Impulse Control Disorder Not Otherwise Specified

Alternative Terms and Alternative Treatments:
Explore Holistic Approaches to Skillfully Modify Your Own Behavior
Since so many people find stigmatized labels like "addict" or "alcoholic" to be demeaning – prejudicial – and far too over used in the common language. You might consider less stigmatized terms to provide a foundation for your grasp and understanding of the nature of your unwanted habits and behavioral challenges.

Impulse Control Disorder NOS (Not Otherwise Specified):
Impulse Control Disorders NOS represent " . . . a residual diagnostic category for those (numerous) impulse control disorders (behavioral challenges) that do not fulfill the typical criteria for specific Psychiatric Disorders or Substance Use Disorders outlined in The Diagnostic Manual of Mental Disorders DSM IV (eg. substance abuse, substance dependence, paraphilias)."

Does the Term "Addiction" or the "Disease Concept"
Really Help You Prepare Yourself for Behavior Change?
Can assuming the identity "I am an addict and alcoholic" truly enhance your motivation to change? Does identifying with such terms facilitate your ability to make necessary behavioral changes that help you to resolve unwanted habits and manage behaviors that do not work for you?

If you answers to these questions is "yes," then we will head in that direction. However, if you are put-off by such terms -- we can explore the broad range of alternative options available from the research based foundations and counseling methods developed in clinical psychology and the cognitive behavioral sciences.

One Might Legitimately Ask:
Just why must we insist that my unwanted habit take on the obtuse label addiction?  Is it necessary for you refer to me as an addict of alcoholic? Must you insist that I label myself an addict? Am I truly powerless over some commonly accepted and so-called disease process? Just why must I specify myself with embarrassing terms that identify me with some sort of pathology? Am I really to be considered sick or mentally ill?

Is It Not More Productive to Conclude:
Perhaps I am simply "stuck" with a really strong, repetitive and unwanted habit. I have become behaviorally "trapped"  and I now have recognized my need to learn how to behave differently!"

The Process Learning Model of Addiction:
Skills Based Cognitive and Behavioral Therapy in Seattle


Are You Really an Addict or Alcoholic?
Alternative Terms and Alternative Treatments
Alternatives to Traditional  Addiction "Rehabilitation" Treatment Programs in Seattle


Some of the more common impulse control disorders relevant
to the diagnostic category "Impulse Control Disorder Not Otherwise Specified" include:

Impulsive Sexual Behaviors:
"Sex Addiction" may involve habitual promiscuity, compulsive masturbation, compulsive use of phone sex lines, cyber sex, chat rooms, or internet pornography.  "Pornography  addiction" involves an unwanted over reliance  or "dependence" on engaging in various forms of sexually related behavior.

Compulsive Shopping, Casino Gambling, Internet Games:
“Compulsive Spending” or “oniomania”, is and impulse control disorder that bears many similarities to kleptomania. There is substantial evidence of "co-morbidity" with other mood and anxiety disorders. Such compulsive shopping of "shopping addiction" like "gambling addiction" represents compulsive behavior that is routinely followed by subsequent remorse and regret. (Ades 1997). Mood regulation iseems to be  major determinant of the motivation to engage impulse spending (Faber, 1992, O’Guinn & Faber, 1989) . Frequently, people find their experience shopping and acquiring new things to be exciting and mood-enhancing. However, just as with kleptomania, there is frequently a sense of remorse after engaging in such impulsive actions. There is evidence that treatment with serotonin reuptake inhibitors SSRI, and other antidepressant medications may be helpful in alleviating the problem (McElroy, Satlin, Pope, Keck and Hudson, 1991).

Self-Mutilation and Self Cutting:
While this behavior can be present in a broad range of psychiatric disorders. Such behavior is frequently  associated with Borderline Personality Disorder.  Such impulsive behavior is  diagnoses as and Impulse Control Disorder, NOS (not otherwise specified). This refers to the actions of individuals who engage in self harm by acting out impulses to episodically cut, scrape of burn their skin.

The behavior routinely begins in early adolescence and becomes a habitual means of coping with  internal emotional distress. Between the episodes of self-harm , the individual may report periods of calmness and stable functioning. It is noteworthy that  eating disorders, alcoholism and substance abuse or kleptomania may also accompany the clinical picture.

As with other impulse control disorders, those whom self mutilate routinely report  their experience of extreme distress or tension immediately before engaging in self harm. This is reported to be followed by  a perceived sense of relief or pleasure subsequent to the self injurious behavior.

Behavior Problems:
Impulse Control of Various Unwanted Habits Called Process Addictions

• Computer Gaming: Massively Multi-Player Online Role Play Games
• Chat Room and Compulsive Use of Other Internet Technology
• Hoarding and Collecting: Saving Everything Under the Sun
• Criticism and Verbal Abuse or Impulsive Anger or Violence
• Shoplifting "Frotting" and Other Strange High Risk Behaviors

A List of Addiction Treatment and Recovery Centers Near Seattle

Treatment-Centers.Net
A comprehensive listing of drug treatment centers, addiction rehabilitation centers and alcohol rehab programs and drug treatment center referrals or information about addiction recovery resources. Treatment Centers Net offers a national database of drug rehab centers and alcohol treatment programs, dual diagnosis hospitals and rehabilitation programs.

If you are concerned about sex addiction in Seattle, or you are seeking counseling to resolve problems that involve internet pornography, cyber sex, chat room sex, phone sex or the like -- give Dr. Hart a Call.

Seattle Private Counseling to Resolve Unwanted Habits:

Change Strategies: Learn Self-Regulation!
Help for Personal Problems with Self-Regulation and Impulse Control.

Located in The Wallingford District: Seattle Washington
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Alcohol Counseling Alternatives in Seattle

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