Intermittent Explosive Disorder

Intermittent explosive disorder involves frequent, sudden episodes of aggression, impulsiveness, angry, violent and angry verbal outbursts. These episodes are usually out of proportion to the situation that triggered them.

Intermittent explosive disorder is characterized by sudden explosive episodes of anger that are not proportional to the situation. These explosive outbursts cause individuals with this disorder significant distress and it negatively impacts their relationships, work and school, and it could cause them a lot of legal and financial issues.

Symptoms

Aggressive episodes may be preceded by:

  • Rage
  • Irritability
  • Racing thoughts chest tightness
  • Tingling  
  • Tremors
  • Palpitations
  • Chest tightness

The explosive episodes can include:

  • Shouting
  • Slapping, shoving, pushing
  • Temper tantrums
  • Physical fights
  • Property damage
  • Threatening or assaulting people or animals
  • Road rage
  • Domestic violence

Prevalence

Researchers estimate that approximately 1.4% to 7% of people have intermittent explosive disorder.

Prognosis

People that struggle withintermittent explosive disorder tend to have a poor quality of life as it has a very negative impact on their health and can lead to severe personal and relationship problems. Cognitive behavioral therapy and medication can successfully manage intermittent explosive disorder. It is essential to seek help for this disorder as it increases the risk of self-harm, suicide, depression, alcohol and substance use disorders.

When to seek help

If you or your child displays behavior that harms or endangers others, such as other people or animals, it’s important to find immediate care.

Treatment

Treatment for intermittent explosive disorder typically involves psychotherapy that is aimed at changing thoughts related to anger and aggression. Treatment can also involve medications that may increase the threshold at which a situation triggers an angry outburst.

Cognitive behavioral therapy is one of the main therapy modalities used in this case. Through CBT you will learn to understand your thoughts and how they affect your actions, you will unlearn negative thoughts and behaviors and try to adopt healthier thinking patterns and habits.

Specific techniques used in CBT for intermittent explosive disorder are: ‍

  • Cognitive restructuring: This is used to change faulty assumptions and unhelpful thoughts about triggering situations. ‍
  • Relaxation training: Relaxing techniques like deep breathing and progressive muscle relaxation can help minimize responses to triggering situations. ‍
  • Coping skills training: This involves role-playing situations that may cause an explosive episode and practicing healthy responses like walking away. ‍
  • Relapse management: This involves educating people with intermittent explosive disorders that recurrence of this behavior is common and it should be viewed as a slip rather than a failure