Pyromania is a rare impulse control disorder in which a person is unable to resist an overpowering urge to start fires. Someone must meet the diagnostic criteria of pyromania to receive a diagnosis of the condition. Signs that are indicative of the disorder often start to surface in childhood and in rare cases, as young as three years old.
The symptoms of pyromania include a pattern of intentional fire setting, feelings of tension or arousal before starting a fire, an unhealthy obsession with fire and related paraphernalia, and a sense of relief or gratification when starting or watching fires. The destructive behaviors involved in pyromania can easily lead to negative consequences.
The effects of pyromania include damage to property, harm to other people, an increased risk of injury, potential incarceration of the afflicted person, and even death. Problematic fire-setting also has certain distinct characteristics, such as multiple recurrences of intentional fire setting, a build-up of tension leading to the act, emotional release after deliberately starting a fire, the absence of a reasonable motive to commit the act, and making advance preparation for starting a fire.
Upon receiving a pyromania diagnosis, seeking treatment is imperative to avoid the serious repercussions of the disorder. The most common treatment options for pyromania are cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and the use of medications.
Pyromania is characterized by intentional and repeated fire setting on multiple occasions. People with this condition often experience a buildup of tension that can only be relieved by engaging in fire-setting behavior.
The emotional rush obtained from committing the act also motivates a pyromaniac to repeatedly engage in the destructive act of starting a fire.
Pyromania may be the result of a plethora of causes, including co-occurring psychological disorders, genetics, stressors, and brain chemical imbalance.
Pyromania is most commonly comorbid with gambling disorder, anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, substance use disorder, learning disabilities, depressive disorders, and antisocial personality disorder.
As with other impulse-control disorders, problematic fire-setting may also be influenced by genetics. Having certain genes that are associated with impulsivity may alter the function of neurotransmitters in the brain that regulate impulse control.
The disorder is also rooted in life event stressors, including a history of abuse, childhood trauma, neglect, and family dysfunction. The onset of pyromaniac symptoms can also be triggered by imbalances in the dopamine and serotonin systems in the brain, which are both involved in impulsivity.
When left untreated, pathological firesetting can have serious psychological, social, and legal consequences. The effects of pyromania are listed below.
The condition has certain distinct features that set it apart from arson. The most prominent characteristics of pyromania are listed below.
Other known characteristics of pyromania include:
There are indications that someone may be engaging in destructive behaviors around fire-starting. The most common signs and symptoms of pyromania are listed below.
Other symptoms of pyromania include:
Aside from seeking professional help, individuals may also benefit from self-help strategies that could improve treatment outcomes. The ways to overcome pyromania are listed below.
Other effective ways to overcome pyromania include:
Certain factors play a role in the development of pathological firesetting. The risk factors for pyromania are listed below.
Other risk factors for pyromania include:
Pyromania is treated by using a combination of medication and ongoing therapy. Medications used for managing pyromania symptoms include antidepressants like selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), atypical antipsychotics, antiepileptic medications, anti-androgens, and lithium.
Another treatment option that has shown some promise against pyromania is cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). CBT can help pyromaniacs identify where built-up tension stems from and learn more effective coping methods to relieve negative feelings, resulting in reduced fire starting behavior.
People with pyromania can also benefit from other behavior modification therapies such as aversion therapy.
Pyromania is diagnosed by seeking professional help and undergoing a diagnostic assessment conducted by a mental health professional. Unfortunately, many people who suspect they have the condition do not actively seek help. As a result, a diagnosis of pyromania is rarely found in patients.
Another factor that may explain the rare diagnosis of the disorder is the strict criteria that the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) has on pyromania. At times, the possibility of a patient having pyromania may only come up after they have been treated for a different mental health condition.
Arson offenders may also be assessed for pyromania, depending on their specific motives for setting a fire.
Pyromania and arson are closely related in a sense that the former is one of the recognized types of arson. In fact, these terms have been incorrectly used interchangeably, even in courts. However, there are several distinctions between the two.
First, arson is a criminal act, while pyromania is a psychiatric condition. A majority of arson offenders also do not meet the diagnostic criteria for pyromania. The two also differ when it comes to their driving factors. In the case of arson, the illegal act is done out of revenge, monetary gain, or to make a political statement. Pyromaniacs, on the other hand, do not have such malicious intent, as firesetting is only done to induce euphoria.
Furthermore, arson is a common reason for property damage in several nations, whereas pyromania is a rare impulse control disorder.
