Intermittent Explosive Disorder (IED)

This aptly named disorder is diagnosed if an individual manifests several obviously excessive and unjustified outbursts of anger that result in significant property damage or injury to others. The diagnosis is subject to some of the usual caveats; that is, the outbursts cannot be better accounted for by another diagnosis or be substance-induced or the result of a medical condition. Voluntary acts for gain also do not qualify.  However, DSM-IV does not state that the disorder must interfere with any aspect of the individual's life, although it obviously interferes with the lives of others.

Some investigators believe that this disorder is a version of bipolar disorder, and have had some success treating the disorder with medication carefully tailored to fit the affective history and state of the patient. One investigator reported success in treating patients with biofeedback. However, it is fair to say that relatively little is certain about treatment of people with IED. Left untreated, symptoms of the disorder are certainly likely to recur, so treatment is certainly indicated.

Read a book on the subject:

The Dance of Anger: A Woman's Guide to Changing the Patterns of Intimate Relationships by Harriet Lerner

Letting Go of Anger: The 10 Most Common Anger Styles and What to do About Them by Ron and Pat Potter-Efron

Related web sites:

Controlling Anger by the American Psychological Association
Get Your Angries Out (for adults and children)

                                                                                                                                Last updated  12/19/03