An impulse is characterised by being something that all people experience or feel at some point in their lives , and it is about carrying out an action emotionally or, to put it another way, doing something “without thinking”.

Usually, the person is perfectly capable of managing these impulses, letting himself be carried away to a greater or lesser extent. However, in some people this ability is highly altered, and it can trigger a mental disorder known as impulse control disorder.

What is impulse control disorder?

According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV), impulse control disorder is defined as those disorders in which the person experiences great difficulty or is unable to withstand or resist the impulse to commit an action that will end up being harmful to the person or to others.

In almost all of these behavioral alterations, the patient experiences a feeling of tension or great activation prior to the performance of the action, followed by an emotion or feeling of pleasure, gratification or even liberation.

However, sometimes the patient may feel feelings of guilt and self-reproach . However, this is not a mandatory condition of impulse control disorder.

The symptomatology is usually chronic and in a great number of times intrusive, interfering in different areas of the patient’s life. Likewise, people affected by an impulse control disorder tend to have a deficit in the ability to control their emotions, which together with the symptoms of the disorder can also cause a series of emotional disturbances.

In most cases, the condition begins in childhood or adolescence and symptoms tend to worsen over time.

Classification

Despite the fact that there are numerous psychological disorders characterized by a deficit in impulse control, some of the best known impulse control disorders are the following s.

1. Intermittent explosive disorder

In intermittent explosive disorder the person experiences recurrent episodes of impulsive behaviour , characterised by an aggressive and virulent nature. Likewise, he or she may also engage in outbursts of angry verbal manifestations and disproportionate reactions to any situation.

Some of its symptoms include tantrums, domestic violence, or throwing and breaking any object the patient has on hand.

2. Kleptomania

Despite being one of the most famous impulse control disorders, kleptomania is a complex disorder that is defined as the inability to restrain or dominate the impulse of stealing r.

A kleptomaniac experiences an irresistible urge to steal, often with the aim of appeasing his emotions. Also, a little known peculiarity of kleptomania is that the patient often feels guilty after committing the theft.

3. Trichotillomania

Trichotillomania is characterized by the fact that the person is unable to repress the impulse to pull his hair, even tearing it out and causing himself to become disheveled . This alteration is highly associated with trichophagia, in which the person not only pulls out his/her hair but also ingests it compulsively.

4. Pyromania

Another well-known psychiatric disorder is pyromania, in which the patient feels the urge to start fires, experiencing a sense of pleasure, relief and calm.

5. Gambling

Pathological gambling is also known as compulsive gambling, and in it the person feels an uncontrollable urge or need to perform or persist in gambling related behaviours , even if this implies a serious deterioration in his/her life or great economic losses.

6. Dermatilomania

This is a little known condition in which the person feels a compulsive need to scratch , rub, pinch or scratch the skin.

7. Onychophagia

Characterized by the sometimes compulsive habit of nail-biting. Onychophagia is possibly the most widespread and certainly the most socially accepted impulse control disorder .

8. Compulsive buying

An irrepressible urge to buy spontaneously, without any kind of premeditation. It is usually known as oniomania.

9. Hoarder’s Syndrome

In this syndrome the person tends to or has an obsession with collecting and storing objects in an excessive manner ; regardless of whether they are worthless, harmful or harmful to health.

In these cases, people may live in crowded homes, surrounded by hundreds of objects piled up around the house. They may also pick up animals, holding a large number of animals, often under unsanitary conditions.

Symptoms of these disorders

Due to the large number and diversity of behavioural disorders that encompass impulse control disorders, there are an infinite number of symptoms and signs characteristic of these. And these will vary depending on the type of affectation that the person suffers .

This symptomatology can be divided into physical, behavioral, cognitive and psychosocial symptoms.

  • Physical symptoms
  • Marks such as bruises or contusions
  • Burn scars from experimenting with fire
  • Behavioral symptoms
  • Explosive Fury Chapters
  • Angry behavior towards any person, animal or object
  • Theft behaviour
  • Lies
  • Constantly experimenting with fire or generating fire
  • Cognitive symptoms
  • Lack of impulse control
  • Lack of concentration
  • Intrusive ideas
  • Obsessive Thinking Schemes
  • Compulsive Thinking Schemes
  • Psychosocial symptoms
  • Restlessness
  • Depression
  • Anxiety
  • Irritable or aggressive temperament
  • Low self-esteem
  • Isolation and solitude
  • Emotional detachment

Causes

The origin and evolution of impulse control disorders can be found in different causes, which can be genetic, physical and environmental.

1. Genetic causes

In the same way that other psychiatric disorders are susceptible to genetic causes, several studies have affirmed the existence of a genetic influence in the initiation and development of impulse control disorders .

2. Physical causes

Using neuroimaging techniques, it has been found that patients with symptoms of impulse control disorder show structural differences in the brain.

This differentiation may interfere with the normal functioning of the brain , including the correct activity of the neurotransmitters in charge of impulse control.

3. Environmental causes

The context or environment in which the person lives is an element that can have a great influence on this person , becoming an important agent when it comes to shaping the behaviour of patients.

Treatment

As with the wide range of symptoms, treatment for the impulse control disorder will depend on the way the impulse is externalized .

Also, in rare cases the person ends up asking for professional assistance or help, only in those cases where the disorder has become too interfering in the patient’s life or in those where the law has been broken.

Even so, it has been shown that the most effective interventions are those that combine a psychological approach with pharmacological treatment that reduces the patient’s compulsions.