Healthy communication within the family mental health is an important situation. While families spend time together to ensure this communication, children may sometimes have different opinions from their families. They may want to express these thoughts and get into conflict with their families.
'by families'StubbornSome children called ' may show period characteristics. Therefore, it is important for families to know their developmental characteristics. The age of 3 in children is known as the egocentric period. In other words, during this period, children think that the world develops around them and that they are responsible for the events taking place in the environment. During this period, children strive to achieve autonomy and may respond negatively to their parents' requests in order to discover things they like and dislike. Due to this self-centered attitude, the desire to realize one's own wishes and, accordingly, stubbornness can be observed.
Apart from this period, sometimes the fact that children do not fulfill every wish of their parents should not be perceived as stubbornness. When autonomy occurs, the child becomes an individual with thoughts of his own. For this reason, their opinions should be given importance and their opinions should not be underestimated.
Apart from all this mentioned stubbornness, there is also a diagnosis accepted as a mental health disorder. This diagnosis is known as Oppositional Defiant Disorder. In this article, the differences between the diagnosis of Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) and stubbornness and what needs to be done will be discussed.
Symptoms of Oppositional Defiant Disorder
- Behavior that defies an authority figure
- Don't say 'No' to anything without thinking about it
- don't be incompatible
- Don't be offended when jokes are made on them
- An unhappy facial expression and attitude
- Negative attitude towards positive demands of the family
- Verbal or behavioral rejection
- The first answer is 'No' even to the things he loves very much.
- Always being right
- Objecting to everything in the games played
- Tendency to dominate people around them
- Incompatible in friendship environment
- There is grudge holding and revenge
- When Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is not treated, Oppositional Defiant Disorder may develop, and often these two mental disorders occur together.
What are the differences between oppositional defiant disorder and stubbornness?
- While children with Oppositional Defiant Disorder constantly say the word 'No', stubborn children usually do this behavior on some issues.
- Children with Oppositional Defiant Disorder do not weigh what is said, but stubborn children accept offers that are pleasant to them.
- While children with Oppositional Defiant Disorder have a constantly unhappy expression, stubborn children become sad and angry depending on what they want.
- Stubborn children are more open to being joked about. Because there are periods when they are not stubborn and like most children, they enjoy joking and having fun.
- Children with Oppositional Defiant Disorder are also not open to having fun.
- While children with Oppositional Defiant Disorder exhibit maladaptive behaviors in the circle of friends, stubborn children are more open to communication in order to be loved and accepted in the circle of friends.
- While children with Oppositional Defiant Disorder become stubborn without paying much attention to their parents' upset, stubborn children are more sensitive to their parents' upset when they calm down.
- While children with Oppositional Defiant Disorder display a negative attitude towards their parents' positive answers, stubborn children have a positive attitude towards positive answers.
What are the factors and reasons that increase the occurrence of Oppositional Defiant Disorder?
- Being diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity disorder
- Low socioeconomic level
- Alcohol-substance use of parents
- Growing up in a family with inconsistent behavior
- Poor communication within the family
- Lack of interest in the child
- Having a parent with a psychological problem
- Excessive family arguments
- Being around people with violent tendencies
What may occur as a result of oppositional defiant disorder?
- The child's communication with his/her family may be highly impaired
- May be excluded by friends
- Has adaptation problems in his/her social environment
- The probability of success in business life decreases due to its negative nature.
- Can't enjoy most things
- There is a high likelihood of violent tendencies
- They may have a tendency to commit crimes.
How is oppositional defiant disorder treated?
Medication use is very rare in oppositional defiant disorder. Parent training and providing the child with problem-solving skills are among the priority areas for treatment. Training is provided on generating alternative solutions to certain problems, evaluating the impact of these solutions, and deciding on the right one for oneself and putting it into practice.
Suggestions for families with children with oppositional defiant disorder
- Don't criticize your child
- Be patient
- Observe especially in which situations it seems contradictory.
- Make him feel like you understand him
- Reward him with your love when he behaves positively.
- Set the rules together within the family
- Remember that each family member must follow the rules.
- Be careful to exhibit consistent behavior within the family.
- Listen and pay attention to your child's thoughts.
- Use reflection of emotions and thoughts in your conversations.
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