Is ODD a behavioral issue or a mental issue?

Michelle - posted on 04/20/2010

Deidre,
Don't ever give up! It may take years, but never, never, never giver up! I feel like I want to give up sometimes, but then I remind myself that it will be worse if I don't help my daughter now.
My daughter has been diagnosed with ADHD, Depression, ODD, Anxiety, and possible BPD (boarline personality disorder) or Bipolar. Combination diagnosis are extreemly common. The dignosis usually starts with ADHD and goes on from there creating many diagnosis.
According to the doctors, rthe first thing is to try is therapy, then meds, then more therapy. Double check the meds, up the meds, change the meds, oh, don't forget counseling, individual and family and oh yeah, meds.
I am just so frustrated with the way things have gone with my daughter, who is 15. It started when she was 7 when me and dad got divorced. Things became progressively worse. We had started therapy when she was 7, but things kept getting bad.
She is now in temporary voluntary foster care. She has been there since before Christmas. We are trying everything we can from visits every weekend, to trying weekly visits, to meds, therapy, family therapy, individual. You name it, we have tried it.
Well, except residential treatment. They don't think she needs that. I think they are wrong.
A few things have changed, liek her willingness to calm down before going into her fists of rage. We have had to call the cops on her recently only once. That's an improvement! If you can see the small accomplishments, this will start to lead you to the big picture and things will start to become clear at times. Other times, we will be right in the midst of it all and not see the changes.
Keep your head high and your hopes even higher!

Deirdre - posted on 04/17/2010

What do you do when ODD seems to be a combination of both? My step son is 11 and has officially been diagnosed with ODD along with "borderline intellectual fuctioning" along with a couple of other diagnosis' that relate to what his mother put him through before we got full custody of him. It seems like one minute his therapist says that he could hurt his sisters and the next minute they say that he wouldn't. It is so back and forth with the therapist! His father and I think that he has actually gotten worse since he has been going to therapy. Will things ever improve??? We are about ready to throw in the towel.

Laura - posted on 02/19/2009

I think I've lost count of the # of times I get called names in the morning and told to "fuck off". I'm also told on a regular basis that he wants to go and live with his dad(who he hasn't known since he was 1). I know he does it just to see if he gets a reation from me. When he's calm he's one of the most loving and caring child you can have as I'm sure your children are the same way.

Michelle - posted on 02/18/2009

Recently, she has been calling me a bitch (not often) and saying "fuck off" to me and her dad. But that is something new to us. And only started a few weeks ago. It seems to come and go with her.

Lori - posted on 02/18/2009

Does your daughter call you names? My son did not want to get out of bed this morning... was mad at me and started flailing names at me... will tell me I am an idiot will tell me that I suck that he wants to move out and will want a new mom... all that jazzz

Lori - posted on 02/18/2009

Just wondering cause there is question of the therapist that is necessary for behavioral issues and for mental...

Michelle - posted on 02/18/2009

There is alot of controversy about that. Some say behavioral and some say it's a mental issue. the only clear way that I know of is to get a brain scan done. I haven't done it yet, but am thinking about doing it.