User:Rhsimard/pyromania sandbox

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| Name           = Pyromania
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| ICD10          = F63.1
| ICD9           = 312.33
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| MeshID         = D005391

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A type of impulse control disorder, pyromania is an impulse to deliberately start fires to relieve tension and typically includes feelings of gratification or relief afterward. The term pyromania comes from the Greek word πῦρ ('pyr', fire). Pyromania is distinct from arson, and pyromaniacs are also distinct from those who start fires because of psychosis, for personal, monetary or political gain, or for acts of revenge. Pyromaniacs start fires to induce euphoria, and often fixate on institutions of fire control like fire stations and firefighters.

Epidemiology

Pyromania is a rare disorder, and the incidence of it is less than one percent in most studies; also, pyromaniacs are a very small proportion of psychiatric hospital admissions. (The Arsonist's Mind 2006) Pyromania can occur in children as young as age three, but it is rare in adults and even more so in children. Only a small percentage of children and adolescents arrested for arson have pyromania. Ninety percent of those diagnosed with pyromania are male. (Gale 1998) Based on a survey of 9,282 Americans using the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th edition, impulse-control problems such as gambling, pyromania and compulsive shopping collectively affect 9% of the population. (Alspach 2005) And a 1979 study by the Law Enforcement Assistance Administration found that only 14% of fires were started by pyromaniacs and others with mental illness. (Smith 1999)

Causes

Most studied cases of Pyromania occur in children and adolescents and 90% of all Pyromania cases are male. (Gale 1998) Since Pyromania is a rare disorder there are a range of causes, but an understanding of the different motives and actions of fire setters can provide a platform for prevention. Common causes of Pyromania can be broken down into two main groups; Individual and Environmental.

Individual

• Individual factors that can lead to Pyromania mainly deal with personal issues in someones life. This category includes adolescents who have committed previous crimes in the past. For example 19% of Adolescents suffering from Pyromania have been charged for vandalism and 18% are nonviolent sexual offenders. Other causes may include the seeking of attention from authorities or parents, social issues such as bullying or lack of friends. (Frey 2001) Another cause may be that the patient is seeking revenge on something that has occurred in the past (Oliver).

Enviromental

• Environmental Factors that may lead to Pyromania include an event that the patient has experienced in the environment they live in. Environmental factors include neglect from parents and physical or sexual abuse in earlier life. Other causes include early experiences of watching adults or adolescents using fire inappropriately and lighting fires as a stress reliever. (Frey 2001)

Symptoms

There are specific symptoms that separate someone suffering from Pyromania from someone just lighting a fire and committing a crime. Someone suffering from this disorder deliberately and purposely sets fires on more than one occasion and before the act of lighting the fire the person usually experiences tension and an emotional buildup. When around fires, a person suffering from Pyromania gains intense interest or fascination and may also experience pleasure, gratification or relief. (Frey 2001) Another symptom often linked with Pyromania is the build up of stress. When studying the lifestyle of someone with Pyromania, a build up of stress and emotion is evident and this is seen in the teens attitudes towards friends and family. (Gale 1998)

Treatment and prognosis

Pyromania is a disorder that can be treated but the treatment depends on the age of the patient and how serious there condition is. For children and adolescents treatment usually is cognitive behavioural therapy sessions in which the patient’s situation is diagnosed to find out what may have caused this impulsive behaviour. Once the situation is diagnosed then repeated therapy sessions usually help continue to a recovery. (Frey 2001)

In an adult’s situation, Pyromania is harder to treat due to the lack of cooperation by the patient. Treatment usually consists of medication to prevent any stress or emotional outbursts that could be contributing to their condition (Oliver). As well as medication long-term psychotherapy sessions can help with recovery. (Frey 2001)

The prognosis for recovery in adolescents and children who suffer from from Pyromania depends on the environmental or individual factors involved but the prognosis for Pyromania is fairly positive. In adults however the recovery rate is generally poor and if an adult does recover it usually takes a longer period of time. (Frey 2001)

Prevention

Pyromania is can easily be prevented by parents taking the time to educate their children on fire safety and the dangers of fires. Parents should also keep all fire lighting devices out of reach of children and any teenagers to reduce the risk of them starting any fires. (Australian Brushfire Arson Bulletin 2005)

Related topics

• Child pyromaniac
• Pyrophobia - The hatred and/or fear of fire.
• Pyrophilia

References

• Frey, Rebecca (2001). "Pyromania". Encyclopedia of Mental Disorders. ISBN 978-0787657680.
• Oliver, David. Pyromania. Bipolar Central.
• Brushfire Arson Bulletin. Australian Institute of Criminology. 2005. {{cite magazine}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
• "The arsonist's mind: part 2 - pyromania". Australian Government:Australian Institute of Criminology. March 1, 2005. Archived from the original on May 27, 2006. Retrieved 2006-06-15.
• Gale Research (1998). "Impulse Control Disorders". Gale Encyclopedia of Childhood & Adolescence. Retrieved 2006-06-15.
• Alspach, Grif (August 2005). "1-2-3-4 … mental illness out the door?". Critical Care Nurse. Retrieved 2006-06-15.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link)
• Smith, Thomas E. (October 1, 1999). "The Risk of Fire - Statistical Data Included". Risk & Insurance. Retrieved 2006-06-15.

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.
• Why Thomas Sweatt Set Washington On Fire