| Perhaps the most problematic area in the anger | | | | This mental disorder has also been linked to crimes |
| management field is a serious psychological disorder | | | | such as domestic violence, child abuse, assault, rape, |
| called intermittent explosive disorder (IED) . | | | | murder, road rage, and violent robberies. It does not |
| This is a fairly rare disorder of the brain characterized | | | | respond well to normal anger management |
| by explosive outbursts of behavior such as throwing | | | | techniques. |
| or breaking things and inflicting physical harm on | | | | IED is thought to start in the early teen years. |
| others with little or no provocation. It is an impulse | | | | Because its onset occurs at such an early age, it is |
| control disorder that is sometimes linked to temporal | | | | proposed that those exhibiting symptoms should be |
| lobe epilepsy. It has also been suggested by studies | | | | tested at the first sign of a problem. Sufferers are |
| to be the underlying cause of road rage. | | | | known to be at risk for developing depression and |
| It is estimated that up to 7.3% of adults, | | | | anxiety, alcohol and drug abuse, divorce and other |
| approximately 11.5 to 16 million Americans, suffer | | | | dysfunctional behaviors. |
| from IED at some time during their lives. The actual | | | | About 70% of people with IED never seek or |
| percentages may actually be higher, as IED tends to | | | | receive any treatment besides classic anger |
| overlap in individuals with bipolar disorder (people | | | | management techniques. While effective to a degree, |
| diagnosed with bipolar disorder were excluded from | | | | these techniques need to be utilized in conjunction |
| the testing). | | | | with medication. Effective treatment is twofold and |
| This condition is believed to be one of the most | | | | consists of cognitive behavioral therapy and |
| destructive and dangerous mental disorders. | | | | psychotropic medication regimens. The former helps |
| Characterized by violent outbursts or impulsive | | | | the patient recognize and deal with destructive |
| aggressiveness grossly out of proportion to the | | | | impulses and the latter helps mitigate the cell loss and |
| precipitating event, IED can be exacerbated by the | | | | abnormalities in the left hemisphere of the brain that |
| use of alcohol or recreational drugs like crystal | | | | can occur in patients who have exhibited unprovoked |
| methamphetamines. | | | | violence associated with the disorder. |