Psychology Facts

▼ Pyromania ▼

》Pyromania is a type of impulse control disorder that is characterized by being unable to resist starting fires. People with pyromania know that setting fires is harmful. But setting fires is the only way they can relieve their built-up tension, anxiety, or arousal. They feel satisfaction or relief after they set a fire.

》Pyromania is part of a group of disorders called disruptive, impulse-control, and conduct disorders. These disorders cause people to be aggressive towards people or property.

》A diagnosis of pyromania depends on the reasons someone sets a fire. It's important to distinguish between different motives. Lighting fires is considered to be a behavior, not a disorder. Not everyone who sets a fire commits a crime. Arson is a crime, but most arsonists don't have pyromania. Pyromania is a psychiatric disorder.

》Although the overall prevalence of pyromania remains unknown, among psychiatric inpatients, there is an estimated 3–6% who meet the criteria for pyromania.

》Pyromania usually first surfaces in childhood, and only a small percentage of adult fire-setters actually suffer from the disorder.

》Although there are no statistical numbers concerning pyromania in children or teens, the behavior of firesetting has been studied extensively in adolescents. Approximately 60% of firesetting cases occurred before the age of 15, with peak ages between 12 and 14. Fire setting persisted in 38% of those cases.

》Fire-setting is seen among children and teens but does not in itself qualify as a diagnosis for pyromania. The vast majority of this behavior may be due to boredom or experimentation.

》In order to be diagnosed with pyromania, the following symptoms must be present:

Setting a fire deliberately and on purpose on more than one occasion

Feeling tense or energetic before starting a fire

Being drawn to and obsessed with fire and everything about it

Feeling pleasure, relief, or gratification when setting fires, seeing fires, or being involved in the aftermath of fires

Setting fires can't be explained through another psychiatric disorder

》It's not known exactly what causes pyromania. It's thought that it could be related to one or more of the following issues.

Other psychiatric disorders.

Heredity

Stressors

Brain chemicals

Triggers

》There is a strict set of criteria has to be met for the diagnosis to be made:

Several fire setting episodes have to have occurred (more than 3).

Evidence of tension or stress has to have been exhibited before the fires were set.

There must be a display of an abnormal amount of interest in fire.

There must be a display of satisfaction after setting the fire.

There must be no monetary, political or power gain from setting the fire as the incentive to set the fire.

》Pyromania is very rare. It hasn't been as extensively studied as other conditions. Pyromania has been associated with the following:

Being male

Below normal intelligence

Having a mood disorder

Being mistreated as a child

Having attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

Family stress

》No clinical research has been done on medications to treat pyromania. Your doctor may prescribe medicines to help manage your pyromania. Cognitive behavior therapy is also used to treat pyromania.