Impulsive control disorder
From Drug Rehab Wiki
Impulse Control Disorders are psychiatric illnesses officially listed as one category in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, published by the American Psychiatric Association and used by physicians to diagnose mental diseases. These disorders are pathological gambling, kleptomania, pyromania, trichotillomania, intermittent explosive disorder, and impulsive control disorder non-specified. Each is characterized by an inability to avoid a certain behavior even though it may cause harm to the person or others.
Pathological gamblers keep risking money on gambling even if they are jeopardizing their finances, their careers, and their relationships. They hide their gambling from others, and try to recoup losses by gambling again.
Kleptomania is compulsive stealing. People who have this disorder steal things even if they do not need them or need to sell them for money. It is a rare disorder that affects more women than men. Pyromania is the impulse to set fires. People with this disorder do not set fires because they are paid to do so or because they feel angry toward a property owner. They do it just for pleasure, and it is more common among children and teenagers than adults.
Intermittent explosive disorder is characterized by violent episodes of uncontrollable anger, in which the person usually destroys property and injures other people, and then he will most likely blame others for the incidents. Anger and aggression are disproportionate to what provoked him. Most people with this disorder are male.
Trichotillomania is the compulsive pulling or twisting of one's hair until it falls off. People with this disorder usually begin having problems around age 17. They can pull out their eyebrows and cause bare patches on their scalps, and some create bowel blockages after eating their own hair. About 80% of people with this disorder are females.
Impulse control disorder not otherwise specified is about any similar impulse control problem that does not fit exactly into these five categories.
Usually a tension builds up within people who suffer from impulse control disorders. They consider the behavior that characterizes their specific disorder, and then they feel relief and happiness when they engage in it. Often their failure to control their impulses results in criminal acts with criminal consequences -- for example, kleptomania leads to getting arrested for stealing, and intermittent explosive disorder can lead to assault charges. Despite the severe risks, they keep up the behaviors because they cannot control themselves.
Many people who suffer from impulse control disorders have other mental problems or diagnoses, especially personality disorders, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, anxiety, bipolar disorder, and substance abuse. Some studies have found a link between traumatic brain injuries to the front cortex area of the brain and developing impulse control disorders. Others have linked these disorders to low levels of brain serotonin. Someday there may be treatments based on the neurobiology of these disorders, but today the state-of-the-art treatments involve psychotherapy and medications. People with impulse control disorders often feel too ashamed and guilty to seek treatment.
