Pyromania

What is pyromania?

Pyromania is an impulse disorder. People who have this disorder are unable to resist an impulse to set fires, even though they know it is harmful. The urge makes them anxious, tense, or aroused. Only setting fires gives relief or satisfaction.

How does it occur?

The exact cause of this disorder is not known. Experts think it may be caused by differences in the brain or nervous system. It might also be related to things such as child abuse or a family history of mental illness.

Most pyromaniacs are male. Many pyromaniacs also have learning problems.

Most children go through a stage where they like to set fires. This is normal. Most children outgrow playing with fire by adolescence or adulthood.

What are the symptoms?

The symptoms of pyromania are:

setting fires on purpose more than once
being very tense or very excited before setting the fire
being attracted by fire and objects, people, or situations related to fire
feeling pleasure or relief when setting or watching fires
not caring about the loss of property, the injuries, or even the deaths that result from fires.

People who have pyromania do not set fires for money, to express political beliefs, to hide signs of a crime, or to show anger. A true pyromaniac just likes fire.

How is it diagnosed?

Your health care provider or a mental health will ask about your symptoms and any drug or alcohol use. You may have lab tests to rule out medical problems such as chemical imbalances.

How is it treated?

Many kinds of therapy are used to treat this disorder. Treatment typically involves behavior modification and conditioning techniques. Aversive conditioning involves using negative stimuli to reduce or eliminate a behavior. In covert sensitization, you relax and picture setting fires. Then you imagine something negative, such as getting hurt. With assisted aversive conditioning, the negative event is real rather than imagined. For example, your therapist sprays a bad smell such as ammonia in the air. The goal is for you to link your behavior with something negative and avoid both.

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a way to help you identify and change thoughts you have that are not realistic. CBT can make you aware of unhealthy ways of thinking. It can also help you learn new thought and behavior patterns.

Medicines such as lithium, naltrexone (ReVia), paroxetine (Paxil), sertraline (Zoloft), citalopram (Celexa), fluoxetine (Prozac), and other antidepressants may also help.

When should I seek help?

Pyromania is very dangerous to the person with the disorder as well as to others. If you suspect that someone you care about may have pyromania, ask your health care provider for a referral to a mental health professional as soon as possible.

Disclaimer: This content is reviewed periodically and is subject to change as new health information becomes available. The information provided is intended to be informative and educational and is not a replacement for professional medical evaluation, advice, diagnosis or treatment by a healthcare professional.

HIA File BHV3354F.HTM Release 9.0/2006