Intermittent explosive disorder is a behavioral disorder characterized by explosive outbursts of anger and/or violence, often to the point of rage, that are disproportionate to the situation at hand.
Road rage, domestic abuse, throwing or breaking objects, or other temper tantrums may be signs of intermittent explosive disorder.
Exposure to violence and aggression during childhood, going through traumatic experiences, or being the victim of abuse and/or neglect are examples of some environmental factors that could bring about intermittent explosive disorder symptoms.
The main sign of intermittent explosive disorder is a pattern of outbursts of anger that are out of proportion to the situation or event that caused them. People with IED are aware that their anger outbursts are inappropriate but feel like they can't control their actions during the episodes.
Intermittent explosive disorder (IED) is an impulse-control disorder characterized by sudden episodes of unwarranted anger. The disorder is typified by hostility, impulsivity, and recurrent aggressive outbursts. People with IED essentially “explode” into a rage despite a lack of apparent provocation or reason.
Is IED a Form of Bipolar? IED is frequently misdiagnosed, leading to inadequate treatment, so it's helpful to understand what IED is not. First, it is not bipolar disorder: Some research suggests that IED and bipolar disorder can co-occur at high rates, but they are not the same thing.
Intermittent explosive disorder affects around 11.5 to 16 million Americans in their lifetimes, including 7.3% of adults. It is a chronic disorder that usually decreases with age.
Intermittent Explosive Disorder can be suspected when behaviors become dangerous or excessive. This disorder is likely caused by some brain impairment including chemical imbalance or possibly a brain injury.
Psychotherapy. Individual or group therapy sessions that focus on building skills can be helpful. A commonly used type of therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, helps people with intermittent explosive disorder: Identify which situations or behaviors may trigger an aggressive response.
To diagnose IED, doctors first eliminate other possible causes of anger and irritability. These include other mental health conditions, substance misuse, and head injuries. The treatment options for IED include CBT and medications such as mood stabilizers, anti-anxiety medications, and antidepressants.
The essential feature of intermittent explosive disorder (IED) as defined in both DSM-IV and DSM-5 is the occurrence of repeated episodes of impulsive aggression resulting in verbal or physical assaults or property destruction.
SSRIs that have been shown to help with anger include citalopram (Celexa), fluoxetine (Prozac), sertraline (Zoloft), among others. Sertraline seems to have the most supporting data. Other classes of antidepressants, like serotonin norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), aren't widely used for treating anger.
Emerging evidence indicates that IED is best described as part of an externalizing dimension of disorders such as conduct and substance use disorders, but is also associated with internalizing disorders such as depression and anxiety [6].
Bipolar disorder has been linked to increased agitation and aggressive behavior in some individuals, but for these individuals, aggressiveness is limited to manic and/or depressive episodes, whereas individuals with IED experience aggressive behavior even during periods with a neutral or positive mood.
There are three types of anger which help shape how we react in a situation that makes us angry. These are: Passive Aggression, Open Aggression, and Assertive Anger.
While there is no cure for IED, you can gain control over the symptoms with proper rehab. There are inpatient treatment programs designed specifically to meet the needs of people suffering from intermittent explosive disorder.
“ IED treatment may include the help of a trusted therapist, medication, lifestyle adjustments, and self-care strategies. It may take time and some hard work to rewire your brain and develop new coping skills, but healing is indeed possible.
Most of the studies on this topic have concluded that there is a high percentage of comorbidity between IED and ASD [4,8,10,11]. Some children with autism may have IEDs in their EEG and never experience seizures [8,9,10,11].
Additional IED, ACEs, and further internalizing and externalizing problems were found most frequently in the severe ADHD subtype. Furthermore, females were over-represented in the severe ADHD subtype. Finally, ACEs predicted high ADHD symptomatology with co-existing IED, but not without IED.
The Cause of IED
4 They found that just having experienced any childhood trauma was found to be one of the strongest contributors to developing IED in adulthood. Childhood trauma itself was a better predictor of IED than the severity of the traumatic exposure and having post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Symptoms of severe vitamin B1 (thiamine) and B6 deficiencies may include irritability. However, this is more common in infants and severe B6 deficiency is uncommon in the United States adult population. Using the Everywell at-home B Vitamins Test can check your levels of 2 B vitamins-B6, B9, and B12.
The short answer is that anger can run in families, and genetics can indeed play a role—which might help to explain your angry inclinations. However, there's another significant factor that can lead to kids adopting angry tendencies from their relatives: learned behavior.
Mood stabilizers can also be used in the treatment of anger issues. While not FDA-approved for this use, they have shown efficacy in smaller studies. The side effect profiles of these medications are different, so patients need to discuss the medical options of mood stabilizers for treating their anger issues.
Disorders of impulse control
To meet DSM 5-TR criteria for IED, one must have either engaged in frequent, but minor verbal or physical aggression toward property, animals, or people or committed at least three major acts of physical aggression or property destruction within the period of a year (APA, 2022).
The core behavior in IED is impulsive aggression, which is modulated by limbic brain structure — especially the amygdala and hippocampus. In borderline personality disorder and antisocial personality disorder, amygdala and hippocampal volume are reduced.