Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Specialist Asst. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Başak Ayık made evaluations about Disruptive Mood Deregulation Disorder (DDDD), which usually starts between the ages of 6 and 10.
Stating that Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder (DDDD) is a mental disorder seen in childhood, Asst. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Başak Ayık said that it has been defined among childhood mental illnesses since 2013.
If your child frequently experiences violent outbursts of anger and constantly reflects an angry and irritable mood, he/she may be facing Destructive Mood Dysregulation Problem (DDDD). Stating that sudden and very severe outbursts of anger at least three times a week is an important symptom, experts warn that expert support should be sought.
Anger that has been going on for a year should be taken into consideration
Noting that Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder (DDDD) manifests itself with sudden and very violent outbursts of anger, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Başak Ayık said, "These outbursts of anger are often repeated. It is a condition for diagnosis to be seen at least 3 times a week. In periods without anger outbursts, the child's mood is angry and irritable. And again, this situation must continue for at least 1 year. Even if there is an event that causes the child to become angry, the child's reaction is so severe that it cannot be compared with this event. It is a condition that can be observed in at least 2 different environments and is usually severe in one of the environments. In other words, if the child only reacts this way to his/her parents at home but does not have any anger problems in school or in the environment of friends, it cannot be said that this child has PDDD."
Popularly known as manic depressive
Stating that mood disorders are also known as "manic depressive" or "bipolar disorder" among the public, Assist. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Başak Ayık noted that although not all patients have two moods, these patients alternate between periods of elevation (mania) when they feel very good and are very energetic and periods of decline (depression) when they are unhappy and lack energy.
Regular treatment improves quality of life
Pointing out the importance of regular treatment, Assist. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Başak Ayık emphasized that the treatment should not be interrupted and said, "Their mood, that is, how they feel themselves, and accompanying daily activities such as sleep, eating habits and energy levels show a variable course. The most important point in the treatment of these patients is that they should not interrupt their treatment in quiet, calm interim periods, except for the periods characterized by severe symptoms with significant distress described as "attack period". Regular treatment reduces the frequency of attacks in these patients and improves the quality of life by preventing severe attacks. Unlike in adults, mood changes in children are much faster and are often accompanied by tension and irritability."
If symptoms are observed, a specialist should be consulted
Asst. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Başak Ayık pointed out thatDDD is highly co-occurring with depression, attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder, conduct disorder, substance use disorder and anxiety disorder, noting that symptoms usually start before the age of 10 and said, "This diagnosis cannot be made before the age of 6 and before the age of 18. Therefore, it can only be seen in adults when a person who was diagnosed in childhood turns 18. Since it is a new definition, not many patients recorded in adulthood have been described. Again, for this reason, there are few studies on the frequency of the disease."
It is possible to prevent tantrums with treatment
Reminding that parents who see the above-mentioned symptoms in their children should consult a specialist, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Başak Ayık stated that drug treatments, behavior-oriented therapies and group therapies to prevent tantrums are beneficial. She also added that educating patients and families about the disease and parent education programs are very useful and necessary initiatives.