What is an IED? Apparently its a new mental disorder (seems like the three letter acronym space is getting crowded) - not an Improvised Explosive Device.The state is characterized by "a mental state marked by anger, violent outbursts and abuse of spouses" known in medical parlance as intermittent explosive disorder (IED).
Here's the surprising conclusion - "Experts think the treatment should be a combination of talk therapy and medication" - at least according to the article. The proposed drugs (Zoloft and Prosiac, of course) "in 70 percent of cases [the] drugs give patients a longer fuse before they blow up".
"IED can happen in childhood and it is a challenge to detect it and treat it in children, says Kessler." - Ronald Kessler, the author of the study on which this is based is, surprise, a professor of health-care policy at Harvard Medical School.
Now, this is scary. This guy every spend time with two-year-olds? IED is the standard currency of every and any tired two-year-old.
Throwing toys on the floor, throwing themselves onto the floor in a fits of crying rage, etc. Hmm... Has he ever heard of discipline? The cure for this "disorder" is simple - discipline - and its never too late to start (even into adulthood).
Around the house we often say an adult with this problem is "not grown up." But this guy thinks that rather than concern ourselves with discipline or making some one "grow up" we should drug them - then it just takes longer for us to piss them off.
I personally have cured individuals with this problem by "getting them to grow up." Its easy, really, simply, as they say, let them "twist in the wind" whenever an IED situation comes up. Someone beating their spouse - call the police - time in the slammer will help them out. Someone acting like an ass in your car - put them out at the side of the road and let them walk. Someone breaking things - make them pay to fix them.
Another effective solution is "shame" and "embarrassment". Put the person in a situation where people they respect can observe the IED in action. Publicize the consequences of the IED - "oh look grandma, there's little Johnny being hauled away in the paddy wagon."
Finally, of course, there is, for small children, the spanking. Having grown up with a generation of "spanked" children, why, there is no more to say...
But wait, anyone who tries these "cures" must be "mean" or "intolerant", or, god forbid, a child abuser. But then again, there were far fewer problems in the olden days - I mean, after all, if you ran out into the street from between parked cars you died - and it was your fault.
The full links to the quoted articles can be found here and here.
