Intermittent explosive disorder
If sudden anger episodes are affecting your life, you can ask for help understanding the pattern and responding differently. An assessment considers more than the intensity of a feeling or a single difficult event.
An episode pattern, rather than anger alone.
Intermittent explosive disorder describes repeated impulsive aggressive outbursts that are out of proportion to the situation and cause significant distress or disruption.
The clinical assessment distinguishes these episodes from planned behavior and other explanations. The name is not a label for every strong feeling, argument or harmful act.
Based on Mayo Clinic · Mayo Clinic
An assessment looks at more than anger.
- The episodes
A repeated pattern over time
- The context
What was happening and other explanations
- The impact
Distress, responsibilities and relationships
- Care & safety
A professional plan for responses and support
Anger alone does not establish intermittent explosive disorder.
Assessment considers a repeated pattern of disproportionate impulsive episodes and their effects. It also considers physical health, substances and other mental health explanations.
A diagnosis does not excuse harm. If you are affected by someone else’s behavior, you can seek help for your own safety and wellbeing without diagnosing that person.
Based on Mayo Clinic · Mayo Clinic
What you might want to discuss.
Use your own account. These areas do not establish a diagnosis or excuse harm.
Repeated episodes
Repeated sudden episodes that feel difficult to control.
Intensity & context
Reactions that seem much more intense than the situation.
Everyday impact
Distress or effects on responsibilities and relationships.
Your next step
Wanting a plan to respond differently and protect safety.
Based on Mayo Clinic
A professional can consider other explanations.
Assessment may include physical health, substance or medicine context and a mental health evaluation. The clinician considers the history and pattern, rather than a single anger rating.
DERS-16 is a sixteen-item measure of general emotion-regulation difficulties. It does not diagnose IED, predict violence or establish that someone else has a disorder. No DERS questionnaire is offered on this page.
Based on Mayo Clinic · Bjureberg and colleagues · PubMed
- 1What tends to happen?
Give a general description of the repeated pattern.
- 2What needs to change?
Name the effect on your life and any immediate safety concern.
- 3How will care help?
Ask about assessment, support and a clear follow-up plan.
Build a plan around your own pattern.
You and an appropriate specialist can discuss support for your own goals.
Based on Mayo Clinic
Treatment can work on recognizing patterns and responding differently.
Psychological care may focus on triggers, ways of thinking, communication and problem-solving. Medicine may be considered individually. No single treatment fits everyone.
Clinical assessment
Understand the episodes and other possible contributors.
Skills with a therapist
Work on responses and communication within an agreed treatment approach.
Safety and review
Discuss current risks, effects on others and how progress will be followed up.
Based on Mayo Clinic
You deserve to understand your care.
You can seek support for anger without first deciding whether this diagnosis fits.
Your specialist assessment
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 tell a medical or mental health professional that repeated anger episodes are affecting your life and you want help. If immediate safety is the concern, get that help before preparing notes.
Based on Mayo Clinic · Mayo Clinic
“I am having repeated sudden anger episodes that affect my life. I want an assessment and help developing a plan for responses and safety.”Make it sound like you
Your questions, with room for nuance.
You can read just the answer you need.
Is frequent anger enough for an IED diagnosis?
No. Anger has many possible contexts. A qualified clinician assesses the specific pattern, impact and alternative explanations.
Based on Mayo Clinic · Mayo Clinic
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
- Intermittent explosive disorder: symptoms and context
- Intermittent explosive disorder: assessment and care
- DERS-16: original development and validation abstract