Impulse control disorder

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Impulse control disorder is a set of brain disorders including intermittent explosive disorder (hot-headedness), kleptomania (stealing), pathological gambling, pyromania (fire-starting) and trichotillomania (pulling one's hair out). Impulsivity, the key feature of these disorders, can be thought of as seeking a small, short term gain at the expense of a large, long term loss.

Impulse-control disorders are considered to be part of the Obsessive Compulsive Disorder spectrum. [1] They include:

• Intermittent explosive disorder
• Kleptomania
• Pyromania
• Pathological gambling
• Trichotillomania

[edit] External links

• University of Minnesota Impulse Control Disorders Clinic Provides useful information and resources for patients and their families, including free questionnaire-based rating scales that patients can use to assess and track the severity of their condition.

• BrainPhysics Obsessive-Compulsive Spectrum Disorders