Pyromania

What is Pyromania?

Pyromania is defined as “an obsessive desire to set fire to things” and is listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) as an impulse control disorder.

It is often, though wrongfully, used at the same time as or as a replacement for the term arsonist. An arsonist is someone who sets fires deliberately to properties with criminal intent which makes it very different from pyromania.

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Symptoms

Pyromania involves several symptoms that go along with the classification of an impulse control disorder. An impulse control disorder is defined as “a condition in which a person has trouble controlling emotions or behaviors. Often, the behaviors violate the rights of others or conflict with societal norms and the law.”

The DSM-5 List of Pyromania’s Diagnostic Criteria:

• Deliberate and purposeful fire setting on multiple occasions.
• Tension/physiological arousal before the act
• Fascination/attraction to fire and it’s uses and paraphernalia.

The DSM-5 List of Pyromania’s Diagnostic Criteria:

• Fires are not set for monetary reasons, concealing other crimes, to get revenge or show anger, or as a result of impaired judgement.
• The fire setting is not better explained by conduct disorder, a manic episode, or antisocial personality disorder.

Along with an obsessive urge to start fires people who have pyromania also tend to focus on many aspects of fires whether that be starting fires or even putting them out. As such they can be found visiting areas where fires occurred, visiting fire departments, watching fires, helping clean up the remains of a fire, and in some cases even setting off false fire alarms.

They tend to feel pleasure or relief when setting fires or viewing the damage, or even helping clean up the aftermath of a fire.

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Treatment

Treatment for Pyromania includes therapy sessions, conditioning techniques, and an assortment of medicine, and even cognitive behavior therapy. It’s important to seek out help as this disorder can be dangerous for anybody involved as fire can be very unpredictable and harmful.

Both the use of conditioning and Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) would help to change one's thinking and habits to start to lessen the effects of pyromania. In addition to the therapy there are several drugs that could be prescribed to help treat pyromania. A blend of therapies and medicine must be tested and selected per each individual with this disorder.

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References:
https://www.dictionary.com/browse/pyromania?s=t
https://www.dictionary.com/browse/arson?s=t
https://americanaddictioncenters.org/co-occurring-disorders/impulse-control...
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/conditions/pyromania
https://www.healthline.com/health/cognitive-behavioral-therapy