Cognitive behavior therapy for intermittent explosive disorder: a review

Abstract

Intermittent Explosive Disorder is often an incapacitating serious mental disorder characterized by out of proportion aggressive impulses that attack the life of the patients, their relatives and the people around them. This report intends to verify the impact of Cognitive-Behavior Therapy as a treatment for reduction of complaints in a male patient, 46 years old, married. The following instruments were used for evaluation and intervention: Half-Directed Interview; Beck Depression Inventory (BDI); Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI); Lipp Stress Symptoms Inventory for Adults (ISSL); Social Skills Inventory (ISS-Del-Prette). Until the moment, the patient has completed 33 cognitive-behavior sessions, including an initial evaluation, intervention, final evaluation and follow up. The following strategies and techniques were used: register of dysfunctional thoughts, self monitoring with self register, cognitive restructuring, relaxation, stress administration, assertiveness training, social skill training, exposition and prevention of reply, role playing, self instruction training, problem solution training. The main results indicate a significant reduction of complaints, reduction of internal unrest, violent ideation, aggressive behavior (verbal and physical attacks) disproportionate to the external environmental cues, the acquisition of new cognitive and behavioral repertoires and strategies to face situations that activated the dysfunctional beliefs, in addition to remission of organic symptoms. Conclusion: cognitive-behavioral intervention presented a positive impact in the treatment of Intermittent Explosive Disorder.