Intermittent Explosive Disorder

I really blew up when I heard that there was a disorder called intermittent explosive disorder. The claims were that it was the cause of road rage, some spousal abuse, and property destruction. I thought, “Just another excuse for bad behavior.” Intermittent explosive disorder has been successfully used as a legal defense. But the more I read about intermittent explosive disorder, the more I became convinced that it really does exist, although I’m still not sure that it is a separate disorder and not a part of another disorder.

Intermittent explosive disorder is all the rage (heh heh) right now. The National Institute of Mental Health has released a study claiming that intermittent explosive disorder is much more common than previously thought. They did a face to face survey of 9,282 people in 2001-2003. The survey showed that up to 16 million Americans suffer from intermittent explosive disorder.

What is intermittent explosive disorder? The manual used by psychiatrists to make diagnoses, the DMS IV, defines it as an impulse disorder like kleptomania or pyromania. It is a mental disturbance characterized by episodes of violent and aggressive behavior that may involve harm to others or destruction of property. The behavior is way out of proportion to the trigger. The outburst in usually followed by genuine remorse. The disorder can not be a symptom of another disorder nor be caused by substance abuse. The DSM IV states that the disorder is quite rare.

The study by the National Institute of Mental Health seemed to broaden the definition and found that many people with intermittent explosive disorder also suffer from depression, anxiety, and have substance abuse problems. Many psychiatrists feel that the disorder is really a symptom of another disorder.

Intermittent explosive disorder seems to start in childhood or adolescence. The child is calm and agreeable most of the time but has outbursts of extreme, destructive anger.

The cause is still in question, although there are many theories. Most researchers think that an imbalance of serotonin is one of the causes.

Treatment is usually a combination of psychotherapy and medication. The medication may be anti depressants, anti convulsants, mood stabilizers, or anti psychotics. The most useful psychotherapy seems to be cognitive therapy and/or behavior modification.

The next time you smash that vase against the wall, you will know what’s wrong with you.