Pyromania is a rare psychiatric disorder that causes an urge to start fires for exhilaration and release. It affects less than 1% of the population, with 90% of diagnosed cases being male. Treatment includes behavior modification therapy and talk therapy, but the prognosis is not good. In some cases, arsonists are prescribed a serotonin reuptake inhibitor to manage their urges.
Pyromania is a psychiatric disorder characterized by the urge to start fires. Arsonists are different from arsonists who start fires for revenge or personal gain or for psychosis. Arsonists are encouraged to light fires because doing so gives them a feeling of exhilaration and release. In addition to deliberately starting fires, arsonists sometimes develop an obsession with fire trucks, fire stations, or fire departments.
Pyromania is a relatively rare condition, affecting less than 100% of the population. Ninety percent of people diagnosed with pyromania are male. The condition is even rarer in children and adolescents than in adults.
While a 1979 study conducted by the United States Law Enforcement Assistance Administration (LEAA) found that 14% of arson cases were due to pyromania or other mental illness, pyromania was found to be responsible in a very small percentage of arson cases. arson in which a child or teenager is the suspect. However, children can develop pyromania as early as age three. For a child to be diagnosed as an arsonist, they must have a history of deliberate arson and it must be demonstrated that the fire-setting behavior cannot be attributed to revenge attempts, financial motives, brain damage, or other psychological disorders such as antisocial behavior disorder. personality. It must be demonstrated that the child has an attraction to fire and experiences feelings of satisfaction or relief after starting the fire.
Pyromania is typically treated with behavior modification therapy in both children and adults. Behavior modification seeks to condition behavior based on a reward and punishment system. Desired behaviors are reinforced through positive responses. Treatment sometimes includes allowing the patient to reenact his fantasies of lighting fires in a controlled environment.
An arsonist can alternatively be treated through talk therapy. The therapist will work with the patient to analyze the fire-lighting behavior so that it is no longer an unconscious impulse. Additionally, the therapist will address any underlying issues and emotions that the patient may be trying to address by setting the fire. Family therapy and community intervention are other treatment options.
Psychological treatment for pyromania typically does not have a good prognosis. While it makes a difference in 95% of cases, mania usually persists to a significant degree. In some cases, arsonists are prescribed a serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SRI), often used as an antidepressant, to help manage their urges.
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