All children have their moments of irritability and anger from time to time; that’s a normal part of life. If your child has extreme outbursts in which they cannot control their anger, this is more than just a “normal” thing. There is a clinical diagnosis for your child, in this case, and there is help for you and your child.
What is DMDD?
Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder (DMDD) is a somewhat new disorder, first written about in 2013, that affects children during certain ages of development. Children with DMDD have explosive outbursts on a frequent basis. Even when they’re not having an outburst, they remain irritable in between.
This disorder is more than just a temper tantrum. Symptoms last longer than just a short outburst. When children don’t get their way they may cause a scene, and the signs of DMDD are far worse than this.
Symptoms of DMDD
A better understanding of this disorder can only come from a description of the symptoms. Diagnosing includes when this type of disorders affects children, like at what age, and how it makes them act when they’re in the midst of an attack or even on a down moment.
You can find this disorder listed with a full description in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5). Within this manual, it states that DMDD is a severe impairment that includes outbursts that recur often. These outbursts are severe and happen more than three times a week, usually.
When a child is not in the midst of an outburst, they stay angry. Their irritability is visible to the other people in their lives; they don’t try to hide it (they can’t, it absorbs them).
It seems that DMDD may be more common in boys. It has some resemblance to Bipolar Disorder, but it’s missing those moments of mania. It’s a different type of anger.
Diagnosing DMDD
For a child to get a diagnosis, many things have to fall into place. Symptoms must start before the age of 10, but must last for more than one year. If they have gone several months with no symptoms, then a diagnosis can’t happen.
Events of their outbursts have to happen in more than one setting, meaning they need to have them both at home and school, or in front of their parents and in front of their peers. This disorder normally happens between the ages of six and 18, and diagnosis happens between those ages.
DMDD can keep your child from being able to learn in school. It could cause them trouble with their friends. If it lasts into their teen years, it could affect their ability to work as well.
Dealing With Disruptive Behavior Disorder at Home
A breakdown of what this illness’ name means can help you understand it a little more. The dysregulation part is a big chunk of this disorder. Dysregulation happens when you (or your child, in this case) have a poorly reacted response to something. In DMDD the outbursts don’t have to come on for a good reason, or for any actual reason at all.
The dysphoric mood part of DMDD explains the constant unease and irritability that continues even when there is no outburst.
Treating DMDD
Getting a diagnosis early on is important and can help you help your child. DMDD can have an extremely negative impact on their life. The sooner they get a diagnosis and begin treatment the sooner you can all get back to a semi-normal life.
DMDD can lead to other mental disorders, including Anxiety and Depression. These are both common in untreated cases DMDD. Treatments for DMDD are similar to those for other mental disorders, including medications and therapy. Here are some of the most common treatments that can help:
- Psychotherapy– Cognitive-behavioral therapy can help children learn to better deal with the feelings they are having.
- Medication– Since DMDD is a relatively new illness, there are still questions as to whether or not certain drugs will work to treat this disorder. Stimulants are often prescribed to children with ADHD and might help with irritation in kids with DMDD. Antidepressants may also help.
It’s also important for parents to learn how to work with their children once they have a DMDD diagnosis. Parent training teaches parents how to better communicate with their child and help them reduce feelings of aggression.
Does Your Child Have Endless Tantrums?
If your child seems to have a lot of temper tantrums and is often in an irritable mood, talk to your doctor. Getting a diagnosis early on will help you get a jump start on helping your child find peace.
