Treatment of Pyromania: Pyromania: The fire-setting disorder

Pyromania is a rare but significant mental condition marked by a fascination with fires, intense urges to start fires, and a tendency to act on these emotions. Just 1% of people, in general, have this disorder, and those who do, frequently have another mood, personality or impulse control disorder too.

Few people experience a build-up of tensions that can only be dissipated by purposefully starting a fire. This cycle of behavior is thought to be at the core of the mental illness.

Playing with fire is not just for fun. (Image via Pexels/Piyapong)

Pyromania: What is it really?

While it may look atypical, for a person going through it, it can be very difficult. (Image via Freepik/Freepik)

A person with pyromania, an impulse control disorder, has a great attraction to fire and intense cravings to ignite fires, which is satisfied by doing so. Starting fires may be a way of expressing or letting go of these cravings, which may be partially motivated by repressed anger, humiliation or other negative emotions.

Researchers have discovered that many pyromaniacs struggle to express their tough emotions, like anger, in a healthy or appropriate way. They have a strong drive to start flames and are fascinated and obsessed with fire. They also experience relief, thrill or gratification when they do so.

There's no single recognized cause. According to research, it might have a genetic component and resemble a behavioral addiction. The precise number of people who suffer from the condition is unknown. However, according to researchers, only a very small percentage of the population is impacted.

It's not known how common the condition is, but according to estimates, between 3 and 6 per cent of psychiatric inpatients fully exhibit the symptoms. Just 3.3% of people in the criminal justice system who had repeatedly lit fires fit all the requirements for pyromania, according to researchers.

Signs and symptoms

A mental health professional can help you learn to regulate your impulses. (Image via Pexels/Chris)

Depending on why someone starts a fire, the condition may or may not be diagnosed. It's critical to recognize various motivations. The act of starting fires is regarded as a behavior and not a disorder. Not everyone who starts a fire does it unlawfully.

By seeking therapy, you can learn to recognize symptoms and ways of coping. The following signs and symptoms have to be present for them to be diagnosed:

A fascination with fire, including attraction and interest in the fire and equipment for starting fires
Watching neighbourhood fires, causing false alarms, or enjoying use of fire on buildings, machinery and people
Visit a nearby fire station, start fires to join the fire department or join the fire service as a fireman
Lighting a fire, seeing the results, taking part in the cleanup; feeling joy, fulfillment or relief

Treatment of pyromania

Even though it's rare, people with this disorder can benefit from treatment. (Image via Pexels/Connor)

Few studies have been done to determine the best forms of therapy for pyromanic patients. Based on existing evidence, pyromaniacs may benefit from one or more of the following therapies.

Most mental diseases are treated by therapy, and some forms of therapy may be better than others in treating particular symptoms and conditions. According to research, cognitive behavioral therapy can benefit those who suffer from this illness. CBT is a form of systematic therapy that promotes constructive adjustments in thinking and behavior and the application of constructive coping mechanisms.

Moreover, according to some experts, pyromaniacs may benefit from learning techniques for relaxation, emotion control and impulse management. Some impulsive and compulsive disorders benefit from behavioral therapy and interventions like exposure and response prevention, which encourage patients to feel their urges but not act on them. It's still unknown whether these therapies can help someone with pyromania.

Individuals who suffer from this disorder frequently harbor unresolved feelings from past traumas and repressed emotions, and they utilize fire starting as a way to release these feelings. CBT therapy and others, sometimes in conjunction with medication, may assist in lessening the symptoms of the condition and keeping patients from acting on their urges to start fires destructively.

Pyromania is not something to take lightly or in fun. To protect themselves as well as everybody else in their lives and communities, people who may have this condition should seek help right away.

Janvi Kapur is a counselor with a Master's degree in applied psychology with a specialization in clinical psychology.

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