Impulse-control disorders
If an urge or reaction feels difficult to control, you can begin with the concern that matters to you. These pages explain different specialist topics and how to ask for support without using a general score to label yourself.
Different concerns need different explanations.
Impulse-control disorders involve particular persistent patterns of difficulty controlling actions or reactions. They are not a single diagnosis that can be established by an impulsivity score.
Intermittent explosive disorder, kleptomania and pyromania have different clinical descriptions. Feeling angry, acting quickly or being curious about something does not, by itself, establish any of them.
Based on American Psychiatric Association
Choose the concern you want understood.
- Your concern
The particular urge or reaction
- Its impact
What is affecting your own life
- The context
Health and other explanations
- Your support
Assessment and a suitable care plan
A difficulty with impulses is a starting concern, not a complete diagnosis.
Impulse-control diagnoses describe distinct patterns and need individual assessment. General impulsivity, anger or a single action cannot identify which condition, if any, applies.
If you are reading about someone else, describe the behavior and its effect without assigning them a disorder. Your safety and support needs do not depend on establishing their diagnosis.
Repeated explosive episodes
The IED page explains a specific assessment context, beyond anger alone.
Repeated stealing urges
Kleptomania is a distinct clinical description, not a synonym for every theft.
Fire-setting concerns
Immediate safety comes first; pyromania requires specialist distinction from other causes.
Based on American Psychiatric Association
Explore the experience you want to understand.
These pages explain different patterns. Choosing one does not suggest a diagnosis.
Repeated impulsive anger episodes
Understand the specialist term and what an assessment considers.
Understand & explorePersistent urges to steal
Find respectful information and a route to individual assessment.
Understand & exploreConcerns about fire-setting urges
Start with safety and professional support, without a self-test.
Understand & exploreStart with the effect you want help with.
These are conversation areas, not a way to score yourself or another person.
Recurring urges
An urge or reaction that keeps recurring.
Reactions
A pattern you want help managing.
Everyday effects
The effect on your wellbeing, responsibilities or relationships.
Your safety
Concern about safety that needs attention now.
Based on American Psychiatric Association
Look at the pattern and the wider context.
A professional assessment considers what happens, its impact and other explanations. Your health, circumstances and any relevant medicines or substances can also matter.
You can ask how the professional distinguishes the concern from other conditions and ordinary variation. A general emotion-regulation measure is not a detector for this family.
Based on American Psychiatric Association · Mayo Clinic · Mayo Clinic
- 1The concern
Name the pattern you want help understanding.
- 2The impact
Describe what it changes in your life.
- 3The next step
Ask which service fits and what an assessment will involve.
Ask how the clinician will understand the whole pattern.
You can ask which explanations are being considered, whether other mental or physical health concerns matter, and what support addresses the behavior’s effects.
Tell the service promptly if there is a current risk of harm. A general emotion-regulation questionnaire cannot assess immediate safety or replace a specialist evaluation.
Based on American Psychiatric Association
Support is tailored to the concern.
Explore the options and ask what fits your circumstances and needs.
Based on American Psychiatric Association · Mayo Clinic · Mayo Clinic · Cleveland Clinic
Find support. Prepare your next step.
Find care or prepare a conversation. You can ask for help before you have a diagnosis.
Your first sentence does not need to be perfect.
You can use the topic cards to learn about a particular name. If none fits your concern, a general medical or mental health conversation is still a useful starting point.
Based on American Psychiatric Association
“I have a recurring urge or reaction that is affecting my life. I would like help understanding it and discussing appropriate support.”Make it sound like you
Your questions, with room for nuance.
You can read just the answer you need.
Can an emotion-regulation score diagnose an impulse-control disorder?
No. A broad measure of emotional difficulties does not establish one of these specific diagnoses or predict harmful behavior.
Based on American Psychiatric Association
Where this information comes from.
Use this hub to learn and prepare questions. It does not diagnose you or recommend a personal treatment plan. By Selfmora editorial; sources checked . Updated .
Additional explanations and examples: sources consulted . Examples illustrate ideas; they do not assess your personal health. Your questions
- Disruptive, impulse-control and conduct disorders: distinctions
- Intermittent explosive disorder: assessment and care
- Kleptomania: assessment and care
- Pyromania: professional assessment and support