What is Oppositional Defiant Disorder?

Do you ever feel out of control? Like maybe you can’t stop yourself from making the wrong choice, or you feel the need to go against what your parents tell you? Most of the time kids or teens will grow out of these emotional outbursts as they mature, but this isn’t always the case, some of them need help.

-          About 3% of teens will go on to have problematic or conflictual relationships in their social lives.

Does this sound like you? Do you struggle to maintain relationships or find it hard to keep people from walking away? Maybe you even struggle when it comes to group projects or working together with coworkers. In this post we will define oppositional defiant disorder (ODD), how it can negatively impact your life and well-being, and where you can get help for yourself (American Psychiatric Association, 2022). 

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How does it affect your life?

Oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) is a psychological disorder that causes angry and irritable moods, argumentative or defiant behaviour and vindictiveness for at least six months. It is most common amongst adolescents. It can make everything in your social life feel impossible, like it’s out of your control and you don’t know why. We all know life as a teenager is complicated, especially when it comes to social situations. People are very judgemental, so when you feel out of control and you notice yourself making choices out of anger or arguing just to argue, it can really leave a negative impression. It’s important to know that it may not be your fault, but your brain is calling the shots without you.

Symptoms

The symptoms of oppositional defiant disorder can be easy to misread as teenage angst or even egotistic attitudes:

1.      Angry/Irritable Mood

a. Easily lose their temper.

b. Can be touchy and are annoyed easily.

c. They are resentful and angry.

2.      Argumentative/Defiant Behaviour

a. They often argue with authority figures.

b.  Actively defy or refuse to comply with requests from authority figures or follow rules.

c.  Deliberately annoy others.

d. They blame others for their own mistakes or misbehaviours.

3.      Vindictiveness

a. They have acted spiteful or vindictive at least two times in the past 6 months.

Understanding the symptoms is so important because most of them could apply to a million other psychological disorders, but it’s also important to know because this may be why you feel like you have no control. If left unaddressed, this disorder will leave significant negative impacts in your social life, mental health, physical health, well-being, academic and occupational life (American Psychiatric Association, 2022).

Risk Factors

There are a few factors that can leave you more prone to developing oppositional defiant disorder. These risk factors are split into four categories: Temperamental, Environmental, Genetic and Physiological.

Temperamental Factors related to emotional regulation such as high emotional reactivity and bad tolerance for frustration have been common predictors of the disorder (American Psychiatric Association, 2022).

Environmental Factors show that kids and teens with oppositional defiant disorder commonly have been raised by neglectful, inconsistent and harsh parents or guardians. If this sounds like you, you may want to look more into ODD. They also include factors like exposure to abuse, peer influences or substance use, maladaptive behaviours from parents that include alcoholism or drug addiction, or their mother smoking during pregnancy (Mars, 2024).

Genetic and Physiological Factors are responsible for 50% of occurrences of oppositional defiant disorder, rather than environmental ones. There is also a significant overlap of other conditions including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and conduct disorder which occurs in roughly 50% of cases. There is also a link between ODD and the development of depression or anxiety (Mars, 2024).

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Treatment Options

If you decide to seek treatment there are a few main treatments associated with oppositional defiant disorder. It’s good to know these options so you can talk to your parents or a family doctor about it.

-          Parenting skills training can help parents learn better techniques and skills that are more positive and consistent.

-          Parent-child interaction therapy (PCIT) is a treatment in which a therapist essentially coaches’ parents on how to interact meaningfully and reinforce their child’s good behaviour.

-          Individual and family therapy are also common treatments that can help both parent and child learn to manage and express feelings in a more stable way, it can also help improve family relationships by improving communication.

-          Finally, there are problem-solving and social skills training which can help those struggling to learn how to identify and change bad thought patterns, learn how to problem-solve, and teach those how to interact with peers in a positive way (Mayo Clinic, 2023).

The important take away is that you have options. Being diagnosed with ODD doesn’t mean you are stuck with these feelings you have been struggling with, but that you have so many options to take back control of your life.

Closing

Oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) is a harmful psychological disorder with the potential to cause so much damage to many aspects of life. While it is most common in adolescents, it’s important to know the warning signs and reach out for help if you suspect you or someone you know may be struggling with ODD. You don’t need to let this disease control you any longer than it has. You deserve the chance at a life that you are in full control of, and with the right help you can have that.

Call to Action

If you or someone you know needs immediate support, you can call the following helplines or visit their websites.

If you are in Canada or the United States, you can call 9-8-8 (Suicide Crisis Helpline) for 24/7 support.

If you are in Canada, you can call 8-1-1 (Nurse Advice).

If you are in Canada or the United States and are a child struggling in crisis, you can call 1-800-668-6868 (Kids Help Phone) or you can text CONNECT to 686868.

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References

American Psychiatric Association. (2022, March 18). DSM-5 odd (oppositional defiant disorder). Oppositional Defiant Disorder DSM-5. https://cmhrc.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/DSM-5-ODD.pdf

Get support. Kids Help Phone. (2026, February 19). https://kidshelpphone.ca/

Goodlifefamilyadmin, Borba, Dr. M., & Cleary, J. (2022, March 17). Raising happy teens: Tips for parents. Good Life Family Magazine. https://goodlifefamilymag.com/2022/03/17/raising-happy-teens-tips-for-parents/

Government of Ontario. (n.d.). Government of ontario | gouvernement de l’ontario. Health811. https://health811.ontario.ca/static/guest/home

Mars, J. A. (2024, October 29). Oppositional defiant disorder. StatPearls [Internet]. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK557443/#article-26231.s5

Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. (2023, January 4). Oppositional defiant disorder (ODD). Mayo Clinic. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/oppositional-defiant-disorder/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20375837

Parent+Teenager+argue images – browse 5,077 stock photos, vectors, and video. Adobe Stock. (n.d.). https://stock.adobe.com/ca/search?k=parent%2Bteenager%2Bargue

Suicide Crisis Helpline. (2024, October 16). Get help: 9-8-8: Suicide crisis helpline. 9-8-8. https://988.ca/

Vas, G. (2019, August 27). Conflict with parents ⋆ the teenager today. The Teenager Today. https://theteenagertoday.com/conflict-with-parents/