Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common disorders in the world. A person suffering from ADHD exhibits a lack of attention to an activity and in most cases, they display impulsivity, which can endanger their lives. The condition has often been confused with other disorders, which in most cases has led to a misdiagnosis that could hinder a fast and reliable therapy to the affected individual. The current paper focuses on a case provided regarding a teenager who is described to be suffering from ADHD and exhibits hostility towards his mother. In this paper, the case will be analyzed extensively with the aim of understanding the behavior of the young boy described in the case and recommending the therapy that they should receive to treat their condition.
Case Description
The case provided involves a mother and her young son presumably suffering from ADHD. The mother and her son exhibit hostility towards each other, an aspect that raises an indication that he could indeed be suffering from the condition. However, upon a private session with him, the boy exhibits other a different form of behavior than when he is with his mother. In the private session, the boy is jovial and playful with the toys in the room. He does not exhibit any behavior to indicate hyperactivity as reported by his mother. After noting this, I return the boy to his mother and his behavior changes almost instantly. The boy exhibits aggressiveness and hostility towards his mother, an aspect that leads to the earlier notion of the boy suffering ADHD. The hostility that the boy and the mother engage leads to my doubting of whether the boy is indeed suffering from ADHD. Effectively, I am prompted to investigate further to determine the exact disorder that the boy could be suffering from and recommending a better therapy that could help him overcome his current state.
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Description of ADHD
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) has extensively been covered in recent years. It has been explained that the number of people suffering from the disorder is increasing rapidly. Therefore, any claim that a person could be suffering from ADHD needs to be investigated comprehensively to ensure that it is confirmed that indeed the involved person is suffering from it. In this context, the claim that the boy is suffering from ADHD needs to be investigated given the varying behavior forms that he exhibits in different instances. In the first instance, while the boy is with his mother, he exhibits hostility towards the mother, an aspect that gives a link to ADHD given its association with hyperactivity. However, hostility alone does not qualify as the main symptom of the ADHD condition.
ADHD has been summarized as a condition in which an affected individual exhibits instances of inattention. A person suffering from ADHD will not concentrate and pay attention to a single activity. Apparently, the lack of attention and concentration makes it difficult for a person to take part in performance-focused activities such as learning successfully. A person suffering from ADHD will portray hyperactivity, which involves moving about constantly instead of staying at one point while working on a particular activity (Edward, Barkley, Laneri, Fletcher, & Metevia, 2002). Hyperactivity can also be cited if a person exhibits instances of hostility even when not provoked. The third characteristic that a person suffering from ADHD is bound to exhibit is impulsivity. A person exhibiting such a trait will be making hasty decisions in most cases. Such cases could be devoid of judgment and could be dangerous to the wellbeing of the involved person unless those around him understand and support them in an appropriate manner.
From the description in this section, and considering the information provided in the case, it is apparent that the boy could not be suffering from ADHD as his mother claims. Just because the boy is hostile to the mother does not mean that he is suffering from ADHD (Johnston & Freeman, 2002). Since the boy exhibits hostility and is hyperactive while in the presence of his mother but relaxed, playful and concentrating away from his mother, it is imperative to look into other disorders that he could be suffering from, based on the information in the case. Effectively, the upcoming section will detail a condition that I believe the boy is suffering from, based on the available information.
Comparing Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD)and ADHD
I believe the boy is suffering from Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD). The disorder has been linked with the abnormal defiance that children often develop against the adults in their lives, who in most cases are their parents. ODD has some characteristics similar to those of ADHD, which leads to the confusion that ensues during efforts to diagnose the two conditions (Lifford, Harold, & Thapar, 2009).
ODD is associated with the child to parent hostility that has been documented in most cases. Apparently, the case describes a situation in which the involved boy is hostile to his mother. However, in a 30-minute meeting with the boy, I find the boy receptive and playful, an aspect that invokes my belief that the boy could be suffering from a different disorder, and not ADHD as his mother had reported in an earlier instance. ODD also leads to the involved individual to develop instances of hyperactivity, which unless managed in an effective way could lead to challenges in the role of parents in the lives of their children. In this regard, I believe that the boy needs to be given a therapy that relates to ODD and not ADHD as earlier reported by his mother.
Possible Medication and its Effects
ODD is not often treated with medicine unless there are other underlying conditions that it is associated with. If a person suffers from ODD, it is important to have them screened for other conditions before a decision to administer drugs is picked and implemented. In the case provided, the boy needs to be assessed further to determine if the hyperactivity that he demonstrates is linked to an underlying condition. In most cases, there are no major side effects that are related to the medication that is complements the treatment of ODD.
Understanding the Family
From the described case, the boy and the mother are not in cordial relationship as it should be expected. Apparently, and with the assumption that the boy suffers from either ADHD or ODD, it is important to initiate a parent training sessions that will encourage a better child-parent relationship (Winklemolen, 2011). The hostility described in the case can be eliminated effectively if the parent and the child are trained in a way that will support their development of a more positive relationship. Finally, it is important for all the stakeholders involved in the care of the boy and his mother to work together to ensure that they receive an effective therapy to eliminate any other complex conditions that could arise if the situation is not addressed.
References
Edward, G., Barkley, R., Laneri, M., Fletcher, K., & Metevia, L. (2002). Parent-adolescent conflict in teenagers with ADHD and ODD. Journal Of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics , 23 (3), 186-187. http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/00004703-200206000-00020
Johnston, C. & Freeman, W. (2002). Parents' Beliefs About ADHD: Implications for Assessment and Treatment. The ADHD Report , 10 (1), 6-9. http://dx.doi.org/10.1521/adhd.10.1.6.20567
Lifford, K., Harold, G., & Thapar, A. (2009). Parent-child hostility and child ADHD symptoms: a genetically sensitive and longitudinal analysis. Journal Of Child Psychology And Psychiatry , 50 (12), 1468-1476. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-7610.2009.02107.x
Winklemolen, D. (2011). Neurofeedback treatment in a patient with ADHD and ODD. Neuroscience Letters , 500 , e5. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.neulet.2011.05.075
