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Oppositional Behavior in Young Adults

DWM in California wonders:

I am curious what possible issues the "oppositional defiance" component will produce in our son as he enters his twenties. His teenage years required SIGNIFICANT parental intervention.

Michele Novotni answers:

I'm not sure that this is the answer that you want, but you are probably in for more of the same.

It is often helpful for many parents to continuing providing some degree of reasonable emotional/problem solving support to their adult children with AD/HD, especially when additional psychologist issues are present. The encouraging part is that you made it this far and have probably developed some strategies that have worked.

I would however, encourage you to not do more than you feel comfortable with. As people with AD/HD get older, they can also be encouraged to obtain needed support through coaches, psychologists, psychiatrists, counselors, etc. and become more independent and self reliant as they learn to take responsibility for managing their AD/HD. I wish you all well.

Michele Novotni, Ph.D., is a psychologist and coach in private practice in Wayne, Pennsylvania.

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