Intermittent Explosive Disorder: When Attacks Of Rage And Aggression Take Over You
Do you suffer from recurrent attacks of anger and aggression? Can’t control your irritability? Maybe you suffer from intermittent explosive disorder, discover how to stop it.
We can all lose our temper at one time or another. But people who suffer from IED or intermittent explosive disorder They tend to suffer from these outbursts too frequently. In fact, when someone suffers from this aggressive disorder, they usually have excessively exaggerated behaviors in the face of a conflict.
This disproportionate irritability is usually irrational and even attacks others verbally or physically. Therefore, it is important detect intermittent explosive disorder on time.
Within psychology, the intermittent explosive disorder (IED) In the DSM-5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders) it is part of impulse control disorders. One of the main characteristics of IED is that the person usually experiences many attacks of anger and aggression.
In fact, this condition usually affects the lack of resistance to aggressive impulses. This implies that people who suffer from intermittent explosive disorder They end up carrying out very destructive actions such as destroying objects or verbal and physical attacks.
These exaggerated attacks of anger are usually provoked by a stressful situation. Typically, people who suffer from this aggressive and explosive disorder They often describe the episodes as ‘spells’ or ‘fits’ that come to light due to a feeling of tension or excitement. Furthermore, most people who experience these anger attacks due to anxiety or stress usually feel very bad about themselves when emotional calm comes.
Generally, the intermittent explosive disorder It can arise from late childhood or adolescence. In fact, it can predispose people to suffer from other disorders such as depression, anxiety or substance abuse. Broadly speaking, there are usually more ‘explosive’ men than women.
How do you know if a person has IED?
Anger attacks in adults, adolescents or children due to intermittent explosive disorder can take many forms depending on the personality of the person who suffers from it. Even so, psychologists highlight the following signs before the IED or an aggressive disorder
During the attacks of anger typical of this aggression disorder, people often experience very racing thoughts or a feeling of emotional detachment from the situation. Right after this explosive behavior, people can end up with a feeling of remorse or guilt that can cause many problems with their self-esteem and mood.
What are the effects of intermittent explosive disorder?
A person who gets angry easily and also suffers from anger attacks You can have many problems both personally and professionally. So much so that these outbursts of anger in adults can lead to the following problems.
Relationships deteriorated due to explosive anger attacks
Getting into situations of domestic or child abuse
Therefore, if the signs of this aggression disorder it is advisable to treat it with a professional psychologist.
Does intermittent explosive depression exist?
There is no disorder that is ‘intermittent explosive depression’ But many people may confuse intermittent explosive disorder with depression due to the effects on mood and resentment that this aggressive disorder can produce in those who suffer from it.
Intermittent explosive disorder in the couple
If the person who has TEI is your partner It is important to point out that you are facing a problem that can greatly affect your relationship. This is because people who suffer from it can become very verbal or physical aggressive. These events cannot be tolerated and it is necessary to stop them in time.
Does intermittent explosive disorder have treatment?
There are different treatments for intermittent explosive disorder Normally, people can treat this aggressive disorder by going to therapy with a professional psychologist. Within these sessions, psychologists often use cognitive-behavioral therapy to identify people’s harmful patterns and act on them through different coping strategies.
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a type of therapy which involves identifying harmful patterns and using coping skills, relaxation techniques, and relapse education to deal with aggressive impulses.
In addition to treatment with a mental health professional, psychiatrists may prescribe some medications to reduce compulsive behavior or attacks of anger
How to avoid intermittent explosive disorder?
There are some tips that we can take into account to stop the explosive outbursts of anger Psychologists recommend the following in the face of this disorder.
Have a balanced diet
Get enough sleep
Exercise regularly
Avoid alcohol, drugs and tobacco
Reduce and manage sources of stress
Take time to do relaxing activities during the week, such as listening to music
Practice meditation and other mindfulness techniques
How to help a person with anger problems? How to treat someone with intermittent explosive disorder?
If a family member, friend or partner suffers from intermittent explosive disorder It is advisable to follow the following instructions.
Keep calm: You must remain calm in the face of these attacks of anger that the person with this condition suffers. aggressive disorder
Try to listen to them: Allow time for them to communicate their requests. During these attacks of rage and aggression It is important to listen and not judge what is said. It is very common that during an attack of intermittent explosive disorder people have a certain verbal aggressiveness in their words. Even so, you should try not to judge them in these moments.
Give them their space: If you notice that continuing the conversation can make things worse, try to provide a space for the atmosphere to calm down.
Set limits: There are some behaviors that, although they are due to IED or a psychological disorder They should not be tolerated. Therefore, despite this disorder, you must indicate what the limits are for you and the consequences of exceeding them.
Help them identify what causes this explosive attack: When the person with IED is calm, it is good to talk about what they have felt and try to identify what is the triggering factor for these anger problems.
Support them to seek professional help: He intermittent explosive disorder It should be treated with a mental health professional. Therefore, you should try to recommend that they go to this specialist so that these attacks of anger and aggression do not have negative consequences for them or for you.
He intermittent explosive disorder It must be treated before it influences many aspects of the life of the person who suffers from it. If help is not requested, this irritability can end up destroying everyone we care about.
