- Main signs and symptoms
- What causes pyromania
- How to confirm the diagnosis
- How the treatment is done
Pyromania is a psychological disorder in which the person has a tendency to provoke fires, by feeling pleasure and satisfaction in the process of preparing the fire or by observing the results and damage caused by the fire. In addition, there are still people who like to set fire to observe all the confusion of firefighters and inhabitants trying to fight the flames.
Although this disorder is more frequent in children and adolescents, to attract the attention of parents or to revolt, it can also happen in adulthood. However, while young people often make small fires at home, adults need stronger emotions, which can ignite at home or in the woods and result in disaster.
To be considered pyromania, the pyromaniac must not have any intention as a financial gain or need to hide a criminal activity, for example. In such cases, the firing process is only considered a criminal action, without any psychological disorder.
Main signs and symptoms
In most cases it is quite difficult to identify a pyromaniac, but the most frequent sign is when the person is constantly related to fires without a specific cause, even if he denies any involvement or seems to be present just to help.
In addition, someone with pyromania is also prone to:
- Walking constantly depressed, creating conflicts with close people, showing easy irritability.
Fires usually arise during periods of great stress, such as job loss, during a separation or the death of a family member, for example.
What causes pyromania
Pyromania is a very complex disorder and, therefore, its causes are not yet known. However, there are some factors that seem to contribute to the development of pyromania, such as lacking social skills, needing frequent attention or not having parental supervision during childhood.
How to confirm the diagnosis
Since it is difficult to identify the symptoms in a pyromaniac, the doctor may also have difficulty identifying the disorder, especially if it is not the person himself who asks for help.
However, to be considered pyromania there must be some criteria, which include:
- Igniting fires consciously on more than one occasion; feeling stress or emotional tension before starting the fire; showing fascination or feeling curious about everything that involves fire, such as fire equipment and the destruction caused; feeling relief or pleasure after starting the fire or after observing the results; have no other reasons to start the fire, such as earning money from home insurance or hiding a crime.
During the diagnostic attempt, the doctor may also suggest other disorders with similar symptoms such as Borderline personality, schizophrenia or antisocial personality.
How the treatment is done
The treatment for pyromania must be appropriate for each person, according to the factors that may be in the development of the disorder. So, to start the treatment, it is advisable to consult a psychologist or a psychiatrist to make an interview with the person and the family, in order to understand what may be the basis of the problem.
Then, the treatment is done with psychotherapy sessions that help the person to fight the problem that is the basis of pyromania, allowing to identify other safer and healthier ways to release accumulated stress.
Usually, treatment is easier in children than in adults, so in addition to psychotherapy, adults may also need to take antidepressants, such as Citalopram or Fluoxetine, to decrease symptoms and prevent the uncontrollable urge to start a fire.
