| Oppositional Defiance Disorder treatment | | | | documented. Most physicians recommend the use |
| generally results in the combination of | | | | of anti-psychotic drugs in extreme cases |
| following treatment methods: | | | | where behavior modification and psychotherapy |
| | | | have failed |
| - Psychotherapy: Psychotherapy is defined as | | | | |
| any form of counseling involving a medical | | | | - Behavior Modification: Behavior |
| profession. This can range from individual to | | | | Modification is a form of psychotherapy in |
| group or even family therapy. The goal of | | | | which the parent is taught methods of |
| psychotherapy is to help the child learn ways | | | | controlling a child's behavior using positive |
| to express their feeling and manage their | | | | techniques. Using a series of rewards and |
| anger. The child learns what triggers their | | | | punishments, the parent begins to teach their |
| defiant behavior and ways to channel that | | | | defiant child what behaviors are acceptable. |
| energy in a more productive manner. Family | | | | By encouraging acceptable behaviors, the |
| therapy is aimed at helping the entire family | | | | parent is able to reduce the incidence of |
| understand and cope with the child's defiant | | | | defiant behavior. These techniques can be |
| behavior. By understanding the triggers that | | | | combined with individual psychotherapy to |
| stimulate a child's defiant behavior the | | | | provide an even stronger reinforcement for |
| family learns how to properly respond. | | | | good behavior while providing anger |
| | | | management solutions. In a recent study by |
| - Medication: An increasingly common solution | | | | the Journal of the American Academy of Child |
| to managing ODD has been to use prescription | | | | and Adolescent Psychiatry showed that |
| medication. Initially studied to treat | | | | behavior modification combined with |
| chemical imbalances associated with | | | | psychotherapy is as effective as medication |
| schizophrenia and Parkinson's disease, these | | | | in coping with Oppositional Defiance |
| anti-psychotic drugs have been shown to | | | | Disorder. |
| reduce a child's outburst and defiant | | | | |
| behavior. However, the long-term effects of | | | | While there is on cure for ODD, with proper |
| these drugs on children has not been studied. | | | | education and dedication, it is possible to |
| ODD is not caused by a chemical imbalance | | | | control the symptoms. Medication provides a |
| that can be corrected using medication. | | | | viable solution to coping with the symptoms |
| Scientist have not be able to identify the | | | | however, should be considered only as an |
| cause of ODD however, their ability to reduce | | | | alternative to failed behavior modification. |
| the symptoms associated with ODD has been | | | | |