Article at a Glance:
- Everyone can be impulsive at times, but an impulse control disorder involves repetitive impulsiveness despite negative consequences and being unable to control this behavior.
- Examples of impulsive control disorders include kleptomania and pathological gambling.
- Both children and adults can have impulse control disorders.
- Chemical imbalances, genetics and growing up in a chaotic environment may cause an impulse control disorder.
- The Recovery Village can provide effective treatment for impulse control disorders.
Table of Contents
What Is Impulse Control Disorder?
Everyone displays impulsive behaviors from time to time. Whether it is in the form of eating a piece of cake when on a diet or buying a pair of shoes you don’t need, occasional impulsivity is normal. However, for a person with an impulse control disorder, they do not feel in control of what would be considered normal behavior if done to a lesser degree or done infrequently. Impulse control disorder is defined by the following key features:
- Repetitive engagement in a behavior despite negative consequences
- Inability to fully control the problematic behavior
- Experiencing strong urges or cravings to engage in the problematic behavior
- Performing problematic behavior to release pressure or feel pleasure
Types of Impulse Control Disorders
There are five types of impulse control disorders identified as stand-alone disorders: kleptomania, pyromania, intermittent explosive disorder, pathological gambling and trichotillomania. Impulse control is also a key feature in other mental illnesses, including bulimia, substance abuse and paraphilias. However, these are categorized as other types of mental health disorders rather than as impulse control disorders.
Kleptomania
Kleptomania is the inability to control the urge, or impulse, to steal. This definition does not refer to stealing for necessity, such as food. Instead, kleptomania refers to stealing items that are unneeded, meaningless or lacking in value.
Pyromania
Pyromania refers to the inability to control the impulse to set fires. A person with pyromania feels an intense urge, which may present as anxiety or emotional blockage, that is only relieved by setting fires. Relief from these difficult feelings is the main reason people with pyromania set fires, though some people with the condition also report feeling intense pleasure as well.
