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Acting on an impulse can lead to violence, say psychologists

In the beginning, the person will feel a building tension. Then there's an increase in suspense before the act is committed.

Hyderabad: Anyone can be violent but usually our impulse control centre keeps us calm, according to a psychologist.

In several road rage incidents, people act on impulse and when the emotional process overloads they act without thinking and once the ‘rage’ episode is over, they realise what they did and even regret their actions, psychologist Priyanka Padhi said.

“As a society, we are sometimes resistant to exploring the roots of violence. Part of our hesitation stems from the fact that violence is a deeply disturbing problem,” she explained.

“When we talk about violent or aggressive behaviour we as psychologists consider them as secondary issue meaning it is just the mask or not the real issue, the real-deep rooted problems or the primary concern are under this masked face of aggression which can be triggered by insecurities, unmet needs of life, frustration, being unloved or feeling unwanted or a perceived humiliation,” she said.

“Its purpose can be to retaliate, or intimidate, or exert control. It is only when we have a better understanding of violence that we can begin to make a difference. Some of the common examples of impulsive behaviour or aggressive behaviour which can be seen often are, going on spending sprees, driving recklessly, promiscuous sex, binge eating, yelling, shouting, or screaming at others, threatening to harm others, self-mutilation, destroying property, shoplifting, getting into physical fights with people,” she said, adding that when a person is afflicted by an Impulse Control Disorder (ICD) — when he or she absolutely can’t resist the urge to do something the action is usually harmful and can be targeted toward themselves or other people. In the beginning, the person will feel a building tension. Then there’s an increase in suspense before the act is committed.

( Source : Deccan Chronicle. )
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