Teen Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder Treatment

Know the Symptoms And Treatment Options For Teens With DMDD

At parents, watching your child struggling with mental health conditions can be heartwrenching and challenging in many ways, especially with teens. On top of this, parents often struggle to define normal teen behaviors and those that warrant more support from a mental health professional. For some parents, chronic irritability and anger from their teen might signify a DMDD diagnosis.

What can teen disruptive mood dysregulation disorder treatment look like with support for the family?

Disruptive mood dysregulation disorder requires careful attention, observation, and insight to diagnose. Once diagnosed, treatment can commence with cognitive behavioral therapy (also known as the more general talk therapy) and parent training to promote positive reinforcement and support for the teen.

Artemis Adolescent Healing Center offers the help and healing your teen needs for DMDD and other mental health concerns. With tailored treatment plans for their developmental stage, we teach them how to cope with near-constant irritability and reduce temper tantrums.

Here is what you need to know about diagnosis and the following treatment for disruptive mood dysregulation disorder.

What are the Symptoms of Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder (DMDD)?

Mental health professionals are always learning new things that contribute to changes in how our teens and young adults are diagnosed. In 2013, disruptive mood dysregulation disorder (DMDD) was added to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual.

But what are the signs that your teen might have it?

First, it’s important to know that there are age requirements for this mental health condition. While kids ages six to eighteen can be diagnosed with DMDD, the symptoms must have been present before the age of ten and should be present for at least one year.

Symptoms of DMDD include:

• Severe temper outbursts (can be verbal or behavioral), occurring at least three times a week
• Outbursts and tantrums lasting regularly for at least twelve months
• Persistent irritable behaviors or an angry mood on most days
• Difficulty functioning in at least two areas, including home, school, and with peers

In general, kids diagnosed with DMDD will have a hard time in social settings or in the community. For example, they may struggle socially in school with their peers or in team sports. Even family time with the people in your home can be a real challenge for everyone.

Is DMDD Different from Oppositional Defiant Disorder or Bipolar Disorder?

Because there are so many mental disorders when treating children, it can be hard to know which one your child has. Trusting professional help from an experienced child psychologist or doctor is key to understanding what exactly is going on with them.

There can be some overlap in the symptoms between oppositional defiant disorder and DMMD, as well as with bipolar disorder. Ultimately, these two are separate mental health issues with unique diagnostic criteria that should be considered when evaluating a teen.

ODD vs DMDD: How do DMDD Symptoms Differ?

The major difference between disruptive mood dysregulation disorder and ODD is the focus of the diagnosis and symptoms. When a child has DMDD, their clinical team often pays close attention to mood-related issues, namely anger and irritability.

On the other hand, oppositional defiant disorder is more centered on behaviors related to issues with authority. Teens with ODD are defiant and focused on rule-breaking, possibly without mood issues.

Bipolar Disorder vs DMDD: Understanding Other Disorders

Bipolar disorder means that your child fluctuates between two poles: that of depression and that of mania or hypomania. Mood is the central issue with bipolar disorder, much like it is with DMDD. The difference lies in how mood presents itself.

If a child has had a hypomanic or manic episode, then a DMDD diagnosis is ruled out in favor of bipolar disorder. The consistency of the moods may also play a role in diagnosis. DMDD is relatively constant with an angry mood almost every day. Bipolar disorder cycles and symptoms may not always present.

How is DMDD Diagnosed by Mental Health Professionals?

With all the intricacies of diagnosis and symptoms laid out, you may wonder how to go about getting help for frequent temper tantrums that disrupt your child’s life and your family. Therapists, psychiatrists, and even primary care doctors can provide the initial steps toward receiving treatment.

Most of the time, diagnosis begins with a formal assessment. Mental health professionals may collect data from parents, family living in the home, the child’s teachers, and any other adults who interact with them. They will often couple their data with direct observation and interaction with the child.

While they assess for DMDD, they also want to rule out any other disorders that could be the cause of a child’s distress, such as anxiety disorders or borderline personality disorder.

Once they have the necessary information to fully assess a teen, they will weigh their findings against the DSM-5 criteria listed earlier. If all aligns, you can then begin to explore treatment options that can help decrease irritability and make life more pleasant for everyone.

How is DMDD Treated with Professional Help at Artemis?

With an accurate diagnosis in hand, treating DMDD can finally commence. DMDD might be a relatively new diagnosis, but other treatment approaches for similar issues with chronic irritability can teach the child to tolerate frustration and choose more positive behavior.

Here’s a quick look at how DMDD symptoms can be treated with comprehensive approaches tailored to the child’s developmental stage and unique needs.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (Called Talk Therapy by Most)

The first step for many teenagers is to enroll in a regular therapy program. The most effective form of therapy for those with DMDD is usually cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). During this treatment, the child and therapist will work to examine the relationship between thoughts, feelings, and actions.

When any one part of the triad is interrupted, it impacts the other two areas. By heading off negative choices at the start, temper outbursts may be kept to a minimum. Talk therapy teaches coping skills designed to help children manage anger and irritability.

Another aspect of talk therapy that should be considered is cognitive distortions. Many kids think that an outburst is the only way to cope with a difficult situation where they don’t feel their best. CBT gives space to think through those thoughts and replace them with more effective ways of coping.

Can Parent Training and Positive Reinforcement Help a Child Thrive?

Treating irritability means that parents may have to adjust how they listen to and respond to their teen at home. While the child is doing good work and heavy lifting in therapy on their own, parent training is also essential. What can parents do to head off DMDD symptoms?

First, they can learn about the types of situations that trigger temper tantrums. By identifying them as early as possible, you can start to talk your teen through the difficult situation and help them make better choices that you know they are capable of making.

It can also help parents learn the art of positive reinforcement. If your child knows what to anticipate in your response to both their temper tantrums and positive behavior, you set them up for success. Make it more appealing for them to have positive behaviors and reward them when you can.

Parents play a major role in disruptive mood dysregulation disorder treatment while therapists can work on the mood disorder piece of things.

Are There Any FDA-Approved Medications for DMDD?

Unfortunately, there are no FDA-approved medications for treating disruptive mood dysregulation disorder. At least, not yet. However, there are several approaches that doctors and psychiatrists can take if they want to offer a little more support to teens struggling with ongoing irritability and severe outbursts.

The first thing they may try is prescribing stimulant medications, usually used with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. Some early clinical studies show that stimulants can reduce intense irritability, which can give teens the space to process their feelings and actions in psychotherapy.

Other research suggests that disruptive behavior could be treated with antidepressants or atypical antipsychotics. Antidepressants are known for treating depression and anxiety disorders, but they can also curb irritability. They are often used in conjunction with stimulants.

Atypical antipsychotics may have more side effects than stimulants and antidepressants, but they are FDA-approved for treating aggression and violence in children, particularly those with autism. They can be powerful, but are not typically the first-line treatment for disruptive mood dysregulation disorder.

Oftentimes, talk therapy is started first, and medication is added only later if support is still needed. The approaches to using medication are varied, so talk with your mental health team about how they might help.

Why Choose Artemis Adolescent Healing Center for DMDD Treatment Approaches?

When it comes to helping your child develop strategies to cope with the very real issue of disruptive mood dysregulation disorder, you’ll need professional help to come alongside them. Here at Artemis, our clinical team has the experience and expertise in treating DMDD in a safe and positive space.

We believe in providing a comprehensive evaluation before making treatment decisions about what would work best for your teen.

Your team will work closely with the family to ensure that all the most important aspects of their severe temper outbursts are detailed, while assessing underlying causes and concerns. Once we believe that all relevant data has been collected, we offer holistic treatment tailored to each teen’s individual needs and developmental stage.

After all, a senior in high school has different needs than one who is just finishing up middle school. We meet teens where they are to help with ongoing irritability and a disruptive mood.

We Offer Different Levels of Treatment Depending on Behaviors

Current treatments don’t stipulate what level of care might be helpful for your teen. Only the people who know them best can say whether they need intensive care at a residential treatment facility or whether they might thrive at a lower level of care, like intensive outpatient.

At Artemis Adolescent Healing Center, we can help you assess what would work best to treat the most pressing symptoms of DMDD. If it’s unsafe or untenable for a teen to remain at home during the early days of care, then inpatient treatment is available in our JCAHO-accredited facility.

Once they’re ready to transition back home with their peers, schools, and responsibilities, then their treatment team can help them move to partial hospitalization or intensive outpatient. This permits them to receive the same services during the day, such as individual and group therapy, while returning home to spend time with family and practice their skills in the real world.

DMDD experiences vary for each teen and their family. Artemis helps you find the most effective ways to support them in coping.

Get Proven Treatment Options for Teen DMDD at Artemis Today

Are you ready to discuss how you can help a teen struggling with irritability, severe temper outbursts, and difficult or dangerous behaviors? Artemis Adolescent Healing Center exists to help families learn more about mental health conditions like disruptive mood dysregulation disorder and find hope for the future.

Our Admissions team is ready and waiting to answer your questions about our programs. We can even verify your insurance benefits in a quick and confidential call so that you know what to expect.

Reach out to us today to learn more about how we can come alongside you in your teen’s time of need and help facilitate a path to lasting healing.

References

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