There are 10 million men in the United States who are said to have an uncontrollable anger disorder called intermittent explosive disorder or IED. These men cannot control their tempers, and because of this, it can make them physically sick as well as socially threatening. Previously known to be a rare disorder, it is often said to be misdiagnosed as other mental problems. These men do not see psychiatrists because they cannot control their tempers in order for the treatment to be effective. What is especially alarming is the fact that about 10 percent of men display the symptom of IED while only 0.5 percent are diagnosed.
These men are more likely to damage property, threaten, and even injure other people. They are more likely to get divorced, have jobs inferior to their education, and have fewer friends. They are also at greater risks of having heart attacks and strokes. Those who have the disorder tend to blow up at least a few times a week, having arguments and temper tantrums. They do it to help relieve their stress, but, in the end it could kill them. There is a three-part test to help diagnose this uncontrollable rage. First, there must be a real threat present to justify the anger. Secondly, the level of anger has to be proportional to the threat. Finally, the actions taken against the threat helped to reduce it while doing the least amount of harm to oneself and others.
This disorder may be a combination of two causes, nature and society. Anger is a natural response to threat. The sensory regions of the brain triggers the autonomic nervous system’s fight or flight response to the threat. Those with IED have low serotonin levels which lead to disengaged frontal lobes, the analytical parts of the brain that match threats with an appropriate response. Those with IED can’t determine how far to go when faced with a threat. Instead of analyzing a person’s emotions, facial expressions, body language, vocal intonation, and other cues to help determine the threat, they see any hostility towards them as a great threat. This may cause them to take things too far and be unable to stop and let things lie.
Society can also be a cause for the disorder. One problem that aids in people’s heightened aggression is the idea of overpopulation. Today, about 80 people live in one square mile on average. In New York City, the number of people per square mile is a staggering 23,700 people. The closer people live to each other, the greater the opportunity to create conflict. Commuting times have also increased from 15 minutes to 26 minutes, a stressful part of anyone’s day. For those with IED, it is a daily opportunity to lose one’s cool.
While this problem affects so many men, about half the number of women are at risk as well. Luckily, drugs such as Prozac and other SSRI meds which have Serotonin uptake inhibitors an help keep one’s neurotransmitters circulated helping to curb one’s anger. This will prevent future illnesses, danger, and negative behavior in people who cannot help the way they are otherwise.
For related articles visit http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19424928/ and http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19317597/.
5 users commented in " Research Shows 10 Percent Of Man Have Uncontrollable Anger "
Follow-up comment rss or Leave a TrackbackPlease, please, please let’s not create yet another “disorder” to explain away a person’s inappropriate behavior. This in not beneficial to the individual or those around him at all. To “blame” bad behavior on “nature or society” is to imply that one is helpless and powerless to the new-found condition. Powerlessness is one of the underlying causes of anger and so the cylce of anger only perpetuates itself.
As one who had a serious problem with aggressive and explosive anger, I learned what was TRULY beneath my outbursts. That knowledge, along with some simple changes in perception and interpretation, along with some simple strategies I created, dramaticallly changed the way I responded to and expressed my anger.
For the past 15 years, I have been training teachers, coprorate executives, health care providers, couples and so many others with what I’ve learned. I am considered one of the mation’s leading experts in the field of anger management.
While many disorders are legitimate, to create one based on “one’s inability to control anger” has some real serious consequences. (And by the way, control is not the answer.) People not taking responsibility for their behavior will not make the necessary effort to change it. Drugs are not the answer (except perhaps in a very minute percentage of cases). If anyone is interested in learning more about anger, they may check out my website (www.PfeifferPowerSeminars.com) and contact me. I will provide for them the necessary knowledge and skills needed to dramatically reduce their anger, eliminate stress and create the peace and harmony that will change their lives forever.
Thank you.
I can agree with Ms.Pfeiffer’s statement, we don’t have to “label” everything to justify a problem. I myself, when pushed to a certain point, will destroy ANYTHING in my path when angered, including people. I have moved, lifted, and pushed things when I was enraged that I could have never done in a “normal” state of mind. My father is the same way, along with his sister [my aunt]. I didn’t think this was normal so I went to a psychologist for a little while until he recommended me to a psychiatrist and to be put on medication, I never went to the psychiatrist,or had taken any medication. I just learned to deal with it myself. It’s a scary thing, when I am pushed to the limit there’s no reconcilling, total destruction of what,or who is angering me is the only solution.
Wow, that’s really important wisdom that I will be thinking about for a long time. Thank you!
My son who is sixteen becomes angry and can not control himself, it is not Bipolar, but is more like this so, it is not just another diesease to cover up inappropriate behavior. he is really struggling, he is a straight A student very talented in sports but he can not feel anything but anger
i am 30 yrs old and have had too many bad experiences with loosing control when i was only 12 i put a full grown man in the hospital with several lacerations to his face 2 broken ribs and a broken nose. i was always an A B student and even completed 6 yrs of collage so its not just inappropriate behavior its more of a built up rage that stays dormant till it burst and causes me to black out. after 5 yrs of therapy and meds i was ok for about 4 yrs nvr had a hint of loosing it till a situation that would make any one fight (not kill)arose and i put my own brother in ICU for over a week i got lucky and he didnt press charges against me but apparently the police did. the initial charge was 1st degree assault with intent to kill but since i had a history of blackouts caused by intermittent explosive disorder and my brother didn’t press the matter it was dropped to 4th degree assult and i was ordered to go back on the meds and therapy. anyways its not an excuse there are people who might just be mean and not know any thing other then anger but there are those of us who can not control what happens at times.
Leave A Reply