The opposing defiant disorder, also known as TOD, usually occurs during childhood, and is characterized by frequent behaviors of anger, aggression, revenge, challenge, provocation, disobedience or feelings of resentment, for example.
Treatment usually consists of psychotherapy sessions and parent training so that they can better cope with the disease. In addition, in some cases, the use of medication may be justified, which must be prescribed by the psychiatrist.
What symptoms
The behaviors and symptoms that can manifest in children with challenging opposing disorder are:
- Aggressiveness; Irritability; Disobedience towards older people; Agitation and loss of calm; Challenge the rules; Upset others; Blame others for their mistakes; Get angry, Be resentful and be easily upset, Be cruel and vindictive.
To be diagnosed with challenging opposing disorder, the child may manifest only a few symptoms.
Possible causes
The DSM-5 classifies the risk factors for developing challenging opposing disorder as being temperamental, environmental, genetic and physiological.
Temperamental factors are related to problems of emotional regulation and help to predict the occurrence of the disorder. In addition, environmental factors, such as the environment in which the child is inserted, related to aggressive, inconsistent or negligent behavior on the part of the guardians of the children, also contribute to the development of the disorder.
How the diagnosis is made
According to DSM-5, TOD can be diagnosed in children who frequently show more than four symptoms in the following list, lasting at least six months and with at least one individual who is not a sibling:
- Loses his cool; Is sensitive or easily bothered; Is angry and resentful; Questions authority figures or, in the case of children and adolescents, adults; Challenges or refuses to obey rules or requests for authority figure; Deliberately bothers others people; blame others for their mistakes or bad behavior; has been mean or vindictive at least twice in the past six months.
It is necessary to bear in mind that challenging opposing disorder can be more than acting in a challenging way or throwing a tantrum, which is common in children, since temporary oppositional behavior can be part of normal personality development. Thus, it is important that parents, guardians and educators are able to differentiate the normal oppositional behavior for the child's development, as it acquires autonomy, from a framework of behavioral disorder, in which behaviors of excessive aggressiveness, cruelty towards people predominate. and animals, destruction of property, lies, tantrums and constant disobedience.
What is the treatment
The treatment for challenging opposing disorder can be very diverse and involves promoting the training of parents, with the aim of interacting more effectively with the child and undergoing family therapy to support and support the family.
In addition, the child may need psychotherapy sessions and, if he / she chooses, the psychiatrist may prescribe antipsychotic or neuroleptic drugs, such as risperidone, quetiapine or aripiprazole, mood stabilizers, such as lithium carbonate, sodium divalproate, carbamazepine or topiramate, antidepressants, such as fluoxetine, sertraline, paroxetine, citalopram, escitalopram or venlafaxine and / or psychostimulants for the treatment of ADHD, due to the frequent association with DOT, such as methylphenidate.
Learn more about Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).
