Conduct Disorder

Conduct Disorder

  • Submitted By: cberry
  • Date Submitted: 11/03/2008 3:49 PM
  • Category: Psychology
  • Words: 571
  • Page: 3
  • Views: 613

Fifteen year old Susan has been diagnosed with conduct disorder and oppositional defiant disorder (search the Internet to learn more about these two disorders). She drinks alcohol and smokes marijuana, picks fights with other kids, engages in sex, stays out late at night, disobeys her parents, blames others for her behaviors, steals, and has been in trouble with law. You are her child psychologist develop and explain the treatment plan that you would use to treat Susan.

Developing a plan for Susan I would base it on the severity of her symptoms and as much information from her childhood to her adolescences. The first thing I would do would be to meet with Susan and try to get her to explain to me why she has so much anger and aggression. I would run test on her to see if she is ADHD because this may be a symptom to the disorderly conduct. Following the results I would put her on Ritalin or Adderall to help control the symptoms of ADHD. I would meet with her every week for a couple of months depending on her progression, then decrease visits to maybe once a month. I would also ask her questions that pertain to what she would do in certain situations.
In the mean time I would also meet with her parents to see how they handle their daughter when she lashes out and is just being defiant. This would be a family intervention and the first step to rebuilding the relationship between Susan and her family. I would also put Susan on a mild anti-depressant to see if that would take the edge off of things. This is due to the lack of serotonin in the brain, a chemical imbalance. When meeting with Susan we would work on social skills and problem solving techniques when she feels discomfort instead of lashing out or turning to alcohol and drugs. When meeting with her parents I would work with them on how to handle Susan in certain situations. I would also work with them on making her feel comfort and protection in her home instead of turning to sexual activity where she...

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