Oppositional Defiant Disorder Treatment & Rehab Center in Fort Smith, Arkansas

Learn More About Oppositional Defiant Disorder Treatment at Valley Behavioral Health

Oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) is a childhood disorder with symptoms that generally present before a child is eight years old. It is developmentally normal for children to exhibit oppositional behaviors throughout the various stages of development, most of which are done so as the child attempts to begin seeking his or her own form of independence. Children with oppositional defiant disorder however display behaviors that go well beyond independence-seeking and limit-testing. Children with ODD chronically defy authority figures, including parents, teachers, police officers, and anyone else who may hold any type of authority over them. These children will argue with adults, refuse to comply with requests and rules made by adults, direct hostility towards any adult that they come in contact with, and feel chronic anger and resentment towards everyone around them. They will deliberately annoy people and act spiteful and vindictive. For people who have a child suffering from oppositional defiant disorder, the symptoms can be stressful, overwhelming, and life-altering. But help is available.

Valley Behavioral Health System in Fort Smith, Arkansas, provides a number of rehab options for a number of different mental disorders in the Arkansas River Valley area. We offer acute inpatient programs that can help children deal with symptoms of ODD and learn how to grow into the happy, stable people that they deserve to be. Our facility is located on 57 acres and is the only facility in the state of Arkansas that offers patients their own private rooms throughout the duration of their stay, all of which are separated based on the age of the patients being treated. Your child does not have not to keep suffering from the symptoms of ODD and you do not have to continue to watch helplessly from the sidelines as his or her behavior continues to deteriorate. You can get the help that you and your child need and deserve at our mental health rehab center.

Helping a Loved One or Family Member Get Treatment for Oppositional Defiant Disorder

Watching your child acting out the symptomatic nature of oppositional defiant disorder can be psychologically debilitating. You may feel a mixture of frustration, anger, helplessness, hopelessness, and guilt. Many parents feel as though they must be doing something wrong because they are not able to control their child, but by educating yourself on the nature of the disorder, you may begin to feel a sense of peace in the fact that there are other families struggling with the same issues you are. If you are concerned about your child’s behaviors, but are unsure as to whether or not the behaviors warrant a diagnosis of ODD, here are a few examples of behaviors that would lead to a recommendation of having an assessment done:

• Easily losing temper, followed by violent tantrums
• Chronic fights (physically and/or verbally) with peers
• Willingly destroying friendships
• Blatantly refusing to follow rules
• Acting and/or speaking in a spiteful manner
• Seeking out unwarranted revenge
• Repeated disobedience, despite the implementation of consequences
• Deliberately annoying people
• Refusing to compromise or negotiate

If your child is exhibiting some, or all, of these symptoms, it is time to seriously consider seeking out professional help. The earlier the intervention occurs, the more likely it is that the behavioral modifications that come as a result of therapy will stick. The longer that the disorder goes untreated, the more severe the ramifications will become.

Why Consider Treatment for Oppositional Defiant Disorder at Valley Behavioral Health System in Fort Smith, Arkansas

If you have watched your child decline into the destructive pattern of oppositional defiant disorder, you may feel beat down, both physically and mentally. You may fear for your child because of the risky situations that his or her behaviors may lead to. You may suffer from anxiety and embarrassment when bringing your child out in public because you are unable to predict how his or her mood could switch at any moment. You may feel like you have to tip-toe around your child just to avoid an unexpected outburst. Or you may just be fed up and try to avoid your child completely. Children who are diagnosed with oppositional defiant disorder, but do not receive rehab are at risk for things like  substance abuse and criminal behavior in the future. If left untreated, these children may also suffer from ongoing patterns of relationship conflicts and become socially isolated. But this doesn’t have to happen. There is help for you, for your child, and for your family.

Inpatient treatment programs have proven to be extremely successful in helping to treat children with ODD. By admitting your child to an inpatient rehab center, you are placing him or her in an environment where you can be assured that he or she will be safe at all times. You don’t have to worry about the risk-taking behaviors that may be occurring outside of your home or about the fights that he or she might be getting in because your child is now in a place where professionals are keeping track of him or her 24/7. While in this safe environment, your child will be exposed to various forms of therapeutic techniques aimed at behavior modification and addressing the emotions that your child has not previously been able to express. Your child’s time spent in inpatient care is meant to be one of education, personal growth, healing, wellness, and the development of different behavioral patterns.

Our Treatment Program’s Philosophy and Benefits

At our mental health rehab center, we pride ourselves on always putting the patient first. We make it our goal to be held accountable for meeting the needs of every patient who walks through our doors. We work to ensure that you receive excellent, life-changing rehab that is centered on you as an individual. We promote personal growth and self-awareness because we recognize that these are key components in experiencing true wellness. All of our patients are treated by a multidisciplinary team consisting of therapists, social workers, psychiatric nurses and nurse practitioners, recreational specialists, educational specialists, and other qualified mental health professionals who all work under the direct supervision of board-certified psychiatrists. Our staff is dedicated to providing you with the best possible care available.

Types of ODD Treatment Offered at Valley Behavioral Health System

When you arrive at our rehab center, you will begin the admissions process by completing a comprehensive assessment, the results of which will be reviewed by one of our leading psychiatrists. You will then be provided with the most appropriate level of care recommendation that will ensure that all of your needs are met. Once the admissions process has been completed, an individualized treatment plan will be developed which will help guide you through your stay, with appropriate alterations made when necessary. We use a variety of therapeutic techniques at our behavioral health rehab center and those techniques will be tailored to meet the needs identified in your treatment plan. Examples of these various therapeutic techniques are:

Medication management: Part of successfully managing the symptoms that a child suffering from oppositional defiant disorder experiences may come in the form of medication. At all times during the course of rehab, medication is closely monitored and will be altered if needed.

Individual therapy: Individual therapy sessions are held on a one-to-one basis where your child will meet in a confidential setting with a therapist. Individual sessions are held once per week, and active involvement is highly encouraged in order for the time to be used productively. Additional sessions can occur should the patient need or request them.

Group therapy: Group therapy sessions are held daily. During these sessions, patients meet together and discuss a variety of topics based on things that the patients themselves are struggling with. Rehabilitation groups are held twice a day on a daily basis and recreation groups are held at a minimum of three days per week.

Family therapy: At Valley Behavioral in Fort Smith, Arkansas, we know how crucial family involvement is in order for rehab to be successful. During inpatient treatment, family therapy sessions will occur at least once per week, however, additional sessions can occur at the discretion of the therapist based on the needs of the patient. There is family visitation time made available twice per week during a patient’s stay, but family members are able to call their loved ones at any time.

Experiential therapy: In an attempt to incorporate all aspects of a patient’s well-being into his or her treatment process, we provide a therapeutic recreation program that assesses, educates, and assists patients in striving to improve their physical lifestyle. Some of the individual activities involved in this program include arts and crafts, sports, games, and relaxation activities.

Continuing Care and Levels of Treatment for Oppositional Defiant Disorder

Your child’s discharge process begins at the time that he or she is admitted into the inpatient program. This helps to ensure that once your son or daughter is discharged a plan for continuing care is already in place. This can hopefully give you the peace of mind of knowing that you are not going to lose support once your child leaves our center. Our care coordinators will work with you in scheduling follow-up appointments for your child based on the recommendations of the treatment team that worked with your child during his or her stay.

After the inpatient program is completed some children choose to enter into a partial hospitalization program or an intensive outpatient program,  which will allow them to still receive therapy in a structured environment while slowly integrating back into family and school life. Other children are ready to be discharged home and can continue to reach traditional outpatient therapy at our outpatient clinic. We don’t want you and your child to continue suffering, and you don’t have to. At Valley Behavioral Health System in Fort Smith, Arkansas, we will do everything in our power to make sure that your child reaches his or her utmost potential of wellness.