Q. I recently took my 6 year old to a psychiatrist and she was diagnosed ADD and compulsive defiance disorder and I was wondering if you had any info about the defiance disorder or where I could go to learn more about it and how to deal with it your response would be much appreciated.
A. I am not sure what your daughter's diagnosis is. If it is obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) or oppositional defiant disorder. The first is 50% boys and 50% girls. The latter is about 90% diagnosed in boys.
OCD is treated the same way in kids as adults. It is a biological disorder and needs biological treatment. Luvox, Prozac, and Zoloft all work well. Therapy is very beneficial after the medications start to work.
Oppositional Defiant Disorder is usually a diagnosis that is used to describe antisocial children. You are not supposed to make a diagnosis of antisocial personality until the children are older. Oppositional defiant disorder can also be a prequel to borderline personality disorder. Treatment in oppositional defiant disorder should consist of medications and therapy, and should be aggressive. The children start to go down the wrong path in life with this disorder--teachers do not like them, other kids do not like them, grades go down--and it is very hard to get back on the right track. I like EffexorXR in these kids, but it would depend on the symptoms they present with.
