DEAR DR. GOTT: Several months ago, I saved a column about a boy who seemed intent on destroying family relations. Surprisingly, you replied with a diagnostic name — a combination of letters like CDD or something. I would love to do more research on this, but I have lost the article. Can you please help me?
DEAR READER: I believe the mother of a boy with ODD (oppositional defiant disorder) sent in the article to which you refer. I cannot take credit for making a diagnosis because she provided it, but I was looking for more answers about what to do to help her son and the rest of the family.
You can read the article again on my website at AskDrGottMD.com/odd-causes-family-unrest/. You can also learn more about on the disorder at the Mayo Clinic website (www.MayoClinic.com/health/oppositional-defiant-disorder/DS00630) or the Medline Plus website, which is part of the National Institutes of Health (www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/001537.htm).
If you think your child may have the disorder, speak with his or her pediatrician about getting a referral to a child psychiatrist, who can evaluate the situation and determine whether there is a behavioral/psychological cause.
About Dr. Gott