Pyromania

Pyromania is a rare behavioral condition where you have a repeated, strong urge to set fires. It’s a type of impulse control disorder (ICD). ICDs are a group of mental health conditions that make it difficult to control your actions or reactions.

Setting fires is a common behavior. And many people are fascinated by fire. For example, children often set fires out of boredom or for entertainment. But pyromania doesn’t happen for those reasons.

If you have pyromania, you know that fires are harmful. But you can’t control the desire to start one. You may set a fire to release built-up inner emotional tension. A healthcare provider can help you manage this condition.

Pyromania symptoms

Signs and symptoms of pyromania include:

• Frequent, irresistible urges to set fires
• Frequently setting fires
• Intense fascination with fire
• Strong interest in things related to fire, like tools that help set them or facts about fire
• Experiencing internal tension in anticipation of setting a fire
• Feeling relief or pleasure once you set a fire

Other behaviors that may occur with pyromania include:

• Regularly watching fires when they happen in your neighborhood
• Creating incendiary devices (things that help start fires)
• Spending excessive time at the local fire department or becoming a firefighter to be closer to fires

It’s important to seek medical help or start a conversation with a loved one if you notice these behaviors.

Pyromania causes

The cause of pyromania isn’t well known. This is in part because it’s rare. Like other impulse control disorders, the cause is a combination of factors, like genetics, your environment or your biology.

Scientists think it may happen due to miscommunication between the emotional control center of the brain and the planning and rational thought part of the brain.

Pyromania risk factors

Pyromania can affect children and adults. It most often develops around the age of 18.

Studies show that people with pyromania are more likely to:

• Be male
• Have a lower-than-average IQ compared to others their age
• Live through a history of abuse, especially child abuse
• Have a co-existing mood disorder, like depression or bipolar disorder
• Have substance use disorder
• Have a strong biological family history of mental health disorders, like mood, substance use or impulse control disorders

How doctors diagnose pyromania

Mental health professionals diagnose pyromania based on the criteria in the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5-TR). These criteria include:

• You deliberately set fires on more than one occasion.
• You experience tension or emotional arousal before setting fires.
• You're fascinated with or attracted to fire and things related to fire.
• You experience pleasure, gratification or relief when setting fires. This can also happen when you witness or participate in the aftermath of fires.
• You don’t set fires for any reason other than a release. Examples of other reasons include earning money, getting rid of evidence of a crime and responding to a delusion or hallucination.
• The fire setting isn’t caused by a conduct disorder, an episode of mania or antisocial personality disorder.

Adults and children who have signs of pyromania will likely need to see a psychologist or psychiatrist. Experts use interview and assessment tools to check for mental health and behavioral conditions.

How is pyromania treated?

Talk therapy (psychotherapy) is the main approach to managing pyromania. Medications may be somewhat beneficial as an add-on treatment to talk therapy.

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a type of psychotherapy. Through CBT, you can unlearn negative thoughts and behaviors and learn to adopt healthier thinking patterns and habits.

Other options include family therapy or multisystemic therapy. These help support you and create a safer environment.

Medications that may help you manage pyromania include:

• Topiramate, valproic acid and other antiseizure medications
• Olanzapine and other atypical antipsychotic medications
• Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs)
• Lithium

What is the outlook for pyromania?

Unfortunately, people who have pyromania rarely seek treatment. Without treatment, pyromania is typically chronic (lifelong). Frequent fire setting can lead to personal injury, legal issues (like arson) and time in prison. It can also affect your personal relationships. In some cases, pyromania can be life-threatening if the fire you set can’t safely be put out.

It’s possible to treat pyromania, so it’s important to seek help if you or a loved one has signs of the condition.

Is pyromania a symptom of ADHD?

No, pyromania isn’t a symptom of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Pyromania can be a condition that happens alongside ADHD, called a co-occurring condition. ADHD can affect your impulse control (acting without thinking about the consequences), which may make you more at risk of developing pyromania.