Introduction
Cases of mood disorders in children are rarely diagnosed worldwide. Even after treatment, undocumented children with mood disorders can suffer from disruptive behavior and substance use disorder. Mood disorder displays different symptoms in children and adults. Consequently, parents can hardly know that their child has the disease. Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder (DMDD) begins at a young age and is characterized by irritation and temper outbursts. DMDD is treated through medication if counseling and parent management fail.
Signs and Symptoms of DMDD
Persons suffering from DMDD can be aggressive towards others. The patients express impulsive behavior and verbal outbursts (Yackey & Stanley, 2019). DMDD begins at a young age and is characterized by irritation and temper outbursts. The American Psychiatric Association states the following as symptoms of DMDD in children (2013): first, severe and recurring tantrums are displayed through yelling and physical aggression. Secondly, the child has temper outbursts that are uncommon in their age groups. Finally, the child displays a lot of outbursts averaging three outbursts weekly (Gore et al., 2017). Relatives will observe a recurring angry mood between the outburst.
Pharmacological treatments for DMDD
Medication can be applied when counseling and parent management training fails. The medication usually involves stimulants that aid the kids in controlling their impulses. Antidepressants, for example, SSRIs, can also be used for treatment. The most common drugs for DMDD treatment are stimulants, antidepressants, and antipsychotics. The common stimulant drugs are Risperidone, Prozac, Methylphenidate (Ritalin), Clonidine, and dextroamphetamine (Dexedrine) (Sadock et al., 2015). People suffering from DMDD display oppositional defiant, ADHD, tantrums, and Disruptive Mood Irritability. These symptoms are treated through medication, therapy, or ODD.
Non-pharmacological treatments for DMDD Psychotherapy and Behavioural Interventions Psychotherapy and Behavioural Interventions.
Doctors use CBT to train kids to handle thoughts and feelings that lead to depression and irritation. CBT describes how to identify and retrain triggers that lead to outbursts and how to control anger. Moreover another method is dialectical behavioral therapy for children (DBT-C). DBT-C trains kids in regulating emotions and enduring frustration. DBT-C trains kids on learning skills to regulate their emotions instead of ignoring them (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). Parents are equipped with particular skills to handle kids having outbursts to calm the child, inhibit the reinforcement of undesired behavior and strengthen the kid’s positive behavior.
Community Resources and Referrals
Contact The National Alliance on Mental Illness, the National Federation of Families for Children’s Mental Health, Mental Health America in your location.
The patient has a 911 line for immediate help and the Client’s Crisis Line.
Talk to your PCP in case of any queries about the commencement of unexpected side effects.
Learn all you can about the condition. Communicate with your kid’s physician. Know the pros and cons of every treatment option. There’s more information on DMDD on the NIMH’S health issue page.
- Life Help Mental Health Center: The National Helpline for SAMHSA is 1-800-662-HELP (4357)
- Denton County | Mobile Crisis Outreach Team 800-762-0157
- North Texas Crisis Line (includes Mobile Crisis Outreach Team) 866-260-8000 National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Helpline 800-950-NAMI (6264)
Conclusion
People suffering from DMDD exhibit impulsive behavior and verbal outburst. Children with DMDD will display severe and recurring tantrums and temper outbursts uncommon in their age group. If counseling and parent management training fail, medication, specifically antipsychotics, stimulants, and antidepressants, are used to treat the disorder. A non-pharmacological way of DMMD treatment is CBT and DBT-C. CBT trains kids on how to control triggers that cause outbursts. DBT-C trains kids in regulating emotions and enduring frustration.
References
American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fifth edition DSM-5 American Psychiatric Association, 2013.
Gore, R., K Chugh, P., D Tripathi, C., Lhamo, Y., & Gautam, S. (2017). Pediatric off-label and unlicensed drug use and its implications. Current clinical pharmacology, 12(1), 18-25.
Sadock, V.A., & Ruiz, P. (2014). Kaplan and Sadock’s synopsis of psychiatry: Behavioral sciences/clinical psychiatry (11 th ed.). Wolters Kluwer.
Yackey, K., & Stanley, R. (2019). Off-Label Prescribing in Children Remains High: A Call for Prioritized Research. Pediatrics.