Impulse control disorder

Almost all people have the will to exercise clear control over their impulses, which helps them and prevents them from saying or doing something they would not want to do. However, people with impulse control disorder cannot exercise this control and this makes them different from other people.

People with impulse control disorder cannot resist the urge to hurt themselves or others.

This type of disorder includes various addictions, eating disorders, gambling, abnormal and perverted sexual desires and behavior (for example, involving various forms of humiliation or torture, including on children), compulsive hair pulling or pulling, committing impulsive theft or arson, outbursts of rage and others.

Some of these disorders, such as intermittent explosive disorder (outbursts of intense anger), kleptomania, pyromania, gambling addiction, and trichotillomania, are similar in how they begin and how they progress .

Usually, a person feels an increase in tension or nervous excitement before performing the act, which is a characteristic feature of the disease.

During the act, the person will most likely feel pleasure, satisfaction, or relief. However, he may then blame himself or feel intense regret or guilt.

People with this disorder sometimes plan and sometimes do not plan their actions, but the acts usually fulfill their immediate conscious desires.

Most people who suffer from some form of impulse control disorder, however, find their disorder very debilitating and feel a loss of control over their lives.

How does impulse control disorder differ from other similar disorders?

While many other disorders may involve difficulty controlling impulses, this is not their primary function.

For example, while people with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder or those in the manic phase of bipolar disorder may have difficulty controlling their impulses, this is not their primary problem.

Some professionals believe that impulse control disorders are subsets of other disorders, such as anxiety disorder or obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Some medications to treat depression and anxiety have also been successful in treating impulse control disorders, particularly antidepressants. This suggests that the neurotransmitter serotonin plays an important role in these disorders.

What are the causes of impulse control disorders?

Scientists do not know what causes these disorders, but many factors are likely to play a role, including physical, biological, psychological, emotional, cultural, and social factors .

Scientists suspect that certain brain structures are affected in this disorder, including the limbic system (associated with emotions and memory functions) and the frontal lobe (the part of the cerebral cortex associated with memory functions planning and impulse control).

Hormones associated with violence and aggression, such as testosterone, may also play a role.

For example, scientists suggest that women may be predisposed to less aggressive types of impulse control disorders (such as kleptomania or trichotillomania), and men may be predisposed to more violent and aggressive types (such as pyromania and intermittent explosive disorder).

Research has also shown links between certain types of seizure disorders and those with violent and impulsive forms of behavior. And research has shown that family members of people with impulse control disorders have higher rates of disorders such as addictions or mood disorders