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Intermittent Explosive Disorder Research Paper

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Anger is defined as “a strong feeling of displeasure and usually of antagonism [opposition of a conflicting force, tendency, or principle]” (Merriam-Webster 1). Anger is the result of chemicals in the brain being released and causing the emotion. Some people experience uncontrollable anger, and it can be diagnosed with Intermittent Explosive Disorder (IED). Luckily, there are steps someone can take to calm themselves down.

When someone experiences anger, there body goes through a series of steps to produced the emotion. The first step begins in the amygdala; it sends out a signal that alerts someone when they are in danger. This happens naturally without anyone having to think about it. The brain does not have time to process enough information in the cortex to decide whether the threat is pertinent. The second step involves the muscles in the body tensing up, and someone experiencing a sudden increase in energy. Adrenal gland release adrenaline and someone's body becomes focused on the instigator of their anger. Luckily, someone's prefrontal cortex controls the person's reasoning and makes the final decision on what to do when they are angry. Just as the body takes steps to become angry, it takes steps to calm down. Someone starts to calm down when the instigator is no longer present. Even with the instigator no longer present, someone can still be easily angered because the body has adrenaline present in its system, and it can take days for them to go back to …show more content…

To be diagnosed with IED, someone must have several episodes of uncontrollable anger, and they cannot be diagnosed with another disorder. They also cannot be under the influence of any substance. “Intermittent Explosive Disorder is given as a diagnosis when a person has had at least three incidences of being aggressive that is defined as ‘grossly out of proportion to any precipitating psychosocial stressor.’” (Lohman

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