Unleashing the Fire

Self control is a very important part of growing up. "Buddha's teaching are very simple, you don't have to break your head to understand the message. The part that I like the most from Buddha's teachings and from His Holiness, The Dalai Lama, is that the most powerful weapon is to not attack, to be able to have self-control.", says Ricky Martin regarding self control. It is very true. It is often quite hard to be successful without self control. This is hard for some people. Self control is the ability to restrain impulses. Restraining impulses can lead to a better life, but some people lack this ability. Some people have an impulse control disorder. They often have great difficulty resisting, and it's not like they don't try to resist because they do. It's just that it's really hard for them. One such disorder is pyromania, or the urge to set fire.


The exact cause if pyromania is actually not known. An imbalance of chemicals or a neurological disorder may play a part in the cause. It is often believed to stem from family issues. If a child grows up in a family surrounded by substance abuse, domestic violence, or other forms of negativity it may cause pyromania. Pyromania is an impulse control disorder. That means the child feels an urge to do something, tries to fight it, and more often than not, fails to do so. It is not an addiction to fire. In most cases it is a way of releasing built up anxiety caused by family problems, or even school problems. Many people believe pyromania is also caused by feeling as if they have no control. With setting fires they gain that control, and the negative feelings or anxiety go away. It makes them feel better, so they continue to do it.

Pyromania should never be confused with arson. They are not the same thing, even though they both involve fire. Arson is setting fire for criminal intent. An example would be setting fire to gain money from fire protection insurance. Another would be setting fire to get revenge on someone. This is not pyromania. Even if it happens repeatedly, it is not the same thing. It is a criminal offense. If it does happen often it may be another disorder but not pyromania. Pyromaniacs do not intend to hurt others. They just like fire because they can control it.

To be diagnosed with pyromania an individual would have to exhibit certain symptoms related to the disorder. They would have to feel strong impulses to burn things that are hard to control. Typically a pyromaniac is thrilled by the mere mention of fire because they know it's something easy for them to control when they feel trapped. The fires must be set on purpose but not on criminal purpose. This means that fires set because of a child's curious mind are not pyromaniac fires. Many children want to know about fire. They're curious as to what it really is. It looks neat to them so they might play with matches or something. That doesn't make the child a pyromaniac. Pyromaniacs will get very excited right before and after the fire setting. This is one of the telltale signs of pyromania.

Firefighters are thought to be our protectors against fires, but they can also be the instigators of fires. This is shown in the documentary, Pyromania, when they talk about the story of John Leonard Orr. He was a former fire captain and arson investigator, but he had a very unhealthy obsession with fire. He was a pyromaniac. He set so many fires all across Southern California. Even though what he did can be considered arson, it really is pyromania. He actually wrote everything he did in a novel in which the main character gets a power trip from setting fires. What he wrote probably was a representation of how he felt, and if he felt very powerful and in control then he would be a pyromaniac.

Pyromania is a very rare disorder. A study of six hundred arsonists was done to see how many were actually pyromaniacs and not just criminals. Only about three were true pyromaniacs. There is treatment for pyromaniacs. One way to help treat and cope with pyromania is to set goals and to learn how to control impulses. Another is behavior therapy. The principle used here is that since behaviors are learned then they can be unlearned. Family therapy is also used. This helps to find the direct cause of pyromania if there is one in the family. This method helps deal with that issue so they don't gave negative feeling it so much lack of control that leads to setting fires. Group therapy is used so pyromaniacs don't feel as if they are alone, as it is very hard to get better when someone feels that way.

Pyromania is a very rare disorder. It is a struggle that pyromaniacs face everyday. Pyromaniacs often feel ridiculed, and, in some cases, rumors are spread about this because people don't know. They really want to stop, but it is very hard to do so. Pyromaniacs really are not horrible people. It just may seem that way.

Works Cited

Johnson, Robert L., and Vivian McCann. "Development Over The Lifespan." Psychology Core Concepts: Seventh Edition. By Philip G. Zimbardo. Upper Saddle River: Pearson Education, 2012. 277-78. Print.

"Mental Health: What Is Pyromania and How Is It Treated?" Newsolio RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Mar. 2014.

Pyromania. Dir. Jan Wellmann. Firecracker Films, 2006. YouTube.

"Pyromania." HowStuffWorks. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Mar. 2014.

"Pyromania." Regional Center. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Mar. 2014.

This was a psychology project on pyromania.

There may be a typo or two.