Impulse and Obsession
IMPULSE
An impulse refers to a sudden and strong urge or desire to act, usually without a strong motive, forethought or consideration of consequences. Impulses are a natural part of human behaviour; however, they become problematic when they are uncontrollable, causing individuals to struggle with managing their impulses in a way that disrupts the well-being of themselves or others.
Difficulties in controlling impulses and resisting the urge to engage in behaviours that can be disruptive, damaging, or have negative consequences can be associated with various psychiatric disorders (ADHD, bipolar disorder, borderline personality disorder, dementia, acute mania, etc.), or substance use (opioids, benzodiazepines, LSD, MDMA, Ketamine, Cannabis, etc).
Some of the common impulse control disorders include:
Kleptomania: A recurrent urge to steal items that may not needed for personal use or financial gain.
Dipsomania: A recurrent urge to drink alcoholic beverages excessively.
Pyromania: A recurrent urge to deliberately start fires, characterized by two or more acts of fire-setting without an apparent motive.
Mutilomania: A recurrent urge to injure and mutilate animals, commonly domestic pets.
Oniomania: A recurrent urge to shop, often resulting in financial difficulties.
Trichotillomania: A recurrent urge to pull out hair, often resulting in noticeable hair loss.
Intermittent Explosive Disorder: Recurrent and intense outbursts of aggression that are disproportionate to the provocation.
Suicidal or Homicidal impulse: Recurrent thoughts, desires, or urges to intentionally harm oneself or others with the intent of causing death.
OBSESSION
An obsession refers to persistent, intrusive, and unwanted thoughts, ideas, or urges that cause significant anxiety or distress. The individual has awareness of the irrational nature of these thoughts and behaviours; however, it is involuntary and cannot be eliminated from consciousness.
For example: An individual locks the door before leaving but later feels the need to confirm if it is locked. A mentally healthy individual person will typically stop after one check, but an insane person may repeatedly check multiple times (even for hours), even if they have somewhere urgent to go.
Obsessions are a characteristic feature of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), but they can also be present in other mental health conditions such as schizophrenia.
Some common types of obsessions include:
Contamination Obsessions: Fear of germs, dirt, or contaminants, leading to compulsive cleaning, washing, or avoidance of perceived sources of contamination.
Harm Obsessions: Intrusive thoughts about causing harm to themselves or others, often leading to distressing fears or worries about accidentally or intentionally causing harm.
Checking Obsessions: Persistent doubts about whether they have completed a task or taken appropriate safety measures, leading to repetitive checking behaviors.
Symmetry and Ordering Obsessions: A strong need for things to be arranged in a particular way or a fear that something terrible will happen if items are not arranged symmetrically or in a specific order.
Counting Obsessions: A compulsion to count or perform tasks a certain number of times, often driven by a belief that a specific number holds significance.
Hoarding Obsessions: Persistent difficulty discarding possessions, regardless of their value, leading to excessive clutter.
Difference between Impulse, Compulsion, and Obsession
✏️ Impulse: Sudden and strong urge or desire to act, usually without much forethought or consideration of consequences.
Example: Feeling a sudden urge to check your phone for notifications or messages whenever you hear a notification sound, even if you are engaged in a different task.
✏️ Compulsion: Repetitive behaviours that a person feels driven to perform in response to an obsession.
Example: Checking your phone repeatedly throughout the day, even when you know there are no new messages, due to an overwhelming urge to make sure you haven't missed anything important.
✏️ Obsession: An obsession refers to persistent, intrusive, and unwanted thoughts, ideas, or emotions that cause significant anxiety or distress.
Example: Constantly worrying about whether you have responded appropriately to messages or fearing that you might have overlooked an important message, leading to repetitive checking behaviours (compulsions).