Intermittent Explosive Disorder and Anger Management

Perhaps the most problematic area in the anger management field is a serious psychological disorder called intermittent explosive disorder. Intermittent explosive disorder (IED) is a fairly rare disorder of the brain characterized by explosive outbursts of behavior like throwing, breaking things, inflicting physical harm on others with little or no provocation. It is an impulse control disorder that is sometimes linked to temporal lobe epilepsy. It has also been suggested by studies as the underlying cause of road rage. 


It’s estimated that up to 7.3% of adults, or from 11.5 to 16 million Americans, suffer from I.E.D. at some time during their lives, but it’s believed the actual percentages are much higher, as I.E.D. tends to overlap in individuals with bipolar disorder, and people diagnosed with bipolar disorder were excluded from the testing. I.E.D is believed to be one of the most dangerous, destructive of mental disorders. It is characterized by angry outbursts resulting in violence or destruction of property, and can be exacerbated by the use of alcohol or recreational drugs, such as Crystal Methamphetamines. This mental disorder is believed to be linked to crimes such as domestic violence, child abuse, assault, rape, murder, road rage, and violent robberies, and does not respond well to normal methods of anger management. People with this disorder are prone to violent outbursts or impulsive aggressiveness grossly out of proportion to the precipitating event.

I.E.D. is thought to begin in the early teen years, and is often brushed aside as bullying by someone who chooses not to practice positive methods of anger management. Since the onset of I.E.D. occurs at such an early age, it is proposed that those exhibiting symptoms of I.E.D. be tested at the first sign of a problem, often while they are still in school.

I.E.D. is known to predispose sufferers for conditions such as depression and anxiety, alcohol and drug abuse, and contributes heavily to dysfunctional behaviors resulting domestic violence, criminal behavior, and divorce. 71.2% of people with I.E.D never seek or receive any treatment, other than classic anger management techniques, which, while effective to a degree, need to be utilized in conjunction with medications, since treatment is achieved through both cognitive behavioral therapy, to help the patient recognize and deal with destructive impulses, and psychotropic medication regimens, because those who have unprovoked violence associated with the disorder, show loss of cells and abnormalities in the left hemisphere of the brain, and multiple drug regimens are frequently indicated for these patients.