Oppositional Defiant Disorder Treatment

Oppositional Defiant Disorder Treatment
Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) is a psychiatric
behavior disorder that is characterized by aggressiveness
and a tendency to purposefully bother and irritate others.
These behaviors cause significant difficulties with family
and friends and at school or work.

Description

Oppositional defiant children show a consistent pattern of
refusing to follow commands or requests by adults. These
children repeatedly lose their temper, argue with adults,
and refuse to comply with rules and directions. They are
easily annoyed and blame others for their mistakes.
Children with ODD show a pattern of stubbornness and
frequently test limits, even in early childhood.

These children can be manipulative and often induce discord
in those around them. Commonly they turn attention away
from themselves by inciting parents and other family
members to fight with one another.

Behavioral Symptoms

Normal children occasionally have episodes of defiant
behavior, particularly during ages of transition such as 2
to 3 or the teenage years where the child uses defiance in
an attempt to assert himself. Children who are tired,
hungry, or upset may be defiant.

Oppositional defiant behavior is a matter of degree and
frequency. Children with Oppositional Defiant Disorder
display difficult behavior to the extent that it can
interfere with learning, school adjustment, and, sometimes,
with the child's social relationships.

Common behaviors seen in Oppositional Defiant Disorder
include:

-Losing his temper

-Arguing with adults

-Actively defying requests

-Refusing to follow rules

-Deliberately annoying other people

-Blaming others for one's own mistakes or misbehavior

-Being touchy, easily annoyed

-Being easily angered, resentful, spiteful, or vindictive

-Speaking harshly, or unkind when upset

-Seeking revenge

-Having frequent temper tantrums

Many parents report that their ODD children were rigid and
demanding from an early age.

Diagnosis

The diagnosis of ODD is not always straight forward and
needs to be made by a psychiatrist or some other qualified
mental health professional after a comprehensive evaluation.

If you feel your child may have ODD, there is a quick
screening test. Go to: ODD Screening Test

Causes

It is not clear what causes Oppositional Defiant Disorder.
There are currently two theories.

The developmental theory suggests that ODD is really a
result of incomplete development. For some reason, ODD
children never complete the developmental tasks that normal
children master during the toddler years. They get stuck in
the 2-3 year old defiant stage and never really grow out of
it.

The learning theory suggests that Oppositional Defiant
Disorder comes as a response to negative interactions. The
techniques used by parents and authority figures with these
children bring about the oppositional defiant behavior.

Co-morbidity

Oppositional Defiant Disorder usually does not occur alone.

50-65% of ODD children also have ADD ADHD 35% of these
children develop some form of affective disorder 20% have
some form of mood disorder, such as Bipolar Disorder or
anxiety 15% develop some form of personality disorder Many
of these children have learning disorders

Any child with Oppositional Defiant Disorder must be
evaluated for other disorders as well. If your child has
ODD it is imperative to find out what are the co-existing
problems. This is the key to treating the condition, as we
shall soon discuss.

Prognosis

So what happens to these children? There are four possible
paths.

Some will grow out of it. Half of the preschoolers that are
labeled ODD are normal by the age of 8. However, in older
ODD children, 75% will still fulfill the diagnostic
criteria later in life.

The ODD may turn into something else. 5-10 % of
preschoolers with ODD have their diagnosis changed from ODD
to ADHD.

In some children, the defiant behavior gets worse and these
children eventually are diagnosed with Conduct Disorder.
This progression usually happens fairly early. If a child
has ODD for 3-4 years and he hasn't developed Conduct
Disorder, then he won't ever develop it.

The child may continue to have ODD without any thing else.
This is unusual. By the time preschoolers with ODD are 8
years old, only 5% have ODD and nothing else.

The child develops other disorders in addition to ODD. This
is very common.

Treatment

Medical Intervention

There have been some recent studies that have examined the
effects of certain medications on Oppositional Defiant
Disorder. All the research is preliminary and just suggests
that certain treatments may help.

One study examined the use of Ritalin to treat children
with both ADHD and ODD. This study found that 90% of the
children treated with Ritalin no longer had the ODD by the
end of the study.

The researchers skewed the results a bit. A number of
children were dropped from the study because they wouldn't
comply with the treatment regimen. Still, if these children
are included as treatment failures the study still showed a
75% success rate.

There have been two studies examining the effect of
Strattera on children with both ADHD and ODD. One study
showed that Strattera helped with ODD, one study showed it
did not help.

There was a large Canadian study that showed that Risperdal
helped with aggressive behavior in children with below
normal intelligence. It did not matter if the child had
ADHD or not.

There was study showing that 80% of children with explosive
behavior improved when given the mood stabilizer,
divalproex.

There was another pilot study examining the use of Omega-3
oils and vitamin E in ODD children. Both helped the ODD
behavior to some degree.

Psychological Intervention

Parent management training is still viewed as the main
treatment for Oppositional Defiant Disorder. Our program,
How to Improve Your Child's Behavior which is available
online, or some other parent training program is still
considered essential if you want to help your child. Also,
the younger your child is when you enroll in such a
program, the better the results.

Conclusion: Advice to Parents

Currently, there is still far too little research on this
very common disorder.

Medically, the most important consideration is to treat
other disorders that come along with ODD. Considering that
Ritalin may help alleviate the problem in 75-90% of ODD
children who have ADHD, and considering that most children
with ODD also have some degree of ADHD, I feel that it is
very worth your while to try your ODD child on Ritalin
unless you know for sure that he does not have ADHD. The
other treatments may also be worth a try depending upon the
nature of your child.

I feel that using Omega-3 supplements and a vitamin E
supplement should be tried in all children. This is because
most children are deficient in these nutrients. Even if it
does not help with the ODD, it should make your child
healthier.

Parent training is still the most effective means of
dealing with Oppositional Defiant Disorder. The two main
drawbacks of most of these programs are the expense and the
availability.

Some practitioners charge $100 or more per visit and
considering the program will take several months costs add
up. Insurance usually will not pay for such programs. Many
parents complain to me that they can not afford the program
that their child so desperately needs.

In addition, these programs are not available everywhere.
Over the years, numerous parents have told me that where
they live there are no programs for Oppositional Defiant
Children.

I created How to Improve Your Child's Behavior to address
these two problems. It allows parents to help their
children regardless of where they live and at a cost that
is less than one office visit.

Even though it was an experiment to try to administer such
a program online and to date no one else is doing this,
over the past two years How to Improve Your Child's
Behavior has proven time and again to help parents gain
control of their defiant children.

It is tough to live with children who have ODD. However, if
you make sure that your child has his other problems
addressed and you improve your parenting skills by
enrolling in a parent training program, you can do a great
deal to improve your child's condition and his future.

Anthony Kane, MD ADD ADHD Advances

----------------------------------------------------
Anthony Kane, MD has been helping parents of ADHD and
Oppositional Defiant Disorder children online since 2003.
Get help for your Oppositional Defiant Disorder child. Go
to http://addadhdadvances.com/betterbehavior.html to learn
about How to Improve Your Child's Behavior. Get help with
defiant teens at http://addadhdadvances.com/ntpcentral.html
and ADHD treatment and ADHD information at
http://addadhdadvances.com/childyoulove.html .

Hot Tub Benefits for Watsu & Hydro Massage

Hot Tub Benefits for Watsu & Hydro Massage
What an outstanding way to get that water therapy that you
so richly deserve and need.

At the same time helping to relax and refresh your mind,
body and soul and provide you with the relaxation and break
that you deserve from your Hot Tub.

The physical properties of water means that it a very
useful medium in which to exercise and at the same time
treat muscle, neck and back pain. The natural advantages
that water provides to help with Hydro massage and
Hydrotherapy is of course related to the Buoyancy and
Viscosity effect of water.

Buoyancy and Semi Buoyancy - The flotation effect of water
helps to a considerable degree to counter balance gravity
and this of course helps to support our own body weight and
this can be controlled by using different massage seats in
the Hot Tub.

This semi buoyancy can be a support to the development of
improved balance and strength and some simple exercises
such as flexing and stretching can be carried out in a warm
welcoming environment.

Watsu is a water based treatment that combines water with
Shiatsu, which is a long established Japanese Massage
technique where pressure massage is applied to the body
energy points following the lines of chi, or quite simply
the body's own energy channels.

Watsu was developed in 1980 by Harold Dull, who had spent
time in Japan to study Zen Shiatsu, which is a system of
body of massage that uses stretches and pressure points in
the body to blockages. When in the United States of America
Harold Dull promoted the idea of the benefits of performing
Shiatsu and related stretches in warm water.

Watsu, just like reflexology, can help enhance feelings of
well-being and relaxation.

A heated Hot Tub is good for a Watsu massage session.
Floating in warm water with Buoyancy and semi Buoyancy
supported by the Watsu practitioner, the person receiving
the treatment slips gently in to a pleasant state of
relaxation as gentle massage and stretching is applied to
specific energy points in the body.

There are two reasons among others why water is so
beneficial for massage treatment:-

1.Viscosity - Water naturally provides resistance by means
of gentle friction and this coupled with a mixture of
pressure provided by warmed Water and Air Jets allows one
to strengthen and improve the condition of aches and pains
while reducing the risk of further injury due to loss of
balance.

2.Hydrostatic pressure - there are powerful effects
produced by hydrostatic pressure that improve heart and
lung function, making some gentle exercise a very useful
way to maintain and strengthen heart and lung function.
This pressure effect also aids in improving muscle blood
flow.

These properties when combined allow for the beneficial
treatment of aches & pains but due to the buoyancy and
semi-buoyancy effect which allows you to reduce the weight
placed on the body while stretching in the Hot Tub.

Individuals with say stiffness and osteoarthritis in the
neck and shoulder could practice simply arm circles or try
rolling their shoulders gently in the water to help improve
their range of motion and strength.

The water provides both mild resistance and pleasant
support through buoyancy, the person would probably not
experience the pain caused when a tired arm drops suddenly,
as it can do at the end of other exercises.

The concept of pain is usually substantially reduced a
result of many factors including the relaxing sounds as
well as the warmth of the water provided by the Hot Tub
often making this a very pleasurable experience.

The buoyancy effect of the water naturally allows a much
wider range of positions in the Hot Tub due to the semi
weightless effect of the water.

----------------------------------------------------
The author supplies premium quality American Hot Tubs on
the Costa Del Sol In Spain and his web site is at
http://www.spas4you.com

Reducing Wrinkles: Is There A Way?

Reducing Wrinkles: Is There A Way?
Reducing wrinkles is something that many of us look forward
to doing. As the body ages, so does the skin. The sun, our
diets and just our hereditary genes play a role in just how
much we have to deal with this condition.

One thing is for sure. If you don't want to look your age,
wrinkles are something that should be on your mind.
Engraved in the minds of all of us is that thought that if
we have wrinkles, that it is a sign of being old? Yet,
remember that wrinkles can happen at virtually any time
during your life. That means you may look older than you
feel or actually are.

One of the most important things for you to do in order to
tackle the well being of your skin is to be educated about
it. Start by taking a look at what a wrinkle actually is.
It is a ridge where the skin is no longer flat.

Fine wrinkles just look like tiny lines but they are the
first stages of much more drastic looking wrinkles. The
folds of your skin, which is what wrinkles really are, can
happen for a number of reasons. In theory, they are due to
the skin becoming more elastic and the tissue underneath
the skin becoming too loose or even removed partially.

Why did you have to get wrinkles? Most of the time,
wrinkles are a part of everyone's aging process. The skin
becomes looser as a result of losing collagen underneath.
When that happens, the skin will fold naturally with
gravity. For some, the extreme amount of wrinkles that they
have can be due to over exposure to the sun, to a lack of a
nutritious diet and even to hereditary factors.

Is there something that you can do about these conditions?
There are. In fact, there are many things that you can do.
Start with giving yourself the nutrients that your body
needs to keep your skin looking amazing.

There are over the counter treatments for wrinkles, too.
Some of these work, while others do not. You can resort to
plastic surgery or to chemical injections to restore the
missing collagen. There are a number of ways to improve the
look of your face and skin.

One simple and least costly way of improving your looks is
a healthy diet. When it comes to having a healthy diet,
experts will tell you that most people just don't get it.
Yet, if you are aging, now is the most important time in
your life to be thinking about this factor. What you eat
plays a large role in the healthy glow that you have. If
you don't eat well, you are more prone to having to deal
with dreaded wrinkles. If you would like to reduce
wrinkles, one of the best things for you to do is to eat a
well balanced diet.

There are many things that play a role in the health of
your body. While germs and hereditary do play a role to
some degree in your wrinkles; that is not all that effects
it. In fact, many women and men will have wrinkles well
before the age deems it to be necessary. This has a lot to
do with the healthy diet that you probably are not getting.

How can your diet actually affect your wrinkles? First and
foremost, understand that wrinkles can be caused by a
number of things including the inability of the body to
keep hold of a substance called collagen. When your body
loses this, it is your skin will become looser and that
leads to wrinkles. If you give your body the right
nutrients to power through these situations, you can
actually walk away with fewer wrinkles and improve skin
care.

One thing to consider eating is more vegetables.
Vegetables contain antioxidants, which are true warriors in
fighting many health risks. These compounds get into your
blood stream and literally clean out the cells. By doing
this, they allow blood to easily work through the body.
When that happens, your skin looks amazing and full. In
fact, antioxidants are a play a key role in reducing your
wrinkles.

What should you eat? To reduce the wrinkles that you
currently have or to help prevent even more from showing
up, consume a diet that is rich in antioxidants. Eat a diet
that is balanced in fresh vegetables, lean meats and
unsaturated fats. These things will lead to a healthy diet
that offers many benefits to your overall well being. When
you give your body the tools that it needs, it will be
better able to reduce wrinkles and give you glowing
beautiful skin.

----------------------------------------------------
Jim Moore has spent the last 20 years as a professional
writer working for some of the world's largest companies.
Jim's personal goal is to pass on what knowledge he has
gained throughout his career to help as many people as
possible.
http://www.controlwrinkles.com

Relieve Stress Naturally And Improve Health With Flaxseed Oil

Relieve Stress Naturally And Improve Health With Flaxseed Oil
We are well aware of how stressful our lives have become
with financial, relationship, family and many other
concerns. We have learned over and over how stress can
take a harmful toll on our mental and physical health.
This is a very serious health concern that we often
underestimate. Stress affects digestion, heart function,
blood pressure, weight gain and loss, blood sugar levels,
sleep patterns, and lower our immune system leaving us open
to viruses and infections.

Unfortunately, many of the prescription synthetic drugs
people are given to help them reduce and cope with stress,
e.g. prescription antidepressants, carry the high potential
of unwanted, harmful physical and emotional side effects.
Because of this, many of us have began to discover the
benefit of natural compounds and substances which help to
relieve stress and it's harm to our health. These natural
supplements from plants relieve stress without potential
for harmful side effects and often have health benefits
beyond natural stress relief for our overall health and
well being.

Many studies have shown that those of us who have added
flaxseed oil supplements to our diet are able to
emotionally cope with stress with much more ease and with
far less physical harm from stress. Flaxseed oil is a blue
flowering plant that is grown on the Western Canadian
Prairies for it's seeds which are rich in health improving
oil containing high levels of Omega 3. Most of us report a
feeling of comfort and calmness when taking flaxseed oil
with Omega 3. Omega 3 maintains optimal levels of serotonin
in our brains. Serotonin is responsible for nerve
connections and emotional response recognition. This helps
us cope more easily with any stressful disturbance in our
lives. Flaxseed oil also contains tryptophan which is an
amino acid and a serotonin stabilizer. Tryptophan helps
relieve anxiety and depression. Flaxseed oil helps us
maintain a healthy blood sugar level to help us remain calm
and stable. Flaxseed oil inhibits the body's production of
arachidonic acid and other stress causing chemicals.
Flaxseed oil also contains B vitamins, potassium, and
magnesium which have long been known to help with stress
relief and health improvement. The Omega 3 in flaxseed oil
is an essential fatty acid which are essential for the
function and physiology of our brain. Omega 3 improves
cognition, memory , emotional stability, mood,
concentration and restful sleep which are essential for
dealing with stress and it's potential for harming
emotional and physical health.

Flaxseed oil supplements are coming to be known as possibly
the most beneficial health improving supplement next to a
multivitamin. Flaxseed oil contains omega 6, omega 9, B
vitamins, potassium, lecithin, magnesium, fiber, protein,
zinc, and, most importantly, 50 % more Omega 3 than can be
obtained from fish oil. Omega 3 helps reduce cholesterol,
blood pressure, plaque, and cardiovascular arrhythmia.
Omega 3 helps to lower cholesterol and blood triglycerides
and prevent clots in arteries and is therefore of great
benefit in prevention of strokes, heart attackes and
thromboses.Flaxseed oil helps relieve arthritis and
inflammation of joints. Omega 3 has been known to kill
certain cancer cells without harming healthy cells. Omega 3
helps with skin problems like acne, eczema and psoriasis.
Flaxseed oil contains soluble and insoluble fiber that
cleans the colon of toxic material, metabolic waste, heavy
metals and dried mucus and well as being an excellent food
for healthy intestinal bacterial flora which fights
disease. Flaxseed oil contains a complete amino acid
spectrum. There is about 25 g of protein for every 100g of
flaxseed oil. Flaxseed contains more lignans than
vegetables and whole grains. Lignans have anti-cancer,
anti-viral and anti-bacterial benefits, as well as
antioxidant properties.

Flaxseed oil has been shown to be of benefit for reducing
high blood pressure, water retention, strengthening immune
system, recovery for fatigued muscles, increased energy and
stamina, healing of sprains and bruises, weight loss by
increasing the metabolic rate that burns fat, improving the
absorption of Calcium, strengthening finger and toe nails,
improvement of eyesight and perception of colors, improved
liver function, relief of some allergies and asthma as it
improves respiratory function, relief of premenstrual
syndrome in females, elimination of constipation and/or
diarrhea and, of course, improved brain function.

If we are experiencing the normal stress of living or
excess stress from conflict or crisis, we can help
ourselves greatly by taking advantage of the properties of
flaxseed oil supplements that reduce the harmful effects of
stress on our emotional and physical health. In addition,
we can experience the many, wide spectrum, health-promoting
benefits that flaxseed oil can provide for us.

----------------------------------------------------
Jenny has more than twenty years experience with all
natural health care products. More information about the
stress reducing benefit of flaxseed oil and other natural
stress relief products is available at =>

http://www.sweetmedicineessentials.com/natural-depression-re
lief-c-35.html

Psoriasis Treatments: Keeping Moist

Psoriasis Treatments: Keeping Moist
Psoriasis is a condition of the skin. It flares up in the
form of scaly red dry patches causing unsightly patches and
much discomfort. Some with psoriasis become very self
conscious about their appearance. Some will not even leave
their homes without being sufficiently covered. Psoriasis
can be an unsightly and uncomfortable disease.

Those that suffer from it equate their flare ups with
having an unwanted guest. They suddenly show up, irritate
you and know one knows what to do with them. There are
several treatments for this skin condition that can range
from itchy to down right painful. For any psoriasis
sufferer, the first port of call should be your doctor.
However, never be afraid to ask your doctor about home
remedies that can help your condition. One such home remedy
is keeping the skin moist.

Keeping the skin moist can be done in a variety of ways.
Soaking the skin is a very effective way. By taking warm
baths, soaking and swimming, you're helping to re-hydrate
the skin. This can also help to remove some of the dry,
hard scaly skin that can develop. Soaking helps the skin
stay moist as well as reduces the itching. The scaly skin,
which can act as a barrier to many creams and medications
can be removed more easily. If your don't wish to soak or
don't have the time, applying cool wet compressed to the
areas can also help.

It is important to remember that if you soak frequently,
you should apply some moisturizer straight after. Soaking
can remove some of the skins natural oils. Doing this too
often without re-moisturizing the skin can actually make
the problem worse. Make sure, at least within 3 minutes of
your soak, you apply a moisturizer with heavy emollient.
This will replace what was lost by the soak and help your
skin stay moisturized.

Creams can also help you overcome your psoriasis condition.
There are several moisturizers that you can by but these
can be quite expensive. The costs can add up quite quickly
as well if your condition is wide spread and serious. If
you have cooking oils, petroleum jelly or lard around your
house, you have some of the best treatments. All of these
items help moisturize the skin and lock the essential oils
in. they also offer symptom relief from psoriasis itself.
Most of us have one or even all of these items in our
homes. They are just as good if not better than many of the
hand creams you can buy and cost much less.

Keeping you skin clean is important for anyone. It is
especially important for the psoriasis sufferer. Dirty skin
can lead to infections. These can make the skin condition
worse as well as create illness. One problem with keeping
the skin clean is that many soaps can dry the skin out.
Psoriasis sufferers must be careful with cleansers. At very
least, choose a mild soap. If your psoriasis is quite
severe then you may have to opt for a soap free option. You
doctor or pharmacist will be able to advise you on which
products will be best.

If one suffers from psoriasis, keeping the skin moist is
essential. Dry skin can be irritating, itchy and even cause
injury. Extremely dry skin can reduce flexibility and limit
movements. It can also lead to skin breakage which can
cause bleeding. Moisturizers are available but can be
expensive. If you don't want to spend loads at the pharmacy
use cooking oils and petroleum jelly. These are just as
good and will save a fortune. Use caution in choosing
soaps. Cleanliness is important but certain soaps can
worsen you condition. By keeping you skin moist, you can
improve your skins condition and feel much better.

If you are a psoriasis sufferer, you may want to invest in
a humidifier. Keeping moisture in the air may help reduce
your psoriasis symptoms. We all hear of the benefits of dry
heat but in the case of a psoriasis sufferer, the opposite
is true. Dry heat and dry air equals dry skin. This can
inflame the skin and make the condition worse.

Psoriasis can be an irritating and painful disease. It can
create unsightly patches of skin and leave the sufferer
self conscious of their appearance. Treating psoriasis can
require medical attention; however there are several home
treatments that deserve a try. Keeping the skin moist, with
regular soaks and moisturizers can help minimize the
symptoms and improve skin quality.

----------------------------------------------------
Jim Moore has spent the last 20 years as a professional
writer working for some of the world's largest companies.
Jim's personal goal is to pass on what knowledge he has
gained throughout his career to help as many people as
possible.
http://www.psoriasisprevention.com