a bipolar child's mood is effectively stabilized, his ODD may be minimized or more responsive to psychotherapy, or it may disappear completely.

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