Hello I m Darren Magee and today s question asks what are the common characteristics and traits of
someone who has Oppositional Defiant Disorder, sometimes referred to as ODD. Now sometimes it
can be difficult to discern the difference between someone who has ODD and someone who
is perhaps strong willed or maybe overly emotional in certain situations, or even
if they have a genuine grievance against some kind of injustice. But oppositional defiant disorder is
characterised by a continued pattern of behaviour that can be defiant, hostile, uncooperative and
disruptive towards others. In particular, though not exclusively to, towards authority figures. The
signs of ODD generally begin in childhood, usually before the early teen years. These behaviours can
cause significant impairment with their family, with school and with social activities. Although
it's normally associated with children and young people, it can be present in adults as well and it
is the adult presentation that I will be focusing on in this video. This video I look at some of the
common characteristics, then look at how it my present in interpersonal relationships such as
friendships, romantic relationships and also look at how it might present in the workplace.
So if you like this video, if you find it helpful please consider subscribing to my channel. Now
bearing in mind we can all get angry at times, we can feel as if the world is unfair and yes,
we can have something over rebel in us all from time to time, but the following characteristics
would be persistent and pervasive not just once in a while. I often think of a disorder as being long
term, looking at the impact it has on a person's day-to-day functioning as well as the impact it
has on their relationship with other people as well as themselves. And the oppositional defiant
disorder can be comorbid with other conditions such as ADHD. It can also be comorbid with other
disorders, other mood disorders such as perhaps depression or an anxiety disorder. There can also
be similarities in characteristics and behaviours with other disorders such as narcissistic
personality or anti social personality. Similarities such as being disagreeable, resistant
to criticism, rule breaking, law breaking and indeed these things can co occur together. So
what are some of the common characteristics and behaviours associated with ODD? Well first of all,
this might be someone who is continually angry, loses their temper regularly. Now
this might manifest itself in perhaps road rage. That person deliberately cut them off
or they re driving far too slowly. There could be arguing with people on social media, people who
maybe just disagree with them. Or perhaps they attack someone they perhaps see is an expert
in something or an authority figure. An example could be perhaps getting angry with shop staff
or a business. That business might not be able to provide the goods or the service they want,
so they feel as if they're being treated unfairly. Put in complaints, demand to speak to managers.
Try to get the staff into trouble. One people with ODD can have something of a hair trigger temper,
can become easily upset and offended so can get very angry fly into a rage at sometimes the most
innocuous things, but the recurring theme being is usually about high unfairly they think they are
being treated. They can be quite impatient with others, get frustrated easily, have difficulty
complying with requests, whether at work or at home. If given instructions they might feel as if
they are being controlled somehow. This anger can lead them to be quite disruptive, sometimes even
destructive towards anything or anyone who upsets them. In some cases they can be quite seething,
feel bitterness towards others, experience envy. For example, someone in the workplace might get
a promotion. They may have been there longer, they may be more qualified, more experienced.
They may have been putting in a lot of hard work. But for someone with ODD, they may claim that that
was just favouritism. You can experience a lot of resentment and be disrespectful towards others.
People with ODD often tend to be fighting against some sense of unfairness. Now whether that's with
their partners, company they work for, the government, people with different religious
or political beliefs. Sometimes it's just against society in general. And it's not uncommon for them
to turn on someone who until maybe five minutes ago was a friend, partner or an ally. And in some
cases there may be a history of being in trouble with the police or other authority figures,
getting involved in public brawls, vandalism or joining aggressive protests. Even in their
interpersonal relationships with close friends or romantic partners, they tend to do or say things
they know will agonise the other person. For instance, if they are asked to clear up after
themselves, they don't. They sometimes make and leave an even bigger mess for the other
person to see. If they are asked not to behave in a certain way, they maybe do it more often in
more exaggerated ways. They tend to have a need to always win any argument or any discussion,
regardless of what it's about. In discussions they will generally take the opposite point of
view regardless of what the topics about, and this can be incredibly frustrating for those closest to
them, especially if they can't win an argument by being factual, rational, or logical, it tends
to become quite emotive, so there can be raised voices. This includes name calling and insults,
even threats just to silence their opponent. Even with their closest relationships, when it comes
to their actions, their behaviours, they tend to believe the end justifies the means. The rules
don't really apply to them. And they may genuinely believe that they were doing a good thing,
but perhaps it was morally wrong or perhaps even illegal. When others are focusing on the impact
of their behaviours, they are focusing on their intent, I was doing this for you, I was doing this
for us. I meant well, they're all against us and so on. So things very rarely get resolved. People
with ODD can also be quite vindictive, spiteful, vengeful even. Vengeful towards others they see as
having wronged them somehow. That wrong could be something as simple as it disagreement or
an objection and for partners this can be very difficult to navigate, trying to find ways to
communicate something without everything becoming an argument or a battle of wills. How oppositional
defiant disorder might manifest at work could be constantly arguing with co-workers. Now they may
complain their co-workers aren't working fast enough so they re holding them up. Or there
could be arguments because their co-workers are complaining that they are doing nothing.
Some may even become verbally or even physically aggressive with co-workers and end open trouble
with human resources and their managers. Even when they start a job in a new place and there
are all fresh and they're looking forward to it, it usually isn't long before they claim
they hate the place and everyone in it. In fact it isn't uncommon for there to be a long history
of bad workplaces and bad work colleagues. All of their managers have been bullies. Some of their
managers weren't qualified or capable of managing them. They weren't fit to lead. The organisation
is out to get them personally, out to cheat them or suppress them somehow. Again in the workplace
people with ODD tend to like to do things their own way and in their own time. Not necessarily the
way they've been told to or the way they've been trained to. Now when this fails they generally
blame the equipment or other people. They may antagonise those they work with as well. Not
put reports in on time, not follow procedures and criticise politics and beliefs. If given
a particular task to do by their manager they may just go and do something else entirely, something
not related to the actual task, but argue that their little project was more important than
the one they were given. Again claim have been badly treated or they re being bullied the whole
organisation is out to get them if they have to face disciplinary measures. And just like in their
personalise lives as they challenging question everything. At meetings in work they may challenge
every item on the agenda may even trying to introduce new items onto the agenda and get quite
frustrated and angry if their ideas aren t taken on board or implemented. Because they can be quite
sensitive to even constructive criticism they can get angry, frustrated, go into an emotional
meltdown following a staff appraisal. In general, people with opposition defiant disorder often feel
oppressed by rules, laws and other people. In many cases they believe the system is stacked against
them, other people are out to get them. They may see themselves as perhaps just misunderstood,
or victimised, or unappreciated. Few recognise that maybe they are the cause of their own and
indeed other people's misery. To agree with or to comply with someone can feel as if they are being
controlled or oppressed somehow. However whenever they face the consequences of their behaviours,
of their defiance it reinforces the belief that they are being treated unfairly. Sadly
there tends to be a trail of failed jobs, broken relationships and chaos behind them. Ex partner's,
former friends, former workplaces have all treated them badly. And they can feel quite
bitter and resentful and might defend themselves relentlessly, sometimes, in some extreme cases
even aggressively. So that is a brief outline of oppositional defiant disorder, the characteristics
and behaviours associated with it. Now as always there's many things I could have included that
I haven't added. Please feel free to use the comment box below, there are some interesting
conversations start around these videos. But if you like this video, if you find it interesting,
please consider subscribing to my channel, and until next time thanks for watching.