Oppositional defiant disorder is a common diagnosis assigned to children. Is it a helpful or accurate one?
It had been a hard year. I held my 13-year-old body in a chair across from my then-therapist. We were talking about what was wrong with me; at least, that's how I thought of it. In the year that had unfolded as clinicians tried to determine what I needed, I had been given what felt like a new mental health diagnosis every other month. Some I related to, others I did not. All felt hurtful. I had made it my mission to convince her I didn't have any of it.
As I read about my new label at the local library, I had tears. In my adolescent mind, she not only thought I was sick; she thought I was a"brat," too. Poverty is among the highest risk factors for the diagnosis of oppositional defiant disorder . This makes sense. When our basic needs are not met, it is difficult for anyone to be at their best.
Several clinicians have expressed concerns related to the mischaracterization of youth diagnosed with oppositional defiant disorder. The diagnosis places the blame on the child with an assumed origin of a pattern of poor behavior. It ignores other factors that could be at play, such as family dynamics or trauma .
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