Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder is a mental health condition that causes teens to experience chronic anger and intense irritability. Due to these emotions, your teen may have frequent angry outbursts about inconsequential things. If your teen’s behavior began before they turned 10, it may indicate that they have DMDD. Learning how to deal with disruptive mood dysregulation disorder is an important step in a teen’s life and can be aided by a teen mental health treatment center.
Dealing with a teen who has frequent temper tantrums can be difficult. If your teen has DMDD, you may be at a loss about how to handle the situation. This article aims to help parents understand the best strategies to handle teen DMDD and educate parents on treatment strategies used by Nexus Teen Academy to help teens with DMDD.
Strategies for Parental Support and Coping for Teen DMDD
It can be heart-breaking to witness your teen struggling with emotional regulation. As a parent or guardian, you should take a proactive approach to help your teen overcome their mental health struggles. Do not brush off your teen’s behavior as normal moodiness. Take control of the situation and ensure your teen receives adequate mental health support. Some strategies you can utilize to support your teen include the following:
Educate Yourself About Teen DMDD
Take active steps to learn about the condition so that you can implement proper parenting strategies. When you understand your teen’s condition, you can identify triggers and foster positive behavior. Learning about the diagnosis can also help you understand the treatment strategies professionals use. By learning about the condition, you can give a well-informed insight into your teen’s treatment plan.
Establish Consistent Boundaries and Routines
Teenagers with DMDD require consistency and routine. As a parent or guardian, you should establish a consistent routine to provide structure in your teen’s life. To do this effectively, you need to discuss it with your teen. Talk to them about their responsibilities and what you expect them to do daily. Do not forget to take their input into account when creating the routine.
You should also set clear boundaries and consequences. Boundaries act as a compass to help your teen navigate negative emotions. Consequences bring your teen back on track when they break the rules. Every time your teen breaks the rules, follow through with the consequences to teach your teen more about responsibility. The consequences need to be proportionate and should provide a teachable moment for your teen to reflect on their behavior.
Foster Open Communication
Open communication is the foundation of effective mental health support. It is a strategy that ensures all parties feel comfortable and confident sharing their ideas and feelings. As a parent or guardian, you should ensure your teen feels heard and seen during a conversation. Use active listening skills and when you do not understand their perspective, ask for clarification. By doing this, you encourage your teen to talk things through when they feel angry. DMDD causes teens to experience frequent and chronic irritability. Communication is an effective outlet for negative feelings. By fostering open communication, your teen knows they can talk to you about their feelings without being judged or ridiculed.
Implement Behavior Management Techniques
You can help your teen cope with DMDD by implementing behavior management techniques. These techniques are designed to help teens respond appropriately instead of reverting to negative behavior. Some methods you can utilize to help teens with DMDD include the following:
Practicing mindfulness: When your teen has an emotional outburst, encourage mindfulness. Mindfulness is a technique for helping teens slow down their thoughts and become aware of their environment, both internal and external. Encouraging mindfulness allows your teen to evaluate their behavior and respond appropriately. Mindfulness can be practiced through deep breathing techniques or yoga.
Redirection: If your teen has an emotional outburst, redirect their anger. Channel their anger into something more positive rather than destructive. Instead of using their energy to destroy, help them learn to harness negative energy to do something productive. For example, if your teen is yelling, ask them to walk off their energy. Going for a walk can help them regulate their emotions better.
Offering positive coping mechanisms: Positive coping mechanisms like exercise and journaling can help your teen regulate their emotions. Having a positive outlet for negative feelings can help your teen build emotional resilience.
Practice Positive Reinforcement
Celebrate your teen’s positive behavior. Whenever your teen makes a positive step towards emotional regulation, reward them. You can reward them through the praise of gifts. By doing this, your teen learns to associate praise with positive behavior. This encourages them to regulate negative emotions.
Encourage Healthy Lifestyle Habits
Healthy living can positively impact your teen’s mental health. What your teen eats and how they live makes a big difference to their mental health. Healthy food nourishes the brain and can improve your teen’s gut microbiome. Foods rich in vitamins and minerals also reduce oxidative stress. You should discourage ultra-processed foods or foods rich in sugar. These foods affect your teen’s brain and can deteriorate their mental health.
Additionally, you should encourage your teen to exercise more. Exercise releases endorphins, which can regulate mood and reduce physical and emotional pain. It can also make your teen more confident and increase their self-worth. Regular exercise can also improve your teen’s quality of sleep. Many teens do not sleep enough, spending their nights scrolling on social media or playing video games. Getting enough sleep reduces cortisol levels and reduces stress. It can also help your teen regulate their emotions better as they will not be cranky due to lack of sleep.
Seeking Professional Help for Dealing with Teen DMDD
As a parent or guardian, you should seek professional help if you suspect your teen has DMDD. Mental health professionals will equip your teen with the skills to manage DMDD. As a result, your teen will be able to function better in society. DMDD can be treated using various approaches. These include the following:
Psychotherapy
Talk therapy is the primary treatment for many mental health conditions. It helps teens overcome the impairment caused by mental health conditions. Psychotherapy will help your teen identify negative emotions and change unhealthy behaviors. It will also equip them with positive coping mechanisms to replace destructive behavior.
If your teen has DMDD, they may be treated using the following treatment approaches:
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
CBT is one of the most effective treatments for mental health conditions. It is based on the idea that thoughts, emotions, and behaviors are interconnected. During CBT, your teen will be taught to identify negative emotions and replace them with positive ones. As a result, your teen’s behavior will be affected by positive thinking. CBT also allows teens with DMDD to tolerate frustration without throwing a temper tantrum.
CBT utilizes the following approaches to help teens with DMDD:
Cognitive reframing: This is an exercise where your teen will be taught to identify negative thought patterns. You might be wondering how this is done. Negative thought patterns often fall into four distinct categories. First, your teen may make assumptions about situations. Jumping to conclusions distorts your teen’s ability to see the full picture. Secondly, your teen may magnify the severity of the situation. Teens with DMDD are more likely to fall under this category because their reactions are disproportionate to the situation. Lastly, your teen may think of situations at its extremes. Cognitive restructuring helps teens identify and replace these negative thought patterns with positivity.
Guided discovery: This approach helps teens broaden their perspective. If your teen has DMDD, they may be unable to see another person’s perspective of a given situation. Through guided discovery, your teen will be able to see things from another point of view.
Cognitive journaling: Journaling helps teens with DMDD identify triggering situations. It enables them to record their emotions and the reaction most suitable for the problem. Teens with DMDD are also able to let out intrusive thoughts.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
DBTis closely related to CBT. It was originally developed to help teens with Borderline Personality Disorder. However, it can be used to treat other mental health conditions like DMDD. It is well suited to treat DMDD because it teaches emotional regulation and mindfulness.
Mindfulness is the practice of being aware of our environment without judgment. By focusing on the present, your teen can evaluate the situation and respond appropriately. Mindfulness helps teens accept their emotions rather than dwelling on the things they cannot change. Mindfulness can be useful for teens with DMDD as it teaches them to accept their feelings rather than being overwhelmed.
DBT also helps teens with DMDD by teaching them emotional regulation. This practice allows teens to actively choose to behave differently in certain situations. Even though your teen may feel angry, they are taught to consciously choose to react differently rather than yell or have an outburst.
Pharmacological Interventions
DMDD may be treated using medication. As DMDD is a relatively new diagnosis, there are no FDA-approved medications to treat it. However, DMDD symptoms can be treated using the following:
Antidepressants: These medications can be used to stabilize your teen’s mood.
Stimulants: These medications may be prescribed to decrease irritability and anger in teens with DMDD.
Complementary or Alternative Treatment
Complementary treatment approaches such as art, equine, and yoga therapy may be used to treat DMDD. These approaches help teens develop positive coping mechanisms to regulate their anger. For example, interacting with horses can help your teen increase their physical activity and reduce irritability. Equine therapy can also help them calm down by lowering cortisol and stress levels.
Teen DMDD Treatment at Nexus Teen Academy
Nexus Teen Academy is a premier residential treatment facility in Arizona. We offer high-quality mental health treatment through a comprehensive treatment approach. We combine evidence-based, holistic, and pharmacological interventions to ensure your teen overcomes mental health challenges. Our residential treatment center is tucked away in the desert, giving your teen a tranquil environment that promotes healing. Nexus Teen Academy also offers transitional and aftercare plans to help teens reintegrate into society after residential treatment.
Nexus offers a tailored treatment process to meet your teen’s individual needs. Our approach ensures positive treatment outcomes for teens with DMDD. If you are interested in learning more, contact us today.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What are the early signs of DMDD in teenagers?
Signs of DMDD include the following:
Recurring temper tantrums, at least 3 times a week
Chronic and intense anger and irritability
Trouble functioning at school or home due to irritability
Outbursts must happen for at least 12 months to meet the diagnostic criteria.
How is DMDD different from typical mood swings in teens?
The main difference between DMD and typical mood swings is the frequency and intensity of the behavior. Typical mood swings last a short while. On the other hand, symptoms of DMDD are frequent, more intense, and last a long time.
Can DMDD go away on its own?
DMDD is unlikely to go away on its own if left untreated. Its primary treatment is psychotherapy. If you suspect your teen has DMDD, seek professional help immediately.
How To Deal with Your Teen’s DMDD
Published By nexus_admin
Published On February 21, 2025
Table of Contents
Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder is a mental health condition that causes teens to experience chronic anger and intense irritability. Due to these emotions, your teen may have frequent angry outbursts about inconsequential things. If your teen’s behavior began before they turned 10, it may indicate that they have DMDD. Learning how to deal with disruptive mood dysregulation disorder is an important step in a teen’s life and can be aided by a teen mental health treatment center.
Dealing with a teen who has frequent temper tantrums can be difficult. If your teen has DMDD, you may be at a loss about how to handle the situation. This article aims to help parents understand the best strategies to handle teen DMDD and educate parents on treatment strategies used by Nexus Teen Academy to help teens with DMDD.
Strategies for Parental Support and Coping for Teen DMDD
It can be heart-breaking to witness your teen struggling with emotional regulation. As a parent or guardian, you should take a proactive approach to help your teen overcome their mental health struggles. Do not brush off your teen’s behavior as normal moodiness. Take control of the situation and ensure your teen receives adequate mental health support. Some strategies you can utilize to support your teen include the following:
Educate Yourself About Teen DMDD
Take active steps to learn about the condition so that you can implement proper parenting strategies. When you understand your teen’s condition, you can identify triggers and foster positive behavior. Learning about the diagnosis can also help you understand the treatment strategies professionals use. By learning about the condition, you can give a well-informed insight into your teen’s treatment plan.
Establish Consistent Boundaries and Routines
Teenagers with DMDD require consistency and routine. As a parent or guardian, you should establish a consistent routine to provide structure in your teen’s life. To do this effectively, you need to discuss it with your teen. Talk to them about their responsibilities and what you expect them to do daily. Do not forget to take their input into account when creating the routine.
You should also set clear boundaries and consequences. Boundaries act as a compass to help your teen navigate negative emotions. Consequences bring your teen back on track when they break the rules. Every time your teen breaks the rules, follow through with the consequences to teach your teen more about responsibility. The consequences need to be proportionate and should provide a teachable moment for your teen to reflect on their behavior.
Foster Open Communication
Open communication is the foundation of effective mental health support. It is a strategy that ensures all parties feel comfortable and confident sharing their ideas and feelings. As a parent or guardian, you should ensure your teen feels heard and seen during a conversation. Use active listening skills and when you do not understand their perspective, ask for clarification. By doing this, you encourage your teen to talk things through when they feel angry. DMDD causes teens to experience frequent and chronic irritability. Communication is an effective outlet for negative feelings. By fostering open communication, your teen knows they can talk to you about their feelings without being judged or ridiculed.
Implement Behavior Management Techniques
You can help your teen cope with DMDD by implementing behavior management techniques. These techniques are designed to help teens respond appropriately instead of reverting to negative behavior. Some methods you can utilize to help teens with DMDD include the following:
Practice Positive Reinforcement
Celebrate your teen’s positive behavior. Whenever your teen makes a positive step towards emotional regulation, reward them. You can reward them through the praise of gifts. By doing this, your teen learns to associate praise with positive behavior. This encourages them to regulate negative emotions.
Encourage Healthy Lifestyle Habits
Healthy living can positively impact your teen’s mental health. What your teen eats and how they live makes a big difference to their mental health. Healthy food nourishes the brain and can improve your teen’s gut microbiome. Foods rich in vitamins and minerals also reduce oxidative stress. You should discourage ultra-processed foods or foods rich in sugar. These foods affect your teen’s brain and can deteriorate their mental health.
Additionally, you should encourage your teen to exercise more. Exercise releases endorphins, which can regulate mood and reduce physical and emotional pain. It can also make your teen more confident and increase their self-worth. Regular exercise can also improve your teen’s quality of sleep. Many teens do not sleep enough, spending their nights scrolling on social media or playing video games. Getting enough sleep reduces cortisol levels and reduces stress. It can also help your teen regulate their emotions better as they will not be cranky due to lack of sleep.
Seeking Professional Help for Dealing with Teen DMDD
As a parent or guardian, you should seek professional help if you suspect your teen has DMDD. Mental health professionals will equip your teen with the skills to manage DMDD. As a result, your teen will be able to function better in society. DMDD can be treated using various approaches. These include the following:
Psychotherapy
Talk therapy is the primary treatment for many mental health conditions. It helps teens overcome the impairment caused by mental health conditions. Psychotherapy will help your teen identify negative emotions and change unhealthy behaviors. It will also equip them with positive coping mechanisms to replace destructive behavior.
If your teen has DMDD, they may be treated using the following treatment approaches:
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
CBT is one of the most effective treatments for mental health conditions. It is based on the idea that thoughts, emotions, and behaviors are interconnected. During CBT, your teen will be taught to identify negative emotions and replace them with positive ones. As a result, your teen’s behavior will be affected by positive thinking. CBT also allows teens with DMDD to tolerate frustration without throwing a temper tantrum.
CBT utilizes the following approaches to help teens with DMDD:
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
DBT is closely related to CBT. It was originally developed to help teens with Borderline Personality Disorder. However, it can be used to treat other mental health conditions like DMDD. It is well suited to treat DMDD because it teaches emotional regulation and mindfulness.
Mindfulness is the practice of being aware of our environment without judgment. By focusing on the present, your teen can evaluate the situation and respond appropriately. Mindfulness helps teens accept their emotions rather than dwelling on the things they cannot change. Mindfulness can be useful for teens with DMDD as it teaches them to accept their feelings rather than being overwhelmed.
DBT also helps teens with DMDD by teaching them emotional regulation. This practice allows teens to actively choose to behave differently in certain situations. Even though your teen may feel angry, they are taught to consciously choose to react differently rather than yell or have an outburst.
Pharmacological Interventions
DMDD may be treated using medication. As DMDD is a relatively new diagnosis, there are no FDA-approved medications to treat it. However, DMDD symptoms can be treated using the following:
Complementary or Alternative Treatment
Complementary treatment approaches such as art, equine, and yoga therapy may be used to treat DMDD. These approaches help teens develop positive coping mechanisms to regulate their anger. For example, interacting with horses can help your teen increase their physical activity and reduce irritability. Equine therapy can also help them calm down by lowering cortisol and stress levels.
Teen DMDD Treatment at Nexus Teen Academy
Nexus Teen Academy is a premier residential treatment facility in Arizona. We offer high-quality mental health treatment through a comprehensive treatment approach. We combine evidence-based, holistic, and pharmacological interventions to ensure your teen overcomes mental health challenges. Our residential treatment center is tucked away in the desert, giving your teen a tranquil environment that promotes healing. Nexus Teen Academy also offers transitional and aftercare plans to help teens reintegrate into society after residential treatment.
Nexus offers a tailored treatment process to meet your teen’s individual needs. Our approach ensures positive treatment outcomes for teens with DMDD. If you are interested in learning more, contact us today.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Signs of DMDD include the following:
The main difference between DMD and typical mood swings is the frequency and intensity of the behavior. Typical mood swings last a short while. On the other hand, symptoms of DMDD are frequent, more intense, and last a long time.
DMDD is unlikely to go away on its own if left untreated. Its primary treatment is psychotherapy. If you suspect your teen has DMDD, seek professional help immediately.