Intermittent Explosive Disorder (ie, Bad Behaviour)
As a health care provider I am always keenly aware how important it is to keep an open, non-judgemental mind when it comes to certain illnesses. This is one of them I have trouble with.
Intermittent Explosive Disorder (IED) is characterized by violent, aggressive outbursts of anger that are directed against other people. The response by the aggressor is out of proportion to the incident. Think being shot by someone because of road rage, or beating someone to death because you lost a game of cards. The majority of abusers are young males.
Anyway, when I read about this disorder I was immediately reminded of the lyrics by Steven Sondheim in the Leonard Bernstein classic “Officer Krupke” (from “West Side Story”). In it, a gang member is accused by the cop (Officer Krupke), judge and psychiatrist of alternately:
- being a delinquent
- having a social disease
- being psychologicl’y disturbed and
- sociologic’ly sick
In the end, it’s the social worker who says of the gang member, “It ain’t just a question of being misunderstood; deep down inside him he’s no good!”
Each generation tries to understand violent behaviour against the backdrop of the culture of its time. Back in the ’50s we called these aggressive young men delinquents; today we say they have “anger management issues” or suffer from “mood disorders”.
Yes it’s important to label things but although the label “Intermittent Explosive Disorder” invokes a strong visual image, all the labels in the world don’t help us understand, excuse or justify bad behaviour.
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There are fewer and fewer places for young people to learn self control, in part due to there being fewer external controls at an earlier age. Rage is an addiction to which many lean. But, as with other addictions, the decision to give in is made every single time. The earlier the responsibility for the decision is taken away, the more likely it is that the addictive behavior will take hold at a very young age.
At some point the person must become aware that being responsible means being in control; this is the most freeing thing there is.
Sorry about the soap box — couldn’t resist. ;-}
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