Impulse control disorders(ICDs)

These disorders are similar to anxiety disorders but include an uncontrollable desire to get a certain task completed. Patients feel anxiety if they don't complete these tasks and the anxiety is relieved when the task is completed. The type of desire determines the type of impulse control disorder.

• Intermittent explosive disorder 
  • 
  • Variety of stressors 
    • Aggression is a common trigger
  • Action
    • Almost always a disproportionate amount of violence
    • Physical harm common 
  •  Epidemiology 
    • More common in med due to the physical violence factor 
    • Reduced rates as the patients get older
  • Types
    • Mild 
      • Harm absent(usually to a living creature) 
      • 2 outbursts/week for 3 months 
      • Does not usually require incarceration 
    • Severe
      • Harm present 
      • 3 times/12 months 
      • Usually requires incarceration 
  • Diagnosis 
    • Clinical 
  • Treatment 
    • No benefit to medications or group therapy 
• Kleptomania 
  • Stressor 
    • Variety of objects 
  • Action 
    • Theft of objects that are of little or no value (patient can afford)
  • Epidemiology 
    • More common in women 
  • Reaction 
    • Remorse 
    • Gifting, returning or hoarding common after-reactions 
  • Diagnosis 
    • Theft with no plan, intention, use and with remorse after the theft 
  • Treatment 
    • No benefit to medications or group therapy 
    • Incarceration often not required
      • Train them to return the objects 
• Pyromania 
  • 
  • Stressor 
    • None 
  • Action 
    • Setting things on fire to get sexual arousal 
    • Must do 2 or more times 
    • Different than arson because they are not intending to kill someone or fraud a system 
  • Epidemiology 
    • More common in males 
  • Diagnosis 
    • Clinical
  • Treatment 
    • No benefit to medications or group therapy 
    • Incarceration common