What Is Oppositional Defiant Disorder?

Re: "What are some alternative treatments for Oppositional Defiant Disorder?" The primary non-medical treatment for Oppositional Defiant Disorder is behavioral modification. For behavior modification to work, the program must have certain properties: 1. A few important behaviors need to be targeted. Rather than targeting "behaving better," parents need to be very specific (e.g., no hitting, no swearing, no using drugs, etc.). 2. All parties (parent, teacher, babysitter, etc.) need to be on the same page, using the exact same behavioral modification strategies. 3. Consequences and rewards need to be tailored to the individual child (one size does not fit all). 4. Rewards should not be money or things that the parent purchases (e.g., toys, games). Instead, rewards should consist of privileges the parent can grant or activities that the youngster can participate in. 5. The program should be simple and straightforward so that the ODD youngste

Re: Is medication usually recommended for Oppositional Defiant Disorder? The short answer is "no." Parent education and training is the first course of treatment for children and teens with Oppositional Defiant Disorder (i.e., the parent learns behavior modification techniques tailored to the ODD child). In the event that medication is warranted (which is usually a “last resort” intervention), several options exist:  serotonergic agents (e.g., Prozac, Celexa, Zoloft) mood stabilizing drugs (e.g., Depakote) antihypertensives (e.g., Tenex, Clonidine) Medication should only be considered: when the symptoms are very severe if non-medical interventions are not successful if medically treatable CO-morbid conditions are present (e.g., ADHD, depression, tic disorders, seizure disorders, psychosis)  ==> Help for Parents with Oppositional Defiant Children and Teens