Oppositional Defiant Disorder

[visceral_instinct]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opposit...fiant_disorder

Is the idea of this disorder even a legitimate concept?

I fit some of these diagnostic criteria:

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 or vindictive

I would bet my sight or hearing that I do not have this disorder, if it even exists.

Why? Because my behaviours were for a reason. The adults I clashed with were morons. They forced me to go to church 'because it's a school activity'. They tried to pressure me into following the same fashions as all the other sheep-girls in my class because 'that's what you do'. They failed to see difference or nonconformity as anything other than a disease which needed to be aggressively treated.

What are your thoughts? Certain things like being spiteful or vindictive for no reason are certainly indicative of a disorder, but others, like arguing with adults, definitely should not be on that list.

[Orleander]

sounds like an average teenager trying to find themselves to me. Apparently I also had this disorder years ago.

[ogdred]

hahaha. This disorder is aka "growing up", if I'm not mistaken.

I've never actually heard of "oppositional defiant disorder" but I certainly hope that the criteria you listed is not being used to make diagnoses. It appears to be yet another case of medicalizing perfectly normal adolescent behavior. In my opinion "disorders" such as this have absolutely no clinical basis, but rather are a method of controlling what society deems to be deviant behavior. I believe that ADD and ADHD are often [mis]diagnosed in this manner as well, as well as (more recently) childhood bipolar disorder.

What a crock.

[mikenostic]

sounds like an average teenager trying to find themselves to me. Apparently I also had this disorder years ago.

I see several of those symptoms that I STILL have. LOL

often loses temper
often argues with (other) adults
often actively defies or refuses to comply with adults' requests or rules
often deliberately annoys people
s often touchy or easily annoyed by others
is often angry and resentful
is often spiteful or vindictive

But they usually only apply to people who have irked/provoked me, or gotten on my bad side, and usually for a damn good reason. As far as blame goes, if I fuck up, I'll own up to it.

[Killjoy]

They tried to pressure me into following the same fashions as all the other sheep-girls in my class because 'that's what you do'. They failed to see difference or nonconformity as anything other than a disease which needed to be aggressively treated.

Perhaps they're suffering from "Compulsive Conformity Control Condition".

What are your thoughts? Certain things like being spiteful or vindictive for no reason are certainly indicative of a disorder, but others, like arguing with adults, definitely should not be on that list.

I feel this whole "alphabet soup" of brain cramps they've labeled as this or that or the other "disorder" is by and large a load of balderdash.

Why, in the days of my youth, if somebody got all wiggy or jiggy or whatever, somebody just gave them a good sound smack, and lo and behold, it was as though their proverbial bloof-organ had been realligned by a genuine, bonafide, honest-to-goodness "specialist".

[visceral_instinct]

I see several of those symptoms that I STILL have. LOL

often loses temper
often argues with (other) adults
often actively defies or refuses to comply with adults' requests or rules
often deliberately annoys people
s often touchy or easily annoyed by others
is often angry and resentful
is often spiteful or vindictive

But they usually only apply to people who have irked/provoked me, or gotten on my bad side, and usually for a damn good reason. As far as blame goes, if I fuck up, I'll own up to it.

Same here. I sometimes have the urge to piss people off, but that's usually only ever if I have tried to solve a disagreement using reason, and they're not having any. That seems to me like a normal human trait, not a symptom of a disorder.

Ditto with being touchy, easily annoyed, angry, or resentful. I often infer sexism when it isn't there, but again, that's for a reason. I have had a mouthful of it so many times, had people try and convince me I shouldn't do certain things because they're male typical, so I expect it. A learned behaviour, not a mental disorder.

[mikenostic]

Same here. I sometimes have the urge to piss people off, but that's usually only ever if I have tried to solve a disagreement using reason, and they're not having any. That seems to me like a normal human trait, not a symptom of a disorder.

Ditto with being touchy, easily annoyed, angry, or resentful. I often infer sexism when it isn't there, but again, that's for a reason. I have had a mouthful of it so many times, had people try and convince me I shouldn't do certain things because they're male typical, so I expect it. A learned behaviour, not a mental disorder.

I'm not anything like that with/around the people I like and care about.
Well, I have ADHD. And part of the side symptoms of it if gone untreated are depression and anxiety. So I think the ADHD might play a (albeit small) part in me having some of those symptoms.
People telling me I can't/shouldn't do something (for an asinine reason) usually makes me want to go out and do it more, just to spite them.

[iceaura]

I don't fit any of those criteria, and didn't much when I was growing up, either. Lots of people don't grow up like that - they seldom if ever had the urge to piss anyone off for any reason, for example, even as teenagers.

It's a genuinely identifiable trait combination, and like all traits probably could intensify to pathology in some people.

I have to say, when I hear somebody say they only act that way because somebody has provoked them, or they have reason to, or something, the first reaction I have is to sort of grin to myself. As someone who has trained many young men into various skills, I can say that there is such a thing as automatic, reflexive defiance - the guy who simply will not listen, because he is being told something by an authority.

The army has boot camp, partly to deal with this personality type and make them safe to handle dangerous gear. My own options as a civilian foreman were more limited - I sometimes set up situations where their failure to attend created situations that scared them, at which point I had their attention, but that was not always possible. Sometimes they just had to go away, for their own and others' good.

[Japarican]

There always seems to be a condition for "abnormal" behavior in the eyes of society. I'm sure you don't have any condition. Your just not willing to conform and be fed people's bullshit. Nothing wrong with that.

[eddie23]

Perhaps they're suffering from "Compulsive Conformity Control Condition".



I feel this whole "alphabet soup" of brain cramps they've labeled as this or that or the other "disorder" is by and large a load of balderdash.

Why, in the days of my youth, if somebody got all wiggy or jiggy or whatever, somebody just gave them a good sound smack, and lo and behold, it was as though their proverbial bloof-organ had been realligned by a genuine, bonafide, honest-to-goodness "specialist".

So true.
I love how this was worded.
I had ADD as a kid but I'm telling you for a fact that "Do your homework or im gonna get the belt" cured that disease realy fast.

[Hercules Rockefeller]

What are your thoughts?

My thoughts are that this is yet another example of people on the internet with no relevant medical training or professional experience somehow reaching the conclusion that they know more than the collective knowledge of the world’s psychiatric professionals.

Let’s have a look, shall we?

I would bet my sight or hearing that I do not have this disorder, if it even exists .

but others, like arguing with adults, definitely should not be on that list.

hahaha. This disorder is aka "growing up", if I'm not mistaken. .

I certainly hope that the criteria you listed is not being used to make diagnoses. It appears to be yet another case of medicalizing perfectly normal adolescent behavior. In my opinion "disorders" such as this have absolutely no clinical basis …What a crock.

I feel this whole "alphabet soup" of brain cramps they've labeled as this or that or the other "disorder" is by and large a load of balderdash.

Well, you’re all right about one thing – there is a lot a balderdash here but it’s not coming from the wiki article.

I just don’t know what it is about the internet that makes people think that they can somehow magically acquire the same level of medical expertise as medical professionals. I’ll state it plainly, you people don’t know what you’re talking about. But I hardly expect any of you will believe me. This mass internet psychosis is the sort of thing that only an actual education in the medical field you’re trying to debunk will solve.

[visceral_instinct]

Hercules, medical professionals can be morons too. My family and lots of others have had experience of that.

[lucifers angel]

So true.
I love how this was worded.
I had ADD as a kid but I'm telling you for a fact that "Do your homework or im gonna get the belt" cured that disease realy fast.

and how did that work out for you, please do tell us moron!!!

You should spank a child unless REALLY nesscasary (sp), ADHD/ADD kids do not do ahs you say because you have threatened them asshole!!!

it is a chemical inbalnace in the brain, and nothing to do with peranting skills

[visceral_instinct]

I agree with you LA. ADD is not simply being a moron. ADD is when you CAN'T concentrate even when you make a conscious effort to. Hence Attention Deficit Disorder, rather than, say, Deliberate Disruptive Disorder.

[lucifers angel]

I agree with you LA. ADD is not simply being a moron. ADD is when you CAN'T concentrate even when you make a conscious effort to. Hence Attention Deficit Disorder, rather than, say, Deliberate Disruptive Disorder.

most people are confused about ADD/ADHD

[mikenostic]

most people are confused about ADD/ADHD

Especially the opposite sex when it comes to dating.
It's one of my biggest handicaps. With the ADHD, I'm almost always fidgeting around or twiddling fingers/thumbs, etc. And even though I can be as mentally calm as I can be, I'll still fidget, bounce my knee, etc. and it can easily come across as being nervous; and generally appearing nervous and what not on a date with a woman is guaranteed to not get you a second date.
I have to stay conscious about not bouncing around for the whole duration if I don't want to come across as nervous.

[skaught]

Its a complete crock of shit! I work at a treatment center for youth, and many of the young men who come in have this bogus diagnoses. The reality is that I have found that when I treat them with respect and explain my reasoning to them for things, then all these symptoms seem to disappear. This BS disorder is just a result of kids who have asshole adults in their life's.

[visceral_instinct]

Especially the opposite sex when it comes to dating.
It's one of my biggest handicaps. With the ADHD, I'm almost always fidgeting around or twiddling fingers/thumbs, etc. And even though I can be as mentally calm as I can be, I'll still fidget, bounce my knee, etc. and it can easily come across as being nervous; and generally appearing nervous and what not on a date with a woman is guaranteed to not get you a second date.
I have to stay conscious about not bouncing around for the whole duration if I don't want to come across as nervous.

People get pissed off about small things like repetitive movements?? Jeez.

I do that, though I don't have ADHD. Usually in the form of making rhythms on the nearest hard surface, on the floor with my feet, or rolling my head a little as if listening to music. So do lots of people who don't have any disorder.

Its a complete crock of shit! I work at a treatment center for youth, and many of the young men who come in have this bogus diagnoses. The reality is that I have found that when I treat them with respect and explain my reasoning to them for things, then all these symptoms seem to disappear. This BS disorder is just a result of kids who have asshole adults in their life's.

I agree.

Like I already pointed out, in most kids these behaviours are there for a reason, because they're treated a certain way and they've learned to behave a certain way. Not because there's something going on in their nervous system they can't help.

[Orleander]

... I'm almost always fidgeting around or twiddling fingers/thumbs, etc. ....

My husband bounces his foot. All I have to do is look at him and then look at his foot and he quits. He doesn't even realize he is doing it.

[visceral_instinct]

I'm almost always doing some sort of repetitive movement...it actually makes me feel *calm*...