Behavioral problems are broadly classified as disruptive habits or behaviors that may end up causing inconvenience or harm to those around them. These can be diagnosed in early childhood, but continue into adulthood if left untreated and eventually make it hard to maintain societal, professional, and personal relationships. Behavioral disorders are quite common among children, adolescents, and adults. In children, it is generally observed as disruptive behaviors that cause problems at school and home. 

No child grows up in an ideal environment. Exposure to various stress factors creates certain emotional or trauma responses to navigate through the unpleasantness. Every person out there has some form of behavioral issue. It can be in the form of over-cleanliness, certain compulsions about how they want things to be, inability to handle stress and frustrations leading to emotional outbursts, etc. Modern-day scenarios like binge eating and oversleeping are also forms of stress response. Nearly every human being exhibits these behaviors at different points of life, but behavior disorders are more serious. If left unattended, these disorders can have tremendous negative impacts on a person’s ability to handle various aspects of life, such as relationships, jobs, etc.

Among the various risk factors for behavioral disorders such as brain development, dysfunctional family, substance abuse, stressful life events, etc, family dynamics is seen as a major contributor. Behavioral health problems are more commonly seen in dysfunctional homes characterized by domestic violence, neglectful parenting, or substance abuse.

Some of the commonly seen forms of behavioral problems can be broadly classified under

• Attention Deficit Hyperactivity  Disorder (ADHD)
• Conduct Disorder
• Oppositional Defiant Disorder

Behavioral health problems during childhood, when neglected, can negatively affect a person’s ability to maintain societal and personal relationships, as these disorders have a great impact on human life.

ADHD:

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders of childhood. If left undiagnosed or untreated, the symptom graph only goes up and progresses into adulthood. People with ADHD generally have trouble paying attention, become hyperactive, or have difficulty controlling impulsive behaviors.

Control Disorders (CD):

When an individual struggles with antisocial behaviors, has difficulty following set guidelines or rules and lacks a sense of empathy toward other beings. Behaviors like bullying, stealing, and lack of respect for other people’s property are some of the characteristics of this disorder.

Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD):

As the name suggests, people with ODD have difficulty following orders. During childhood, this is generally seen as throwing excessive tantrums. In adulthood, it translates into more serious forms of disobeying, a certain disregard for the rules. Adults with ODD generally feel misunderstood. They do not like authority figures, especially at work, cannot handle healthy criticisms or feedback, and constantly blame others.

Other commonly seen forms of such behavioral problems include

•     Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
•     Anxiety and Panic Disorders
•     Emotional Disorders
•     Eating and Sleeping Disorders, etc.

A common thing that can be noted here is the fact that all these issues can be controlled and corrected to a great extent if identified and taken care of at the right time and age. One form of treatment that is being vastly used in the management of these behavioral disorders is Family Therapy.

Family Therapy:

Family Therapy is an evidence-based form of psychological treatment method that provides a non-judgmental and private environment, allowing families to communicate openly with a trained mental health professional.

It includes being educated and working towards incorporating healthy behaviors for the overall wellbeing of families. Some of the benefits of Family Therapy include:

• Improvement in emotion management
• Overall improvement in physical health
• Improved family dynamics.

Every child needs guidance from their parents. When individuals, especially children, are struggling with difficulties at an emotional level or with behavioral aspects, family intervention is shown to be the most successful form of therapy.

This therapy is not just for children or adults having behavioral disorders. It is also for the parents and other immediate family members who struggle to handle these individuals with behavioral problems, without being able to understand why exactly their child is the way he/she is.

It helps them understand what exactly contributes to these problematic behaviors and teaches them strategies on how to better understand and respond to such situations and bring out the best in their child.

Family Therapy can provide an opportunity to improve the environment in which a child grows. A Family is the most basic unit of society. All our basic morals and lessons begin at home. It should be a place of acceptance, comfort, and support- A Safe House.

Even though families come for therapy solely intending to deal with their child’s challenging behavior, the entire family often benefits. Working with a therapist who has specialized in this particular field, someone who understands the problems, and the challenges of bringing up a child in the modern world can be immensely beneficial to the health and wellbeing of parents too. A healthy mindset in parents in turn creates a healthy environment for the entire family.

CBT & CBFT:

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a form of psychological treatment that has been proven to be effective for a range of problems including depression, anxiety disorders, alcohol and substance abuse problems, marital problems, eating disorders, and severe mental illness. It leads to significant improvement in functioning and quality of life.

Cognitive behavioral therapy usually involves efforts to change thinking patterns. These strategies might include gaining a better understanding of the behavior and motivation of others and using problem-solving skills to manage with difficult situations. Eventually, the individual learns to develop a greater sense of confidence in one’s abilities. The strategies used in CBT to treat behavioral disorders include strategies like learning to face their fears, learning to calm the body and mind to respond better, etc.

Cognitive Behavioral Family Therapy (CBFT) is among the most popular forms of family and marriage therapy. So, what does it do?

• It focuses on thoughts and behaviors and how they affect other family members.
• Addresses any unfavorable thoughts and behaviors.
• It helps individuals identify wrong thoughts about themselves or other family members.

When combined with other mental health treatments, Family Therapy is an incredibly successful way in the management of various psychological disorders. It helps to improve communication. Along with learning how to effectively communicate their thoughts and feelings, members of a family also learn how to listen and respect other peoples’ points of view. Through CBFT, families learn how to lessen the severity and frequency of conflicts, enhance their abilities to handle stressful situations, implement successful parenting techniques, and thereby help parents form better bonds with their kids.

To conclude, starting therapy, whether it is individual or as a group, can be challenging. It requires multiple people to be willing to attend, cooperate, and participate actively in the sessions. Having difficult conversations with your dear ones can be tough. But it’s the most effective way. It is going to be an overwhelming situation for many to actually acknowledge the need to seek help. But it is the right thing to do.