Impulse Control Disorders

Flashcards about Impulse Control Disorders based on lecture notes

According to ICD 11, what characterizes impulse control disorders?

The repeated inability to resist the impulse or urge to carry out a behavior.

What are the potential long-term negative consequences of impulse control disorders?

Harm to self or others, distress about the behavior, or significant impairment to family, friendships, or work life.

What is Kleptomania characterized by?

A powerful, hard-to-resist impulse to steal.

What feelings might someone with Kleptomania experience before and during/after theft?

Intense tension or affective arousal before; excitement, gratification, or relief during/immediately following.

Is stealing in Kleptomania motivated by monetary gain?

No, the stealing is not intended for monetary gain.

What do people with Kleptomania typically do with the items they steal?

They rarely want or need the items and may throw them away or give them to others.

Which gender is more likely to seek treatment for Kleptomania?

Women are more likely to seek treatment.

What are the potential consequences of Kleptomania?

Guilt, shame, arrest, prosecution, embarrassment, and loss of employment.

What is Pyromania characterized by?

A powerful impulse to start fires.

What sensations do individuals with pyromania experience related to fire-setting?

An increasing sense of tension prior to fire-setting and pleasure, excitement, or gratification during and immediately after the act.

Regarding pyromania, is there an intelligible motive for fire setting, such as monetary gain or revenge?

No, there's no intelligible motive like monetary gain, sabotage, or revenge.

How many times must an individual have set fires to be diagnosed with pyromania?

Individuals must have deliberately and intentionally set fires on more than one occasion.

What differentiates fire setting, arson and pyromania?

Fire setting is the behavior (accidental or intentional), arson is the crime , and pyromania is a psychiatric diagnosis.

What characterizes Gambling Disorder?

A pattern of persistent or recurring gambling behavior (online or offline) with impaired control, prioritization over other activities, and continuation despite negative consequences.

What areas of life are significantly impaired by Gambling Disorder?

Important areas of functioning such as family life, friendships, or work life.

How long must gambling behavior be present for a diagnosis?

Generally at least a year, but can be shorter if all diagnostic requirements are met and symptoms are severe.

What is the kleptomania symptom assessment scale (KSAS)?

11-item self-rated scale that measures impulses, thoughts, feelings and behaviors related to stealing.

If someone scored a 31 on the kleptomania symptom assessment scale, what would it mean?

They have severe symptoms

What is a limitation of the kleptomania symptom assessment scale?

It relies on self-report, which means there could be social desirability bias.

What neurotransmitter has been linked to impulse control and addictive disorders?

Dopamine

What happens to dopamine levels in the striatum when compulsive behaviors develop?

Dopamine levels are reduced.

What is Reward Deficiency Syndrome (RDS)?

A brain disorder characterized by a deficiency of dopamine in the brain's reward center.

How can synthetic dopamine relate to impulse control disorders?

Kleptomania is a possible side effect of using synthetic dopamine for treatment of disorders such as Parkinson’s

What is positive reinforcement in relation to behavioral explanations for Impulse Control Disorders?

Someone's learned behavior is a result of previous trials of that behavior where they get to receive rewards.

What type of partial reinforcement is fairly addictive?

Variable Ratio Schedules

What is state-dependent memory?

Where people remember more information if their physical or mental state is the same at time of encoding and time of recall.

What is the feeling-state composed of?

The positive emotions and memory of the behavior which leads to impulse-control problems.

How do opiate antagonists work?

Block opiate receptors and therefore reduce the ability to experience euphoria.

What did Grant et al. (2008) find in their study?

A family history of alcoholism and strong gambling urges seem to predict a positive response to opiate antagonists in treatment of PG.

What is covert sensitization?

An unpleasant stimulus such as nausea or an anxiety-producing image is paired with an undesirable behavior in order to change that behavior

How long did the therapy last for the woman in Glover (1985)?

8 weeks, as each session happened fortnightly

What is McConaghy's behavior completion mechanism?

an idea which suggests that compulsive behaviors are repeated because the person never completes a full behavioral sequence, which leads to tension and the urge to carry out the behavior again.

What are the six steps to Imaginal desensitization following Blaszcyzynksi and Nower, 2003?

Initiating the urge, planning to follow through on the urge, arriving at the venue, generating arousal and excitement with the behavior, having second thoughts about the behavior, decreasing the attractiveness of the behavior.