William Devereux, Oppositional Defiant Disorder

Name: William Devereux

Age: 25

Disorder: Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD)

Description of disorder: ODD is a diagnosis described as an ongoing pattern of anger guided disobedience and hostilely defiant behavior toward authority figures which goes beyond the bounds of normal childhood behavior. People with ODD may appear very stubborn and often angry. Common features of ODD sufferers include excessive anger, frequent temper tantrums, and frequent angry outbursts. Children and teens with ODD often blame others for their own mistakes, and are easily disturbed. ODD is usually diagnosed in childhood but can extend well into teen years and adulthood. Some signs of someone with an oppositional defiant disorder include arguing often, actively refusing to comply with majority's requests or rules, touchy and easily annoyed, and is spiteful and seeks revenge. Children of alcoholic parents, or whose parents who have "been in trouble with the law", run an 18% chance of developing ODD.

Has been at LPH for: 3 years

Medicine: Gabitril (anticonvulsant), Klonopin (for anxiety and muscle relaxing), undergoing cognitive behavioral therapy

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Background: Looking back on his youth, William can remember being a little boy. He can also remember living in France. And in Amsterdam. And Stockholm. And Brussels. And New York. And, eventually, Maryland, when he was around the age of ten. William always found it odd that him and his family were moving around so often, when all his friends he'd made just stayed put. He just figuered his parents liked to travel the world, because that's what they'd told him. Little did he know, Mr. and Mrs. Devereux were convicts. They were always on the run from the law and had several passports and identities to keep them on the go. Along with being convicts, Mr. and Mrs. Devereux also had another little bad habit-- their love of alcohol. That's something William also remembers clearly. His parents only argued when they were drunk, they only hit each other when they were drunk, they only verbally and mentally abused each other when they were drunk... but they were always drunk, and it was always in front of William. Growing up in that kind of hostile enviornment doesn't give much hope for a bright, happy future. When William was twelve, he began breaking into people's homes and stealing things he liked, after hearing his parents talk about having done it. He had gotten arrested a few times, from the ages of twelve to seventeen, and the cops were threatening to send him to a juvinile delinquent center-- not only was he a constant repeat offender, but he was so volatile and rude to the law enforcement and other citizens that they had to constantly remind themselves he was just a minor. Due to all the run-ins with the police, William's parents became well-known around the precinct. So when a call from a New York police officer came in one day, asking if they'd heard of or ever seen the pictures of the two criminal adults he was currently faxing over, the resident psychologist had an idea as to what was going on with William Devereux. After the arrest of his parents, at age nineteen, William ran away. He stayed under the radar for the next two years, but was eventually picked up during another B&E. After being taken to court, and after the resident psychologist confirmed the man was, in fact, William Devereux, the man he'd been trying to find for the past two years, William was given the choice between prison or LPH. Subconsciously understand he had a problem and wanting to get help, William choce the hospital, and he's been here ever since.

What you get to decide: William's overall personality (keep his background in mind), odds and ends about his childhood/the years he had been a runaway, how he's reacting to the medicine and therapy sessions

Played by: Emile Hirsch