Helping Oppositional Teens with ADHD
“My 17-year-old son has been diagnosed with ADHD, and is also oppositional. He skips school, and has run away from home many times.”
Your son is having some serious emotional and behavioral problems. Based on your description, I would say that, at a minimum, he has conduct disorder, along with ADHD.
You need serious help from a mental health professional as quickly as possible. If you read this and say to yourself, “I’ve been down that road and it has not helped,” find someone else to work with. You may also need to mobilize other community resources to help you set limits (school counselors, community agencies and police, for example). His problems are serious and must be addressed immediately.
Editor’s Note: Log on to ConductDisorders.com, a Web site that provides help, ideas and support with situations such as yours.
[Self-Test: Could Your Child Have Oppositional Defiant Disorder?]
