a parent's lament

The following just floored me...my son has "ODD"...i fought doctors, schools and social services about what the meds are doing to him...i gave up when he was in 3rd grade...he seemed to need them then. now, he's 15 1/2. it makes me think that we might want to get rid of some of the meds...such a difficult decision when we give him a "concerta vacation", he can only handle it for a day. he says he feels too scattered to focus on anything. when we try the ODD med vacation/reduction he rages alot...

From "How Teenage Rebellion Has Become a Mental Illness"

Young people diagnosed with ODD, by definition, are doing nothing illegal (illegal behaviors are a symptom of another mental illness called conduct disorder). In 1980, the American Psychiatric Association (APA) created oppositional defiant disorder, defining it as "a pattern of negativistic, hostile and defiant behavior." The official symptoms of ODD include "often actively defies or refuses to comply with adult requests or rules" and "often argues with adults." While ODD-diagnosed young people are obnoxious with adults they don't respect, these kids can be a delight with adults they do respect; yet many of them are medicated with psychotropic drugs.