The pyromania it is a psychic disorder that is defined as an impulse control disorder. It is a pathology that is based on the tendency to provoke fires; characterized by the repeated setting of arson.
Forest fires pose a serious threat to the natural environment and its conservation. Annually there are intentional fires that carry with them serious losses at an ecological, social and economic level, even putting people's lives at risk.
Sometimes from the media and public opinion there is misinformation about the causes of these fires, the profile of the people who carry them out and how this problem can be dealt with adequately.
In this article I will explain in detail what we mean by 'pyromania', and what are its causes, symptoms and most effective treatments.
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Pyromania could be defined as a behavior that leads a subject to commit fires for the pleasure or gratification of doing them, or to release accumulated tension.
The fires take place without a specific motivation and respond to an impulse that arises from the subject who cannot control. The subject with pyromania maintains functional their cognitive abilities, their intelligence, the ability to plan.
Impulse control disorders, such as pyromania, are fundamentally characterized by the difficulty for the subject to resist an impulse, motivation or temptation to carry out an act that can harm him or others.
Prior to committing the act, the subject perceives activation or tension that is resolved in the form of liberation or gratification when committing the act. Later there is no guilt or regret for having done it.
Unlike other subjects who also intentionally set fires, the arsonist does so for the simple matter of fascination with fire. Thus we find symptoms:
In the family history of arsonists, it has been found associated with mental illnesses, personality disorders (specifically antisocial) and family alcoholism.
Family problems such as absence of parents, maternal depression, problems in family relationships and child abuse can be found.
The fact of setting fires has also been associated with other problems such as the subject's own alcoholism (López-Ibor, 2002). In addition, many of those who start fires and do not meet the diagnosis of pyromania do suffer from other mental disorders.
For example, cases of personality disorders, schizophrenia or mania have been found.
In the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), we find pyromania within the group of destructive disorders, impulse control and behavior.
The diagnosis of pyromania includes different criteria in which the affected person must deliberately and intentionally set fires on more than one occasion.
The person shows emotional tension or excitement before starting the fire. They are people who are fascinated by fire and its context, show a lot of interest, curiosity or attraction.
All this gives them pleasure, gratification or relief when provoking them or witnessing them or participating in the consequences that derive from them..
It is important to note that the arsonist does not carry out the fire to obtain any economic benefit or as an expression of any socio-political ideology.
It does not do it to hide any criminal activity, nor as a way to express negative feelings, as a way to improve their living conditions or as a response to any alteration of the judgment or hallucination.
The setting of the fire, in the case of arsonists, is also not better explained by any other conduct disorder, by any manic episode or by an antisocial personality disorder.
It is quite unknown how it proceeds and what prognosis this pathology has. Some studies indicate that it seems to start during childhood. However, other more recent ones (Roncero, 2009) indicate that it is more frequent in men and usually begins during adolescence or early adulthood..
The age of maximum incidence usually occurs around 17 years. When the onset takes place during other periods, such as adolescence or adulthood, the fire is usually destructive..
The onset of the pathology has been associated with situations of personal or vital changes and crises and the impulse seems to happen episodically.
In relation to the prognosis, if the patient is able to work on verbalizations in therapy, the prognosis will be better. However, if it is associated with problems with intellectual disability or alcoholism, it will be worse.
It is usually complicated by the legal consequences of causing the fire.
Traditionally, pyromania had been treated from the psychoanalytic point of view, in such a way that the intervention was difficult since the patient rejected the fact of assuming that he was responsible and using denial.
From the most behavioral therapies, aversive therapy, positive reinforcement and punishment, satiation and structured fantasies operant with positive effort have been used..
Treatment for pyromania includes behavior modification therapy. It can be complicated due to the lack of understanding of the problem and the absence of demand for help on many occasions.
The person may be aware of the danger of their behavior as well as the inappropriateness, but since they do not regret or blame themselves for anything, they will hardly ask for help to change.
It is essential to work on impulse control, self-control. Role-playing can also help in conflict resolution.
The focus should include psychoeducation, problem-solving skills, learning interpersonal communication strategies, and managing difficult emotions such as anger, as well as cognitive restructuring..
Relaxation techniques, self-esteem and self-image work, as well as social skills may also be appropriate. In some cases, psychotherapy can be combined with drug therapy to treat lack of impulse control..
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