Conduct Disorder

It is estimated that 2-16% of children in the U.S. have conduct disorder.

It is more common in boys than in girls and most often occurs in late childhood or the early teen years.

This is not uncommon for children and teens to have behavior-related problems at some time during their development.

However, the behavior is considered to be a conduct disorder when it is long-lasting and when it violates the rights of others, goes against accepted norms of behavior and disrupts the child’s or family’s everyday life. [2]

The child or adolescent usually exhibits these behavior patterns in a variety of settings at home, at school, also in social situations and they cause significant impairment in his or her social, academic, and family functioning. [1]

Indian epidemiology then other

The exact cause of this disorder is not known, but it is believed that a combination of biological, genetic, environmental, psychological, also social factors play a role.

Biological: 

• Some studies suggest that either defects or injuries to certain areas of the brain can lead to behavior disorders.
• Moreover, Damage to the frontal lobe of the brain has been linked to conduct disorder.
• The frontal lobe is the part of your brain that regulates important cognitive skills, such as problem-solving, memory, and emotional expression.
• Additionally, It’s also home to your personality.
• The frontal lobe in a person with this disorder may not work properly. [4]
• Its symptoms may occur if nerve cell circuits along these brain regions do not work properly.
• Further, many children and teens with conduct disorder also have other mental illnesses, such as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (in other words, ADHD), learning disorders, depression, substance abuse, or an anxiety disorder, which may contribute to the symptoms of conduct disorder.

Genetics:

• In detail, Many children and teens with conduct disorder have close family members with mental illnesses, including mood disorders, anxiety disorders, substance use disorders also personality disorders.
• This suggests that a vulnerability to conduct disorder may be at least partially inherited.

Environmental:

• Factors such as a dysfunctional family life, childhood abuse, traumatic experiences, a family history of substance abuse, also inconsistent discipline by parents may contribute to the development of conduct disorder.

Psychological:

• In brief, Some experts believe that conduct disorders can reflect problems with moral awareness (notably, lack of guilt and remorse) and deficits in cognitive processing. [2]

Social:

• Low socioeconomic status and not being accepted by their peers, additionally, disorganized neighborhoods, poor schools, family breakdown, appear to be risk factors for the development of conduct disorder.

Cognitive deficits :

• Low IQ, poor verbal skills, and impairment in executive functioning may make children more vulnerable to conduct disorder. [2]

Types of Conduct Disorder

There are three types of conduct disorder. They’re categorized according to the age at which symptoms of the disorder first occur:

• Childhood onset occurs when the signs of conduct disorder appear before age 10.
• Adolescent onset occurs when the signs of conduct disorder appear during the teen years.
• Unspecified onset means the age at which conduct disorder first occurs is unknown.

Risk factors are things that make you more likely to develop a disease in the first place.

The following factors may increase your child’s risk of developing conduct disorder i.e.:

• Being male
• Living in an urban environment
• Living in poverty
• Having a family history of either conduct disorder or mental illness
• Other psychiatric disorders
• Has parents who abuse either drugs or alcohol
• A dysfunctional home environment
• History of experiencing traumatic events
• Being abused or neglected [4]

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Generally, Children who have this disorder are often hard to control and unwilling to follow rules.

Moreover, They act impulsively without considering the consequences of their actions.

Besides this, They also don’t take other people’s feelings into consideration.

Your child may have this disorder if they persistently display one or more of the following behaviors i.e. :

Aggressive Conduct:

Aggressive conduct causes or threatens physical harm to others and may include the following i.e.:

• Intimidating behavior
• Bullying
• Physical fights
• Cruelty to others or animals
• Use of a weapon(s)
• Forcing someone into sexual activity, either rape, or molestation 

Destructive conduct:

Destructive conduct may include the following e.g.:

• Vandalism (in other words, intentional destruction to property)
• Arson (in other words, deliberate fire-setting)

Deceitfulness:

This may include breaking into homes or cars in order to steal & may include the following e.g.:

• Lying
• Theft
• Shoplifting
• Delinquency

Violation of rules:

Violation of ordinary rules of conduct or age-appropriate norms may include the following e.g.:

• Truancy (in other words, failure to attend school)
• Running away from home overnight
• Pranks
• Mischief
• Very early sexual activity

In conclusion, The symptoms of conduct disorder may resemble other medical conditions or behavioral problems. [3]

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• A child psychiatrist or a qualified mental health professional usually diagnoses conduct disorders in children and adolescents.
• Moreover, A detailed history of the child’s behavior from parents and teachers, observations of the child’s behavior, also, sometimes, psychological testing contribute to the diagnosis.
• Parents who note symptoms of conduct disorder in their either child or teen can help by seeking an evaluation and treatment early.
• Besides this, Early treatment can often prevent future problems.
• Further, conduct disorder often coexists with other mental health disorders, including mood disorders, anxiety disorders, posttraumatic stress disorder, substance abuse, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and learning disorders, increasing the need for early diagnosis and treatment.
• Lastly, Consult your child’s doctor for more information. [3]

Differential diagnosis of Conduct Disorder

• Oppositional defiant disorder
• Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
• Mood disorder
• Intermittent explosive disorder.(6)

Complications are what happen after you have a disease. They are the negative consequences of the disease process.

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Treatment for conduct disorder is based on many factors, including the child’s age, the severity of symptoms, as well as the child’s ability to participate in and tolerate specific therapies.

Treatment usually consists of a combination of the following:

Psychotherapy:

• Psychotherapy (in other words, a type of counseling) aimed at helping the child learn to express and control anger in more appropriate ways.
• A type of therapy called cognitive-behavioral therapy aims to reshape the child’s thinking (in other words, cognition) to improve problem solving skills, anger management, moral reasoning skills, and impulse control.
• Family therapy may use to help improve family interactions and communication among family members.
• A specialized therapy technique called parent management training (in other words, PMT) teaches parents ways to positively alter their child’s behavior in the home.

School support:

• It is another important part of treatment for this disorder.
• For children and teens in school, a team of people will assemble to help your child with this disorder.
• This team typically involves school counselors, school psychologists, social workers, administrators, and others.
• If your child diagnose with conduct disorder, they may qualify for an Individualized Educational Plan (in other words, IEP) or a 504 plan, which can provide them with the needed accommodations to ensure their academic also social success at school.

Medication:

Although there is no medication formally approved to treat it, various drugs may be used to treat some of its distressing symptoms (impulsivity, aggression), as well as any other mental illnesses that may be present, such as ADHD or major depression. [2]

Prevention of Conduct Disorder

• Things such as a traumatic experience, social problems, and biological factors may be involved.
• To reduce the risk for this disorder, parents can learn positive parenting strategies.
• This can help to create a closer parent-child relationship.
• It can also create a safe and stable home life for the child.(7)

Homeopathic Treatment of Conduct Disorder

Homeopathy treats the person as a whole. It means that homeopathic treatment focuses on the patient as a person, as well as his pathological condition. The homeopathic medicines selected after a full individualizing examination and case-analysis. 

Which includes 

• The medical history of the patient, 
• Physical and mental constitution, 
• Family history, 
• Presenting symptoms, 
• Underlying pathology, 
• Possible causative factors etc. 

A miasmatic tendency (predisposition/susceptibility) also often taken into account for the treatment of chronic conditions. 

What Homoeopathic doctors do? 

A homeopathy doctor tries to treat more than just the presenting symptoms. The focus is usually on what caused the disease condition? Why ‘this patient’ is sick ‘this way’? 

The disease diagnosis is important but in homeopathy, the cause of disease not just probed to the level of bacteria and viruses. Other factors like mental, emotional and physical stress that could predispose a person to illness also looked for. Now a days, even modern medicine also considers a large number of diseases as psychosomatic. The correct homeopathy remedy tries to correct this disease predisposition. 

The focus is not on curing the disease but to cure the person who is sick, to restore the health. If a disease pathology not very advanced, homeopathy remedies do give a hope for cure but even in incurable cases, the quality of life can greatly improve with homeopathic medicines. 

Homeopathic Medicines for Conduct Disorder: 

The homeopathic remedies (medicines) given below indicate the therapeutic affinity but this is not a complete and definite guide to the homeopathy treatment of this condition. The symptoms listed against each homeopathic remedy may not be directly related to this disease because in homeopathy general symptoms and constitutional indications also taken into account for selecting a remedy, potency and repetition of dose by Homeopathic doctor. 

So, here we describe homeopathic medicine only for reference and education purpose. Do not take medicines without consulting registered homeopathic doctor (BHMS or M.D. Homeopath).  

Medicines:

Anacardium:

• The child exhibits wickedness and malice with no remorse for its actions.
• This is often accompanied by gastric complaints.

Syphilinum:

• The child exhibits tendency to destroy things also harm people.
• This is often accompanied by recurrent ulcers in the mouth that bleed, teeth that are carried gums that are swollen. [5]

 Belladonna

• Sudden, violent effects. Dryness. bright redness. Burning heat, great pain.
• Congestion to head with throbbing of carotids. Sensitive to drafts of cold air.
• Pains – throbbing, sharp cutting, shooting. Jerks, spasms.
• Dilated pupils. Photophobia. Dry, hot mouth and throat.
• Bright red, glossy skin. Jerks during sleep.
• Wildly delirious, restless, biting mania.

4. Hyoscyamus

• Flamboyant stage of exhibitionism or mania. Loquacious. Jealous. Suspicious.
• Sexual minded. Masturbation. Absence of morals. Shamelessness.
• Restlessness. Dancing.
• Depression or mania after breaking of romantic relationships.
• Convulsions.

5. Cantharis

• Irritation, disposition to fly into a rage. Fits of rage with crying, barking, striking, renewed by the sight of bright, dazzling objects and of water, and by touching the larynx.
• Acute mania, generally of a sexual type, amorous frenzy, fiery sexual desire. Sudden loss of consciousness with red face.
• Moaning and violent cries, interspersed with barking.
• Convulsion and howling like a dog, ending in a stupor.
• Constantly attempts to do something but accomplishes nothing.

6. HeparSulph

• Peevish, highly impulsive. Impulse to stab or kill.
• Anguish in evening and night, with thoughts of suicide.
• Irritable and dissatisfied with oneself and others.
• Starting on falling asleep.
• Agoraphobia.
• Fear and dreams of fire. Wants to set things or house on fire. Throws things into fire.

7. Tarentula Hispanica

• Moral depravity. Lacks control.
• Suddenly changing moods, fancies, or strength.
• Crafty, cunning, dishonest, selfish, destructive, destroys whatever she can lay hand on, tears her clothes, etc.
• Hateful, throws things away. Malingering.
• Hysteria.
• When attention is directed to her, she begins to twitch, feigns, fainting. Sensibility, but looks sideways to observe the effect on those around her.
• Desires to strike herself or others.
• Aversion to being touched.
• Kleptomania, laughs, mocks run, dances, gesticulates, jokes, cries, sings till hoarse or exhausted.

8. Stramonium

• VIOLENCE AND FEAR OF VIOLENCE. A subconscious, dark element. Intense emotions leading to violence; out of control, sudden anger.
• Can be destructive with striking, biting, tearing, smashing, strangling. Rage and violence, has the capacity to commit murder.

9. Chamomilla

• Piteous moaning because child cannot have what he wants.
• Child can be quieted only when carried about or petted constantly.
• Ugly in behavior, cross, uncivil, quarrelsome.
• Snappish, cannot return a civil answer.
• Vexed at every trifle.
• Anger from pain.
• Impatient; intolerant of being spoken to or interrupted when spoken to.
• Aversion to being touched or even looked at.
• Sensitive to music, noise.

10. Veratrum Album

• Hyperactive, restless, disobedient, haughty, rude, critical.
• Mania with desire to cut and tear everything, especially clothes.
• Mania with livid, lascivious talk, amorous, or religion.
• Deceitful, never speaks truth. (8)

Diet & Regimen of Conduct Disorder

• Observe your child.
• Give social education to your child.
• Eat well balanced diet.
• Do regular exercise.
• Meditation.

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Reference

1. https://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/conditions/conduct-disorder
2. https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/mental-health-conduct-disorder#1
3. https://www.stanfordchildrens.org/en/topic/default?id=conduct-disorder-90-P02560
4. https://www.healthline.com/health/conduct-disorder#risk-factors
5.  
6. differntial diagnosis of conduct disorder – Search (bing.com)
7. Conduct Disorder | Johns Hopkins Medicine
8. Conduct Disorder Management with Homeopathy using Zomeo Software (hompath.com)

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Conduct Disorder?

Conduct disorder is a repetitive and persistent pattern of behavior in children and adolescents in which the rights of others or basic social rules are violated.

Homeopathic Medicines used by Homeopathic Doctors in treatment of Conduct Disorder?

• Anacardium
• Syphilinum

What are the symptoms of conduct disorder?

• Hard to control
• Act impulsively
• Intimidating behavior
• Bullying
• Physical fights
• Cruelty to others or animals
• Use of a weapon
• Vandalism
• Lying
• Theft
• Shoplifting
• Delinquency

What are the causes of conduct disorder?

• Defects or injuries to certain areas of the brain
• Genetics
• Childhood abuse
• Traumatic experiences
• Low socioeconomic status
• Family breakdown
• Low IQ
• Poor verbal skills