Thanks for the suggestions and research links Mark and Kate. I’m looking into all of it.

I was talking to my psychologist (who is good) about this and he said the problem is that there really aren’t any drugs that are great at controlling impulsivity without turning the patient into a zombie. Furthermore, he said that a lot of the cognitive therapy for impulsiveness doesn’t work well for PCS patients because it is based on the notion that, while there may be remorse afterward, the patient gets a rush from indulging themselves (gambling, starting fires, kleptomania, etc…). In those cases, aversion therapy can be helpful.

Of course, PCS patients don’t enjoy their outbursts. I sure as heck don’t get a “rush” from screaming at my little daughter. It just happens and it feels like an out of body experience. Like Mark, I’ve worked hard at identifying my triggers and try to get out of the situation if I feel a blow up coming. Unfortunately, that isn’t always possible and sometimes it happens so fast, I just don’t see it coming.

For me, and I bet many others, the temper/impulsiveness is the most difficult symptom of my brain injury. I’d also bet I’m not the only PCS patient who spends a lot of time wondering if my family wouldn’t be better off without me. Yet, there seems to be very little research being done on this problem.

The University of Minnesota has a research school dedicated to impulse control. While they’re doing all sorts of work on kleptomania, pyromania, gambling problems, sex addiction and substance abuse, they’re doing zip on TBI. Seriously, what’s the ratio of PCS folks to kleptomaniacs? This neglect is so frustrating.

Cheers