ODD: Oppositional Defiant Disorder

Janice

Thanks Janice ... All fine here.  We've had the scares, but none of the impact.  Our shutters have been up for weeks ... since we were under a Hurricane Warning from Frances ... We've taken down enough so that we get light in the house, and put our patio furniture back outside ... but most of the shutters are still up (and will be probably 'til the rest of these storms pass, and I've not put the blades back on the ceiling fans on my patio yet.)  Stressful way to live ... especially since DH and I both work in the insurance industry.  (Hurricanes affect us personally ... but it makes work even more stressful than ever!) 

Hope you're doing o.k.

Thanks, again, for checking up on us ...

We are fine. We are in the process of weaning Caleb off the two medications he was on (10mg regular adderall twice a day, and .25mg seroquell two at 8pm). He had turned into a very angry, very violent little kid, and I had taken all I could take.

Had a new evaluation done, and his biggest diagnosis is a severe anxiety disorder stemming from his year in foster care at age 4-with everything else sorta being caused by it. And even I know you can't really treat anxiety with stimulants!

Been 5 days now on just one of each---adderal at noon and the one seroquel before bed. We are all still here! I see two big differences---one being he is constantly talking and pretty active--I can handle that for the most part-and the absolute absense of the deep anger and frustration that he had constantly. It is like looking at a different kid! He gets angry sure, but it is like a flash, and gone. He has been so pleasant and happy go lucky for the most part that it makes me KNOW we are on the right track. For my part, I am going to leave him off everything til it becomes absolutely necessary to put him back on something.........and since he is homeschooled, his talking and such isn't going to be a real problem.

Take care, and try not to let work get to you!

Janice

Hey Janice ... Definitely sounds like you're on the right track with him.  You do need to have the right diagnosis in order to find the right meds ... found that one out with Kevin, of course.  And, if you can work with him without meds, all the better.  (I'm not anti-meds, as you know, but do know that sometimes these kids are better off without them ... or sometimes they lose their effectiveness.  And, as they grow, mature and develop and change, the meds that once were effective may not be any longer ... so it's a constant juggling act.)  Kevin's been med-free (successfully) now for 15 months, and things have never been better.  It's not 'perfect' of course ... but I think what we're getting now is that pre-teen (he'll be 13 in Nov, ARGH!) attitude.  Not that I'm enjoying it, of course, but at least I can handle it.  LOL 

I hope the weaning process isn't too difficult, for either of you.  It does show what the meds do for them, however, doesn't it?

Good luck ... keep us posted on his progress.

Ought to be interesting today, since he spent last night at his moms, and then has to be with her til I get off work at noon, and THEN we go to his counseling appointment. If he can maintain well through today we are going to be happy campers.

He is more hyper--bouncy and talkative--but hey, I would much rather have that than the anger and violence! I wonder about bedtime though. If it were just me and him, I would let him stay up til 11:30 after the news went off-since he can sleep in mornings----however, I have Bailey, and she is so adamant about things being "FAIR" between her and Caleb. She can't stay up til 11:30 and still get up-----------and she isn't going to listen to reason. Caleb also isn't going to go back there to bed without me going with him, because of his anxiety issues. We will see.

Take care,
Janice