Impulse Control Disorders (psychological Disorders)

Psychological Disorders Impulse Control Disorders Psychological Disorders Addiction Alzheimer's Disease and Other Dementias Anxiety Disorders Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Child Abuse and Stress Disorders Cutting and Self-Harm Depression and Bipolar Disorder Eating Disorders Impulse Control Disorders Personality Disorders Schizophrenia Suicide Psychological Disorders Impulse Control Disorders Christine Adamec Series Editor Christine Collins, Ph.D. Research Assistant Professor of Psychology Vanderbilt University Foreword by Pat Levitt, Ph.D. Director, Vanderbilt Kennedy Center for Research on Human Development Impulse Control Disorders Copyright © 2008 by Infobase Publishing All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage or retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the publisher. For information contact: Chelsea House An imprint of Infobase Publishing 132 West 31st Street New York NY 10001 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Adamec, Christine A., 1949Impulse control disorders / Christine Adamec ; foreword by Pat Levitt. p. cm. — (Psychological disorders) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN-13: 978-1-60413-047-8 (alk. paper) ISBN-10: 1-60413-047-4 (alk. paper) 1. Compulsive behavior. I. Title. RC533.A274 2009 616.85’84—dc22 2008031271 Chelsea House books are available at special discounts when purchased in bulk quantities for businesses, associations, institutions, or sales promotions. Please call our Special Sales Department in New York at (212) 967-8800 or (800) 322-8755. You can find Chelsea House on the World Wide Web at http://www.chelseahouse.com Text design by Keith Trego Cover design by Keith Trego and Ben Peterson Printed in the United States of America Bang EJB 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 This book is printed on acid-free paper. All links and Web addresses were checked and verified to be correct at the time of publication. Because of the dynamic nature of the Web, some addresses and links may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. Table of Contents Foreword 1 Overview 2 Pathological Gambling 3 Out-of-Control Rage: Intermittent Explosive Disorder 4 Compulsive Fire Starters: Pyromania 5 Chronic Hair Pulling: Trichotillomania 6 Kleptomania: When Stealing Is an Unavoidable Urge 7 Psychiatric Problems Commonly Found with Impulse Control Disorders 8 Treatment of Impulse Control Disorders vi 1 9 21 29 38 45 55 64 Notes 76 Glossary 84 Further Resources 87 Index 89 Pat Levitt, Ph.D. Foreword Vanderbilt Kennedy Center for Research on Human Development Think of the most complicated aspect of our universe, and then multiply that by infinity! Even the most enthusiastic of mathematicians and physicists acknowledge that the brain is by far the most challenging entity to understand. By design, the human brain is made up of billions of cells called neurons, which use chemical neurotransmitters to communicate with each other through connections called synapses. Each brain cell has about 2,000 synapses. Connections between neurons are not formed in a random fashion, but rather are organized into a type of architecture that is far more complex than any of today’s supercomputers. And, not only is the brain’s connective architecture more complex than any computer; its connections are capable of changing to improve the way a circuit functions. For example, the way we learn new information involves changes in circuits that actually improve performance. Yet some change can