Frequently Asked Questions concerning Emotional Disturbance (ED)
What is conduct disorder? (conduct disorder is under the umbrella of ED)
The diagnosis of conduct disorder refers to a set of ongoing behavioral and emotional problems displayed by a child or adolescent who typically demonstrates little or no concern for the rights or needs of others. The behavior is clearly outside of what is considered normal or acceptable and is consistently troubling to others. What is most troubling is that many of these teenagers show little remorse, guilt or understanding of the damage and pain caused by their behavior. It is among the most frequently diagnosed childhood disorders in outpatient and inpatient mental health facilities. It occurs in one to four percent of nine to seventeen year olds and is far more common in boys. However, adolescent girls are increasingly being diagnosed with the disorder.
The earlier a child displays extremely disturbed behavior, the worse the prognosis. The teen with a conduct disorder has moved from being disobedient and disrespectful (behaviors characteristic of oppositional defiant disorder) to violating the rights of others with aggression and illegal activity. The behaviors are repetitive and persistent and occur in multiple settings.
Symptoms of conduct disorder are divided into four major categories:
What are the causes and consequences of conduct disorder?
The diagnosis of conduct disorder implies a multitude of potential criminal behaviors as well as numerous possible biological, psychiatric and social problems. Behaviors associated with conduct disorder can indicate very different underlying problems. There is often a mixture of biological and genetic vulnerabilities combined with significant environmental and individual characteristics. Neurobiological problems can include such things as motor delays, memory problems, language difficulties and other assorted learning disabilities. These deficits, especially if unrecognized, can contribute to problems with judgment, difficulty modulating and expressing feelings, increased anger and frustration, low self esteem and a sense of alienation.
Physical, sexual and emotional abuse can also be contributing factors to the development of conduct disorder. Maternal rejection, early separation from parents without an adequate caregiver, and early institutionalization are all risk factors. Antisocial behaviors abound in poor inner city areas with high rates of family instability, social disorganization, infant mortality and morbidity and severe mental illness. Conduct disorder is often associated with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and substance abuse. Suicidal behavior and self-mutilating behavior are not uncommon with teenagers who have conduct disorder.
What is the best way to treat a child with conduct disorder?
Because youngsters with conduct disorders have a myriad of biological, psychological and social vulnerabilities, a combination of treatment methods targeting each area is most effective. Early recognition of youngsters at risk for conduct disorder and early intervention is most beneficial. A youngster with severe and chronic behavior problems will need a comprehensive evaluation which includes individual interviews with the child and his family, a detailed medical history, family profile and psychological testing. A psychoeducational evaluation may uncover intellectual and learning problems that could contribute to academic and behavioral problems that in turn put the adolescent at risk for truancy and disruptive behaviors.
A variety of treatment methods are available. Psychotherpies include parent management training, individual therapy, family therapy and social skills training. Through such programs, a youngster can learn to identify problems, recognize causes, appreciate consequences, learn to verbalize feelings, and consider alternative ways of handling difficult situations.
School based treatment programs, including residential therapy programs, can be helpful in trying to help a teen achieve academic success and improve their self-esteem.
Medications can be helpful to treat underlying and associated medial conditions such as ADHD, depression, bipolar disorder, and anxiety.
While not all youngsters with conduct disorder symptoms go on to become antisocial or criminal adults, ongoing adequate medical, emotional, educational and social supports are required for many years if teenagers with severely disturbed behavior are to go on to live meaningful lives and to become productive members of society.
What causes anxiety disorders?
Researchers are learning that anxiety disorders run in families, and that they have a biological basis, much like allergies or diabetes and other disorders. Anxiety disorders may develop from a complex set of risk factors, including genetics, brain chemistry, personality, and life events (http://www.adaa.org/faq#n327)
What is the best way to treat children with anxiety disorders?
Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and medication are effective in treating children with anxiety disorders. Recent research found that a combination of CBT and an antidepressant worked better for children ages 7-17 than either treatment alone.
Because one child may respond better, or sooner, to a particular treatment than another child with the same diagnosis, it’s important to discuss with your doctor or therapist how to decide which treatment works best for your child and family lifestyle.http://www.adaa.org/faq#n327
How is bipolar disorder diagnosed?
Bipolar disorder typically develops during the adolescent years. One of the signs of bipolar disorder is a condition known as "hypomania." During this phase there is a sudden rush of unusual energy the patient often perceives as productivity. Left untreated, however, hypomania can progress to severe mania and in some people, is followed by depression. A true manic episode is diagnosed if an elevated mood occurs with three or more of the symptoms most of the day, nearly every day, for at least one week. If irritability is present, then four or more symptoms are required for diagnosis.A depressive episode is said to exist if five or more symptoms exist for most of the day, every day, for two weeks or more.A psychiatrist is usually the type of doctor who makes the determination of bipolar disorder. Frequently blood and urine tests are done to rule out drug use as the cause of symptoms, or certain illnesses, such as thyroid disorder.
http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/frequently-asked-questions-about-bipolar-disorder
Can someone have a medical condition that appears to be bipolar disorder but actually is something else?
Certain conditions mimic mood disorders, including bipolar disorder. Common ones are:
What are eating disorders?
An eating disorder is a collection of interrelated eating habits, weight management practices, attitudes about food, weight and body shape that have become disordered. Some common features of eating disorders include an irrational fear of fat, dissatisfaction with one's body often coupled with a distorted perception of body shape, unhealthy weight management, or extreme food intake. This disordered eating behavior is usually an effort to solve a variety of emotional difficulties in which the individual feels out of control. Anyone can develop an eating disorder—males and females of all social and economic classes, races and intelligence levels.
There are three primary eating disorders. They are Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa and Binge Eating Disorder. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/body/eating-disorders-faq.html#causes
What causes an eating disorder?
Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia are very complicated disorders and the reasons for developing them can be different from one person to the next. Although many view these behaviors as self-destructive acts, most individuals who develop eating disorders do not perceive their behaviors as self-harmful. To the contrary, most patients feel that they begin the behaviors to try to fix problems they are experiencing in their lives.
The most common reason that we hear from people about why they develop anorexia or bulimia is that at one point in time they felt terribly out of control. This loss of control could be something they were feeling inside themselves or something that was happening to them from their outside environment. The experience of being out of control directly affects their feelings about themselves and usually results in low self-esteem. The following are some of the most common causes of eating disorders:
Major Life Transitions
Family Problems
Social/Romantic Problems
Failure at School, Work, or Competitive Events
Traumatic Event
Biological Vulnerability to other Psychiatric Illnesses
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/body/eating-disorders-faq.html#causes
What is OCD?
OCD stands for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. It is a disorder which causes an individual to have intrusive thoughts of a frightening or disturbing nature, which in turn may cause the person to do things repeatedly. They might perform certain rituals to guard against danger, or clean one's self or personal areas of home or work again and again. Also see the fact sheet about OCD to answer more OCD questions
http://www.brainphysics.com/ocdfaq.php#whatis
What is psychosis?
Psychosis is a severe mental disorder that can cause people to lose contact with reality and have abnormal perceptions, including delusions, hallucinations and confused thoughts. There are several forms of psychotic disorders, including schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, delusional disorder, thought disorder and substance-induced psychotic disorder. Schizophrenia is a lifetime illness with symptoms requiring ongoing medication and therapy. Psychosis can also be experienced during the manic phase of bipolar disorder and can be triggered by such issues as stress and drug use.
What are the symptoms of psychosis?
Psychosis leads to changes in a person’s behavior, such as lacking motivation, energy, goals and emotions. Symptoms include:
The diagnosis of conduct disorder refers to a set of ongoing behavioral and emotional problems displayed by a child or adolescent who typically demonstrates little or no concern for the rights or needs of others. The behavior is clearly outside of what is considered normal or acceptable and is consistently troubling to others. What is most troubling is that many of these teenagers show little remorse, guilt or understanding of the damage and pain caused by their behavior. It is among the most frequently diagnosed childhood disorders in outpatient and inpatient mental health facilities. It occurs in one to four percent of nine to seventeen year olds and is far more common in boys. However, adolescent girls are increasingly being diagnosed with the disorder.
The earlier a child displays extremely disturbed behavior, the worse the prognosis. The teen with a conduct disorder has moved from being disobedient and disrespectful (behaviors characteristic of oppositional defiant disorder) to violating the rights of others with aggression and illegal activity. The behaviors are repetitive and persistent and occur in multiple settings.
Symptoms of conduct disorder are divided into four major categories:
- Aggression to people and animals and is characterized by such behaviors as bullying, threatening, intimidating, fighting, cruelty to people and animals, use of a weapon and theft while confronting a victim,
- Destruction of property characterized by fire setting or deliberately destroying others’ property
- Deceitfulness and theft
- Serious violation of rules such as running away or truancy before the age of thirteen and breaking curfew.
What are the causes and consequences of conduct disorder?
The diagnosis of conduct disorder implies a multitude of potential criminal behaviors as well as numerous possible biological, psychiatric and social problems. Behaviors associated with conduct disorder can indicate very different underlying problems. There is often a mixture of biological and genetic vulnerabilities combined with significant environmental and individual characteristics. Neurobiological problems can include such things as motor delays, memory problems, language difficulties and other assorted learning disabilities. These deficits, especially if unrecognized, can contribute to problems with judgment, difficulty modulating and expressing feelings, increased anger and frustration, low self esteem and a sense of alienation.
Physical, sexual and emotional abuse can also be contributing factors to the development of conduct disorder. Maternal rejection, early separation from parents without an adequate caregiver, and early institutionalization are all risk factors. Antisocial behaviors abound in poor inner city areas with high rates of family instability, social disorganization, infant mortality and morbidity and severe mental illness. Conduct disorder is often associated with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and substance abuse. Suicidal behavior and self-mutilating behavior are not uncommon with teenagers who have conduct disorder.
What is the best way to treat a child with conduct disorder?
Because youngsters with conduct disorders have a myriad of biological, psychological and social vulnerabilities, a combination of treatment methods targeting each area is most effective. Early recognition of youngsters at risk for conduct disorder and early intervention is most beneficial. A youngster with severe and chronic behavior problems will need a comprehensive evaluation which includes individual interviews with the child and his family, a detailed medical history, family profile and psychological testing. A psychoeducational evaluation may uncover intellectual and learning problems that could contribute to academic and behavioral problems that in turn put the adolescent at risk for truancy and disruptive behaviors.
A variety of treatment methods are available. Psychotherpies include parent management training, individual therapy, family therapy and social skills training. Through such programs, a youngster can learn to identify problems, recognize causes, appreciate consequences, learn to verbalize feelings, and consider alternative ways of handling difficult situations.
School based treatment programs, including residential therapy programs, can be helpful in trying to help a teen achieve academic success and improve their self-esteem.
Medications can be helpful to treat underlying and associated medial conditions such as ADHD, depression, bipolar disorder, and anxiety.
While not all youngsters with conduct disorder symptoms go on to become antisocial or criminal adults, ongoing adequate medical, emotional, educational and social supports are required for many years if teenagers with severely disturbed behavior are to go on to live meaningful lives and to become productive members of society.
What causes anxiety disorders?
Researchers are learning that anxiety disorders run in families, and that they have a biological basis, much like allergies or diabetes and other disorders. Anxiety disorders may develop from a complex set of risk factors, including genetics, brain chemistry, personality, and life events (http://www.adaa.org/faq#n327)
What is the best way to treat children with anxiety disorders?
Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and medication are effective in treating children with anxiety disorders. Recent research found that a combination of CBT and an antidepressant worked better for children ages 7-17 than either treatment alone.
Because one child may respond better, or sooner, to a particular treatment than another child with the same diagnosis, it’s important to discuss with your doctor or therapist how to decide which treatment works best for your child and family lifestyle.http://www.adaa.org/faq#n327
How is bipolar disorder diagnosed?
Bipolar disorder typically develops during the adolescent years. One of the signs of bipolar disorder is a condition known as "hypomania." During this phase there is a sudden rush of unusual energy the patient often perceives as productivity. Left untreated, however, hypomania can progress to severe mania and in some people, is followed by depression. A true manic episode is diagnosed if an elevated mood occurs with three or more of the symptoms most of the day, nearly every day, for at least one week. If irritability is present, then four or more symptoms are required for diagnosis.A depressive episode is said to exist if five or more symptoms exist for most of the day, every day, for two weeks or more.A psychiatrist is usually the type of doctor who makes the determination of bipolar disorder. Frequently blood and urine tests are done to rule out drug use as the cause of symptoms, or certain illnesses, such as thyroid disorder.
http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/frequently-asked-questions-about-bipolar-disorder
Can someone have a medical condition that appears to be bipolar disorder but actually is something else?
Certain conditions mimic mood disorders, including bipolar disorder. Common ones are:
- thyroid conditions
- neurological diseases, such as multiple sclerosis, brain tumors, stroke or epilepsy
- infections of the brain from conditions such as HIV infection, syphilis, sleep apnea and lyme disease
- deficiencies of certain vitamins, such as vitamin B12
- corticosteroid use, especially in high doses
- medicine used to prevent diseases like tuberculosis and AIDS
What are eating disorders?
An eating disorder is a collection of interrelated eating habits, weight management practices, attitudes about food, weight and body shape that have become disordered. Some common features of eating disorders include an irrational fear of fat, dissatisfaction with one's body often coupled with a distorted perception of body shape, unhealthy weight management, or extreme food intake. This disordered eating behavior is usually an effort to solve a variety of emotional difficulties in which the individual feels out of control. Anyone can develop an eating disorder—males and females of all social and economic classes, races and intelligence levels.
There are three primary eating disorders. They are Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa and Binge Eating Disorder. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/body/eating-disorders-faq.html#causes
What causes an eating disorder?
Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia are very complicated disorders and the reasons for developing them can be different from one person to the next. Although many view these behaviors as self-destructive acts, most individuals who develop eating disorders do not perceive their behaviors as self-harmful. To the contrary, most patients feel that they begin the behaviors to try to fix problems they are experiencing in their lives.
The most common reason that we hear from people about why they develop anorexia or bulimia is that at one point in time they felt terribly out of control. This loss of control could be something they were feeling inside themselves or something that was happening to them from their outside environment. The experience of being out of control directly affects their feelings about themselves and usually results in low self-esteem. The following are some of the most common causes of eating disorders:
Major Life Transitions
Family Problems
Social/Romantic Problems
Failure at School, Work, or Competitive Events
Traumatic Event
Biological Vulnerability to other Psychiatric Illnesses
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/body/eating-disorders-faq.html#causes
What is OCD?
OCD stands for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. It is a disorder which causes an individual to have intrusive thoughts of a frightening or disturbing nature, which in turn may cause the person to do things repeatedly. They might perform certain rituals to guard against danger, or clean one's self or personal areas of home or work again and again. Also see the fact sheet about OCD to answer more OCD questions
http://www.brainphysics.com/ocdfaq.php#whatis
What is psychosis?
Psychosis is a severe mental disorder that can cause people to lose contact with reality and have abnormal perceptions, including delusions, hallucinations and confused thoughts. There are several forms of psychotic disorders, including schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, delusional disorder, thought disorder and substance-induced psychotic disorder. Schizophrenia is a lifetime illness with symptoms requiring ongoing medication and therapy. Psychosis can also be experienced during the manic phase of bipolar disorder and can be triggered by such issues as stress and drug use.
What are the symptoms of psychosis?
Psychosis leads to changes in a person’s behavior, such as lacking motivation, energy, goals and emotions. Symptoms include:
- delusions – bizarre beliefs that reflect an altered sense of reality, including the persecutory delusion of being spied upon or being the target of a sinister plot
- hallucinations – sensory disturbances, most commonly the hearing of disturbing or abusive voices or sounds that appear to come from nowhere and that no one else can hear
- irrational behavior and thoughts – disorganized speech due to jumbled and confused thoughts, and corresponding unpredictable moods and behavior.
References
Bressert, S. (n.d.). Frequently asked questions about bipolar disorder [Fact sheet]. Retrieved from
PsychCentral website: http://psychcentral.com/lib/2006/ frequently-asked-questions-about-bipolar-disorder/
Conduct disorder faqs [Fact sheet]. (n.d.). Retrieved November 14, 2012, from American Academy of
Child & Adolescent Psychiatry website: http://www.aacap.org/cs/ConductDisorders.ResourceCenter/
faqs#cdfaq2
[FAQs about anxiety disorder] [Fact sheet]. (n.d.). Retrieved November 14, 2012, from Anxiety and Depression Association of America website: http://www.adaa.org/faq#n327
Frequently asked questions about bipolar disorder. (n.d.). Retrieved November 14, 2012, from WebMD website: http://www.webmd.com/a-to- z-guides/frequently-asked-questions-about-bipolar-disorder
Frequently asked questions about psychosis. (2012). Retrieved from http://www.wesleymission.org.au/centres/hospital/Patients/Psychosis/FAQ.asp
Johnson, C. (2000, December 1). Eating disorders: FAQ. Retrieved November 14, 2012, from NOVA
website: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/body/eating-disorders-faq.html#causes
OCD questions. (n.d.). Retrieved November 14, 2012, from http://www.brainphysics.com/
ocdfaq.php#whatis
PsychCentral website: http://psychcentral.com/lib/2006/ frequently-asked-questions-about-bipolar-disorder/
Conduct disorder faqs [Fact sheet]. (n.d.). Retrieved November 14, 2012, from American Academy of
Child & Adolescent Psychiatry website: http://www.aacap.org/cs/ConductDisorders.ResourceCenter/
faqs#cdfaq2
[FAQs about anxiety disorder] [Fact sheet]. (n.d.). Retrieved November 14, 2012, from Anxiety and Depression Association of America website: http://www.adaa.org/faq#n327
Frequently asked questions about bipolar disorder. (n.d.). Retrieved November 14, 2012, from WebMD website: http://www.webmd.com/a-to- z-guides/frequently-asked-questions-about-bipolar-disorder
Frequently asked questions about psychosis. (2012). Retrieved from http://www.wesleymission.org.au/centres/hospital/Patients/Psychosis/FAQ.asp
Johnson, C. (2000, December 1). Eating disorders: FAQ. Retrieved November 14, 2012, from NOVA
website: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/body/eating-disorders-faq.html#causes
OCD questions. (n.d.). Retrieved November 14, 2012, from http://www.brainphysics.com/
ocdfaq.php#whatis