Intermittent explosive disorder is a condition in which people exhibit aggressive behavior and verbally or physically harm people or people's possessions. It is known as impulse control disorder. These are situations that the person cannot control at the time of the event and are repeated afterwards. It can occur due to many reasons such as childhood traumas, psychosocial reasons, genetic factors. It is a psychological problem that should be recognized and treated early.
It is the name given to situations such as physical harm or verbal attacks on people, animals or objects. It is one of the problems under the heading of destructive disorders, conduct disorders and impulse control disorders. It is seen as normal for people to react and get angry in the face of some events. However, the reactions given in this disorder are not proportional to the event experienced and can cause serious problems. The reactions given do not have any purpose. When the tantrum disappears, the person realizes that the actions taken are not correct. However, during a tantrum, he/she feels that he/she cannot control this situation.
Symptoms of Intermittent Explosive Disorder
They are problems caused by the emergence of symptoms and the inability to resist aggressive impulses. The outbursts often last for less than half an hour, but can lead to serious attacks or damage to people's property.
The symptoms observed in most cases are the same. In the studies on symptoms and signs, there are some situations that the person experiences before showing anger and explosive reaction.
Thesymptoms of intermittent explosive disorder are as follows:
- Anger and rage
- Abnormal excitement and nervousness
- Feeling a lot of energy and strength
- Fast thinking
- Tingling sensation and tremors
- Palpitations and pressure sensation
- Echo sensation
The impulse control disorder that occurs after experiencing such symptoms disappears after the completion of the uncontrollable and unpreventable tension, anger and outburst, and the person may experience feelings such as regret.
In the absence of any anger, nervousness or tension, there is no aggression in these people. However
Causes of Intermittent Explosive Disorder
The causes of intermittent explosive disorder include childhood trauma, psychosocial causes, genetic factors, hormonal changes and many other factors. The presence of individuals with similar characteristics in the family increases the risk of physical violence in childhood.
It can also be caused by stress, domestic problems, substance abuse, alcohol consumption, loss of a loved one, economic concerns, disappointment and miscommunication.
It can lead to serious conditions such as depression, anxiety, alcohol and substance abuse, self-harm and suicidal behavior. Most of the cases are among individuals living in families where such behaviors are common.
Exposure to violence at an early age can cause the same characteristics to emerge in later life. Most cases are in individuals under the age of 35 and it is more common in men. Violent behaviors and actions play an important role in the causes of the disorder.
It is a condition that causes significant problems in daily life. It causes negativity in the person's social environment, loss of job, difficulties in education, divorces, fights, traffic accidents, economic problems, imprisonment or other legal problems.
Diagnosis of Intermittent Explosive Disorder
To be diagnosed with intermittent explosive disorder, a person must be physically or verbally aggressive towards a person, animal or object at least twice a week over a period of three months.
Aggression should not only be seen as physical or violent. Verbal violence can also mean that this problem is occurring. It can be diagnosed if there are at least 3 or more tantrums per year.
Compared to normal people, their reaction to events is very violent and strong. Since these actions, which are not related to the events experienced, can lead to serious problems, support should be sought when they are recognized.
These problems, which are among the impulse control disorders, are not related to any pre-planned action, purpose or thought. The fact that the person is not aware of the events while they are happening and cannot prevent these situations can lead to bad consequences.
First of all, it is important that the person experiencing the problem accepts this situation and realizes that it is a psychological problem. Afterwards, support should be sought immediately for the necessary controls and treatment.
Intermittent Explosive Disorder Treatment
Treatment for intermittent explosive disorder is individualized. Psychotherapies are the most effective method in treatment, which can vary from person to person. Depending on the age and severity of the condition, medications may be used in combination with therapies. The aim of the treatment is to eliminate or alleviate the outbursts and bring them under control.
Cognitive behavioral therapies and individual psychotherapy are the most preferred and applied therapy methods. Cognitive behavioral therapies aim to make the person aware of the fact that negative thoughts lead to negative behaviors, and to replace these thoughts with positive thoughts and to gain new habits.
Medication treatment aims to benefit the person by raising the anger threshold. Although it is a condition that can be managed with therapy and medication, it is usually a long-term treatment. In some cases, lifelong treatment may be required.
It is also difficult to live, work and be in the same school with people with this condition. There are problems in interpersonal relationships and it causes problems. Families living with these people, those who work in the same environment or those who have to be together at school have more problems such as stress and depression.
For this reason, measures should be taken and treatment should be sought at any age. In cases where it is recognized, support from clinical psychologists or specialist psychiatrists is required to diagnose and determine the situation.