What are they?
ICDs share features of addiction – cravings, increasing tolerance, withdrawal, and continuing despite adverse consequences. They provide short-term pleasure or relief but ultimately disrupt work, relationships, finances, and health. ICDs frequently overlap with substance addictions and eating disorders. They affect up to 10% of adults, more commonly in males.
Different kinds of impulse-control disorders and addictions
Some examples of specific ICDs and addictions include:
Kleptomania
Pyromania
Compulsive Gambling
Compulsive Sexual Behaviour
Excessive pornography, affairs, or sexual encounters
Intermittent Explosive Disorder
Trichotillomania
Substance Abuse
Eating Disorders
Causes and treatments
Diagnosing ICDs likely arise from dysregulation in brain regions governing impulse control, judgment, and motivation/reward processing. Genetics, neurobiology, and psychosocial factors contribute. Treatment involves psychotherapy, medications and self-help groups.
Cognitive behavioural therapy aids coping strategies to manage harmful impulses. Exposure response prevention helps tolerate urges without relapsing. Support groups provide accountability. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), anti-seizure drugs and opioid antagonists help correct brain chemical imbalances driving impulsivity.
Achieving ongoing remission from ICDs requires recalibrating both the brain and behaviour. Professional treatment combined with lifestyle changes and social support empowers individuals to gain control over destructive compulsions.
Addiction behaviors
Substance and behavioural addictions have common underpinnings of compulsion, craving, and loss of self-control despite harm. Addiction hijacks brain pathways governing motivation, pleasure and learning. Continued use changes both brain structure and function.
Recovery necessitates both managing addiction’s neurobiological roots and making cognitive-behavioural changes to halt harmful habits. Detoxification, counselling, peer support groups and sometimes medications help reclaim lives once defined by addiction. Healthy new rituals and relationships build meaning beyond substance use. A fulfilling life of restraint and moderation is possible with care, empathy and effort.