Impulse control disorder describes a group of mental health disorders wherein a person is unable to control or ignore impulses to engage in certain behaviors. This also means that individuals suffering from these kinds of disorders are usually conscious of their problematic behavior but cannot stop themselves.

Their causes are mostly genetic and environmental, though, in most cases, a cause for impulse control disorders is challenging to establish. In contrast, among the effects of impulse control disorders are problems at work or school, financial issues, legal troubles, self-harming behaviors, and health troubles in maintaining healthy relationships.

Impulse control disorder characteristic features include repetitive or compulsive engagement in a behavior despite harmful consequences, a craving state before engagement in a particular behavior, a lack of control over problematic behavior, and hedonic quality when performing the specific behavior. Impulse control disorder treatments usually involve a combination of therapy and medication.

What Are Impulse Control Disorders?

Impulse control disorders are a category of mental illness that is associated with a serious inability to control one’s impulses or urges and results in harmful or damaging behavior. Individuals with an impulse control disorder generally experience a pre-engagement rise in tension or excitement before the impulsive behavior, followed by feelings of guilt, shame, or regret after the behavior. In the following blog, we discuss impulse control disorders in greater depth, as well as their prevalence, common symptoms, and available treatment options.

Understanding Impulse Control Disorders

Impulse control disorder is a very widespread mental health disorder affecting millions of people worldwide. The individual suffering from impulse control disorders has compulsive or irresistible urges or impulses that an individual is unable to resist, resulting in harmful behaviors that have negative effects on their life and relationships. Impulse control disorders manifest in a variety of ways, such as addictive behaviors, gambling disorder, kleptomania, pyromania, and intermittent explosive disorder.

What Causes Impulse Control Disorders?

Impulse control disorders are a complex kind of condition, and there are various causes linked to the generation of such problems, which might be genetic, environmental, and psychological. Possible causes of impulse control disorders include:

Genetics

Research indicates that genetics play a role in developing impulse control disorders. Some investigations have found family tendencies play a role as some people who have family members with such conditions are more likely to develop it themselves.

Brain chemistry

Impulse control disorders are often associated with the alteration of brain levels of specific chemicals, such as serotonin and dopamine. Dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine are the three neurotransmitters found to be associated with impulse control disorders.

• Dopamine is a neurotransmitter functioning as one of the key components of the reward system within the brain. It is released when we do something pleasurable-eating, exercising, or having sex, for instance. People with impulse control disorders may be super-sensitive to dopamine.
• Serotonin is one of the neurotransmitters that regulate mood, anxiety, and impulse control. Impulse control disorders have been associated with reduced levels of the neurotransmitter.
• Norepinephrine is responsible for how a body reacts to stress, and it was discovered that individuals with impulse control disorders have greater levels.

Trauma and stress

Traumatic and chronic stress may lead to disruptions of brain functioning and is associated with the precipitation of impulse control disorders.

Environmental factors

Upbringing, peer pressure, and addictive substance exposure are some environmental influences that may precipitate impulse control disorders.

Mental health conditions

Impulse control disorders are typically comorbid with other psychiatric disorders. These include anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

It would indeed be worth noting that impulse control disorders are quite complex conditions with causes a little different for everybody. If you think you or someone close to you has an impulse control disorder, you must seek professional help.

Common Co-Occurring Disorders with Impulse Control Disorders

Impulse control disorders are always associated with other mental disorders, and the person diagnosed with the disorder can have other disorders that co-occur. Among the common co-occurring disorders that occur with impulse control disorders are the following:

Anxiety disorders

People with impulse control disorders often manifest anxiety symptoms such as excessive worry, fear, or nervousness.

Depression

People with impulse control disorders can be accompanied by such symptoms of depression as low moods, loss of interest in activities, and feelings of being worthless.

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)

ADHD is also a possibility in a person with impulse control disorders and is characterized by problems with attention, overactivity, and impulsivity.

Substance use disorders

These problems may co-occur because drug abusers or alcoholics often turn to substances in an effort to control impulses, or substances can act as a means to anesthetize the negative emotions that often accompany impulse control disorders. This may lead to drug abuse, drug addiction, alcohol abuse, and many other behaviors that degrade well-being.

Personality disorders

Individuals with impulse control disorders may also have personality disorders like borderline or antisocial disorder, which might also create problems with emotional regulation, impulsivity, and, more generally, interpersonal relationships.

It is also worth noting that people with impulse control disorders may have other co-occurring mental health disorders, and the right diagnosis and treating impulse control disorder approach should, therefore, be ascertained by a mental health expert. Treatments for co-occurring disorders may range from the use of medication, behavioral therapy, and lifestyle adjustments.

What Are the Types of Impulse Control Disorders?

The DSM-5 recognizes five formal disorders that are classified as an impulse control disorder. Impulse control disorders can be very diverse, and the symptoms may vary in different presentations, consequences, and challenges. Depending on the specific type of disorder, symptoms may lead to increased aggression, crime, arson, and violence.

Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD)

Indeed, oppositional defiant disorder is an impulse control disorder among children and adolescents. Such children are marked by an angry or irritable mood, argumentative or defiant cruel behavior, and vindictiveness, impairing the social, family, and school functioning of such children.

While all children exhibit some oppositional behavior, the children with ODD exhibit much worse, longer-lasting, and more persistent defiance. Such children generally get into conflict with authority figures and find themselves in situations in which their actions lead to consequences such as hurt feelings and even dreadful injury to themselves or others. They may be touchy, easily annoyed, and prone to outbursts. Impulsivity typically precipitates such behavior, and these children do not appear to realize or understand the effects of their condition.

Intermittent Explosive Disorder

Intermittent explosive disorder causes episodes of rage, which may be described as a tantrum of the temper that lasts for at least 30 minutes. In this episode, the afflicted may be extremely physically and verbally aggressive, which has manifestations of direct threats, object throwing, or striking others who are around them.

Later, the patient may feel relieved but regretful and ashamed of their behavior. This condition characterizes the individuals having little to no control over themselves during episodes of explosiveness. The dangers of this behavior are criminal prosecutions, feelings of guilt, and possible physical damage to those on whom outbursts are inflicted.

Conduct Disorder

Another example is conduct disorder, which is also classified as an impulse control disorder. Teens and adults with this disorder often consistently behave in a way that violates the rights of others or social norms. Those afflicted with conduct disorder may physically harm animals, commit acts of sexual assault, and commit crimes.

Many children with conduct disorder have been violent to animals and got into physical fights in the house or at school. Some of them will not be sorry for what they did but do whatever they want because it feels good to them, regardless of how it hurts someone else.

Antisocial Personality Disorder (ASPD)

Similar to conduct disorder, antisocial personality disorder (ASPD) has to do with the pervasive violation of others’ rights and continued disregard for social norms. The afflicted individual is callous about physical or emotional suffering and unrelated matters or property belonging to someone else.

Adults with ASPD have experienced symptoms of conduct disorder in their childhood and typically become problematic for their families, peers, and communities. In a very sad way, individuals with the condition are also more likely to face higher counts of addiction, suicide, and homicide.

Pyromania

This is the compulsion to set fires and compulsions related to the theme of destruction by fire. Characteristically, such persons feel tension before they commit arson and are relieved, gratified, or pleased afterward. People do not set these fires to achieve any external motivation or objective.

Pyromania Pyromania is a relatively rare disorder found most often in males. The typical pyromaniac activity includes disabling and pulling false fire alarms, listening to or seeing something about fire, or feeling an urge to get close to fires. Some pyromaniacs can also be firefighters.

Kleptomania

Kleptomania has repeated failure to resist urges to steal objects that have little value for personal use or in monetary terms. Kleptomaniacs enjoy small satisfaction after the act of stealing, followed by major dysfunction and distress related to their behavior. Of course, such an act might result in a legal offense, and there is some indication that kleptomania accounts for approximately 5% of shoplifting.

Trichotillomania

Trichotillomania is an impulse control disorder that can be described as a compulsion to pull hair that manifests into noticeable hair loss. In most cases, trichotillomania begins in adolescence or early adulthood with significant symptom-oriented distress and distress causing impairment in daily functioning. The treatments of this disorder can either be therapeutic approaches or medications that have been successful treatments for symptomatic relief and recapture of control over this disorder.

Unspecified Impulse Control Disorder

An unspecified impulse control disorder describes symptoms that do not meet the specific criteria for any defined impulse control disorder. For example, it might include compulsive shopping, excessive skin picking, or repeated self-harmful behavior.

It is also challenging to determine the prevalence of unspecified impulse control disorders because the group encompasses such a wide range of behaviors. Such matters can be quite detrimental to living and well-being, and professional assistance would be advisable to discuss such issues and more efficient ways to cope with them.

How Do You Know If You Have Impulse Control Issues?

If you think that you have a problem with impulse control, some common signs and symptoms can make you identify with having an impulse control disorder. Here are a few of them:

• Constant and overwhelming urges to do certain acts.
• You cannot resist these urges, and you know that they can do harm or present with problems.
• There must be a feeling of tension or excitement prior to the act.
• These feelings persist afterwards-shame, guilt, or regret.

Approaches to Therapy for Impulse Control Disorders

Treatment for impulse control disorders commonly involves psychotherapy, medication, and support groups. Some of the common approaches to treating the disorder are presented below:

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Cognitive behavioral therapy is a therapy in which a mode of psychotherapy is used to target changing thoughts and behaviors that lead to impulse control disorder. This might help a patient understand what triggers their impulsive behavior and learn ways to cope with those triggers.

Medication

Certain medications, such as certain selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, may be prescribed and have been helpful in reducing the symptoms of impulse control disorders. SSRIs help to stabilize the levels of certain neurotransmitters in the brain that are involved with impulsiveness.

Support groups

A support group can be very helpful for anybody diagnosed with impulse control disorders. It will bring them into contact with others experiencing these kinds of problems. Support groups become a safeguarded area where they can share their experiences, discuss their ideas about coping, and actually get the emotional support they need.

Mindfulness-based approaches

Concepts like MBCT and MBSR can help an individual with impulse control disorder to become mindful and attentive to his emotions to develop a sense of self-control.

Psychodynamic therapy

Psychodynamic therapy is an approach to helping patients gain insight into unconscious thoughts and feelings that may be driving their impulsive behavior. This form of treatment facilitates giving patients more adaptive mechanisms for coping and improving their relationships with others.

How Can You Help a Child with Impulse Control Issues?

Strategies for a child diagnosed as having impulsivity problems usually include clear-cut boundaries with resultant consequences that can be consistently enforced, rewarding good behavior by positive reinforcement techniques, teaching the child to solve problems, and working with a qualified mental health professional to help with further development and implementation of the treatment.

Impulse Control Disorder Support With Recover With Phoenix!

Impulse control disorders are amongst the most common and demanding mental health problems, and they can greatly affect any person’s life and intimate relationship with others. In addition, effective treatment is available for this disorder, and thus, a person with impulse control disorders can learn to conquer his impulses and live a fulfilling life.

Treatment Recover with Phoenix IOP incorporates individual therapy, supported groups, and family therapy to provide comprehensive and effective treatment for those suffering from serious mental health conditions. If you find the level of care you are experiencing is not meeting your needs or you require support as you leave an inpatient environment to return home, our Admissions Team is available 24 hours a day to discuss your needs and goals. Contact us today.