Disorders of habits and attractions

Description of Impulses

Impulses are ancient functions that are important to maintain life and continue the family line. Impulses are primitive, dependent on conscious human functions, and shaped by society (clothing, socializing, intellectual and aesthetic interests). When there are disturbances in impulses, they can manifest as weakening, strengthening, or distortion.

There are many types of impulse disorders, here are a few:

a) Eating impulse disorder. When there is a weakening of the eating impulse – anorexia, a lack of desire to eat, aversion to food. When the eating impulse intensifies, it is called bulimia – there is an insatiable feeling of hunger, no feeling of fullness, overeating followed by purging, using laxatives, or intense exercise. In the case of impulse distortion, there is a desire to eat unusual things, such as chalk.

b) Self-care impulse disorder. When the impulse weakens, there is a lack of self-care, concern for one’s health (common in depression). When it intensifies – there is excessive preoccupation with one’s health. In the case of impulse distortion – self-harm. This causes pain but also pleasure.

c) Sexual impulse disorder. When it weakens – sexual coldness, in women it is called frigidity, in men – impotence. The cause can be an unpleasant first experience, improper upbringing. When the sexual impulse intensifies, it manifests as hypersexuality, which is called nymphomania in women, satyriasis in men. In the case of sexual impulse distortion, sadism (pleasure from physically harming a partner), masochism (pleasure when a person is being harmed), exhibitionism (pleasure from displaying one’s genitals to others), pedophilia (sexual attraction to children), gerontophilia (sexual attraction to elderly people), zoophilia (sexual attraction to animals), and others.

d) Kleptomania – impulsive urge to steal items.

e) Pyromania – pathological impulse to set fires. These individuals do not intend to harm, they feel satisfaction upon seeing fire, then regret it.

f) Dromomania – pathological impulse to go somewhere, to run. They constantly run away from home, wander.

Most impulses occur in individuals with other mental disorders, such as schizophrenia, or in cases of severe brain damage.

Diagnosis and Treatment

Mental health specialists can easily diagnose these disorders from the individual’s narratives, behavior. Treatment involves therapies, counseling, and if necessary, medications (e.g., antipsychotics). If it is an expression of another illness, that specific condition is treated.

Source | Author Doctor Nikas Samuolis, reviewed by Prof. Virginijus Šapoka | Vilnius University | Faculty of Medicine | Head of the Department of Internal Medicine, Family Medicine, and Oncology