More Info on PyromaniaSimilar Undetermined MusicSearch Artistopia
Biography
About|the disorderInfobox disease| Name = Pyromania| Image =| Caption =| DiseasesDB =| ICD10 = ICD10|F|63|1|f|60| ICD9 = ICD9|312.33| ICDO =| OMIM =| MedlinePlus =| eMedicineSubj =| eMedicineTopic =| MeshID = D005391 Pyromania in more extreme circumstances can be an impulse control disorder to deliberately start fire|fires to relieve tension or for gratification or relief. The term pyromania comes from the Greek word p?? ('pyr', fire). Pyromania and pyromaniacs are distinct from arson , the pursuit of personal, monetary or political gain, or the intent to inflict harm for advantage or revenge Citation needed|date=August 2011. Pyromaniacs start fires to induce Euphoria (emotion)|euphoria , and often fixate on institutions of fire control like fire station|fire stations and firefighters . Pyromania is a type of impulse control disorder .
Epidemiology
Pyromania is a rare disorder with an incidence of less than one percent in most studies; also, pyromaniacs are a very small proportion of psychiatric hospital admissions harv|The Arsonist's Mind|2006. Pyromania can occur in children as young as age three, though such cases are rare. Only a small percentageQuantify|date=June 2011 of children and adolescents arrested for arson are Child pyromania|child pyromaniacs . Ninety percent of those diagnosed with pyromania are male harv|Gale|1998. Based on a survey of 9,282 Americans using the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders , 4th edition, impulse-control problems such as gambling, pyromania and compulsive shopping collectively affect 9% of the population harv|Alspach|2005. A 1979 study by the Law Enforcement Assistance Administration found that only 14% of fires were started by pyromaniacs and others with mental illness harv|Smith|1999.
Common synonym|synonyms for pyromaniacs in colloquial English include firebug and firestarter.
Causes
Most studied cases of pyromania occur in children and adolescents and 90% of all pyromania cases are male harv|Gale|1998. There is a range of causes, but an understanding of the different motives and actions of fire setters can provide a platform for prevention. Common causes of pyromania can be broken down into two main groups: individual and environmental.
Individual
Individual factors that can lead to pyromania mainly deal with personal issues in someone's life. This category includes adolescents who have committed crimes in the past. For example, 19% of adolescents suffering from pyromania have been charged with vandalism and 18% are nonviolent Sex and the law|sexual offenders . Other causes may include the seeking of attention from authorities or parents and resolving social issues such as bullying or loneliness|lack of friends harv|Frey|2001. Another cause may be that the patient is subconsciously seeking revenge for something that has occurred in the past harv|Oliver.
Environmental
Environmental factors that may lead to pyromania include an event that the patient has experienced in the environment they live in. Environmental factors include neglect from parents and physical or sexual abuse in earlier life. Other causes include early experiences of watching adults or adolescents using fire inappropriately and lighting fires as a stress reliever harv|Frey|2001.
Symptoms
There are specific symptoms that separate pyromaniacs from those who start fires for criminal purposes or due to emotional motivations not specifically related to fire. Someone suffering from this disorder deliberately and purposely sets fires on more than one occasion, and before the act of lighting the fire the person usually experiences tension and an emotional buildup. When around fires, a person suffering from pyromania gains intense interest or fascination and may also experience pleasure, gratification or relief harv|Frey|2001. Another long term contributor often linked with pyromania is the buildup of Chronic stress|stress . When studying the lifestyle of someone with pyromania, a buildup of stress and emotion is often evident and this is seen in teens' attitudes towards friends and family harv|Gale|1998.
Treatment and prognosis
The appropriate treatment for pyromania varies with the age of the patient and the seriousness of the condition. For children and adolescents treatment usually is cognitive therapy|cognitive behavioural therapy sessions in which the patient’s situation is diagnosed to find out what may have caused this impulsive behaviour. Once the situation is diagnosed, repeated therapy sessions usually help continue to a recovery harv|Frey|2001.
Pyromania is generally harder to treat in adults, often due to lack of cooperation by the patient. Treatment usually consists of medication to prevent stress or emotional outbursts harv|Oliver in addition to long-term psychotherapy harv|Frey|2001.
The prognosis for recovery in adolescents and children who suffer from pyromania depends on the environmental or individual factors involved, but is generally positive. In adults, however, the recovery rate is generally poor and if an adult does recover it usually takes a longer period of time harv|Frey|2001.
Prevention
Pyromania is best prevented by parents taking the time to educate their children on fire safety and the dangers of fires. Parents should also keep all fire lighting devices out of reach of children and any teenagers to reduce the risk of their starting any fires harv|Australian Brushfire Arson Bulletin|2005.
Related topics
Child pyromaniac
Pyrophobia - The hatred and/or fear of fire.
Pyrophilia
Impulse control disorder
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders|Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th ed. (DSM-IV)
References
cite encyclopedia
| ref = harv | title = Pyromania | last = Frey | first = Rebecca | encyclopedia = The Gale Encyclopedia of Mental Disorders | publisher = Thomson Gale | year = 2001 | isbn = 978-0-7876-5768-0
cite book
| ref = harv | last = Oliver | first = David | title = Pyromania | publisher = Bipolar Central
Cite journal
| ref = harvid|Australian Brushfire Arson Bulletin|2005| magazine = Brushfire Arson Bulletin | year = 2005 | publisher = Australian Institute of Criminology
cite web | ref=harvid|The Arsonist's Mind|2006 | author=| date=March 1, 2005| title= The arsonist's mind: part 2 - pyromania | work=Australian Government:Australian Institute of Criminology| url= http://www.aic.gov.au/publications/bfab/bfab009.html| accessdate=2006-06-15 |archiveurl = http://web.archive.org/web/20060527192210/ http://www.aic.gov.au/publications/bfab/bfab009.html |archivedate = May 27, 2006
cite news | ref=harv | last=Smith | first=Thomas E.| date=October 1, 1999| title= The Risk of Fire - Statistical Data Included| format=| work=Risk & Insurance| url= http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0BJK/is_1999_Oct_1/ai_59328554| accessdate=2006-06-15
External links
Wiktionary|pyromania
http://www.impulsecontroldisorders.org/ University of Minnesota Impulse Control Disorders Clinic Provides useful information and resources for patients and their families, including free questionnaire-based rating scales that patients can use to assess and track the severity of their condition.
http://www.alternet.org/story/53378/why_thomas_sweatt_set_washington_on_fire Why Thomas Sweatt Set Washington On Fire
http://www.drtomoconnor.com/4050/4050lect04a.htm Arsonists and Firesetters
Mental and behavioural disorders|selected = adult Category:Fire Category:Habit and impulse disorders Category:Public safety Category:Psychiatric diagnosis
