Is My Child’s Misbehavior A Phase… Or A Problem? And, Could I Have Adult ADHD?
Behavioral Disorder Counseling: All children undergo rebellious or disobedient phases. But when is bad behavior in childhood indicative of a serious problem? When does bad behavior become a behavioral disorder? Disobedient or volatile conduct becomes reclassified as a behavioral disorder when the core symptoms of aggression or rule-breaking persist for longer than 6 months, escalate in intensity, or become abnormal for your child’s developmental stage.
But, what’s considered abnormal? The classic example is usually that of a toddler, who throws tantrums when a parent or preschool teacher uses the word no. Nothing abnormal about that! In fact entire books are written on the subject. But if your 9-year-old has developed a history of erupting into explosive outbursts of rage, for example, the behavior is considered atypical for your child’s peer group and has likely begun to result in problems at home or school, or during extracurricular activities.
Below are the ten telltale signs of the three most common behavioral disorders:
- Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
- Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD)
- Conduct Disorder (CD)
10 Signs & Symptoms of Behavioral Disorders
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (Adults & Children)
- Inattentiveness: Persistent episodes where your mind ping-pongs aimlessly like a pinball from disconnected thought to arbitrary distraction, despite concentrated efforts on your part to harness your attention can be a sign you need behavioral disorder counseling;
- Patterns of disorganization, poor listening skills, detail neglect, procrastination, & difficulty meeting deadlines that adversely affect your academic or occupational functioning.
- Hyperactivity: Constant fidgeting like being in the throes of a sugar rush or on a four-day espresso bender; Inability to remain seated or engage in activities silently can be a sign for the need of behavioral disorder counseling.
- Impulsivity: Verbal diarrhea or blurting disease, in which you interrupt others to interject solutions to schoolwork, unrelated thoughts, or inappropriate comments; Chronic impatience and restless energy that make waiting your turn in line seem intolerable can be a sign for the need of behavioral disorder counseling.
Op-positional Defiant Disorder (Children, Adolescents, Teens)
- Hostility: Irritability, resentment, and explosive anger, including temper tantrums in all but very young children (The terrible twoswhile still TERRIBLE unfortunately don’t count…)
- Age Inappropriate Rule Breaking: Cursing like a sailor at age 3; Smoking or drinking alcohol at age 8; Spending your elementary years in in-school or out-of-school suspension for conduct offenses; Skipping school or staying out until midnight at age 11, etc.
- Disregard for Authority: Deliberate (and borderline aggressive) disrespect for authority figures, including parents, teachers, principals, guidance counselors, law enforcement officials, etc.
- Vindictive Behavior: Acts of calculated revenge can be a sign for the need of behavioral disorder counseling (For example: Destroying another child’s property after having a disagreement; Using social media to bully an attractive peer because of personal jealousy)
Conduct Disorder (Children, Adolescents, Teens)
- Cruelty: Deriving pleasure from torturing animals, younger children, or peers; Bullying, inciting fights, or committing acts of physical or sexual assault; Using actual—or fashioning homemade—weapons to intimidate another person.
- Juvenile Delinquency: Truancy (skipping school); Arson (setting fires); Vandalism (destroying property); Shoplifting; Breaking and Entering; Running away from home; Lying; etc.
- Absence of Remorse: Conspicuous lack of empathy or regret for the suffering caused to others.
How Can Behavioral Disorder Counseling Improve My Child’s or My Condition?
Although “bad” habits and aggressive actions can be difficult to undo—fortunately—a vast assortment of innovative and effective interventions exist that can retrain your child’s behavior and re-harness your concentration so that you both can excel in at work or in school. Depending upon your specific therapeutic needs, your therapist may recommend a combination of:
Behavioral Disorder Counseling
1. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Can be used to address thought processes that enable unhealthy behaviors (such as distractibility, hyperactivity, hostility, aggression, or defiance) to flourish; replacing these destructive cognitions with self-affirming and empathetic views allows for the development of more advantageous and compassionate behaviors.
2. Anger Management
Supports children, adolescents, and teens with oppositional defiant or conduct disorders to acquire skills for emotional regulation that minimize angry outbursts, defiant behaviors, and violent or vindictive tendencies.
3. Skills Development
Equips children and adults with ADHD with mechanisms to improve attention, reduce impulsivity, and avoid “waiting-until-the-last-minute” procrastination.
4. Medication Management
Our Lifeologie counselors practice in conjunction with several area physicians to prescribe and monitor medication use for ADHD, ODD, or CD.
5. Play Therapy
For smaller children with ADHD, ODD, or CD, structured play therapy can be used to encourage your child to communicate honestly and creatively about their condition and can offer opportunities to practice implementing attention skills.
6. Family Therapy
Addresses family dynamics that may contribute to your child’s behavior and offers support to parents who are at their wit’s end.
7. Trauma, Abuse, & Neglect Recovery
For children, adolescents, and teens with ODD or CD that stems from an incident of trauma, abuse, or neglect; examines how trauma can warp behavior and assists your child to break the “aggression” cycle.
8. Alternative Therapy
Therapeutic techniques such as psychotherapeutic yoga therapy, mindfulness, meditation, guided imagery, equine therapy, and expressive arts that reinforce self-soothing, emotional regulation, concentration, and creative expression.
