The two emotions weakening in today's world: shame and compassion

Psychiatrist Prof. Nevzat Tarhan, who mentioned that the feeling of shame has weakened significantly in today's world, stated, "The most important emotion responsible for impulse control is shame. Shame and compassion are two fundamental emotions that are weakening among young people in this age."

Prof. Tarhan expressed that part of impulse control disorders stems from personality disorders, saying, "If the predominant symptom is impulse control disorder, the person is diagnosed with impulse control disorder. Impulse control disorder is rarely seen as a condition on its own."

President of Üsküdar University, Psychiatrist Prof. Nevzat Tarhan, evaluated the issue of impulse control disorder on TRT Radio 1's Ailece program.

Those with impulse control disorder immediately act on their thoughts

Prof. Nevzat Tarhan, who pointed out that impulse control disorder is one of the main categories in the psychiatric classification system, stated, "Impulsivity refers to the failure of a person to control their impulses and desires. Everyone may have fleeting thoughts, but those with impulse control disorder immediately turn those thoughts into actions and can act in an uncontrolled way."

He explained that in kleptomania, a person cannot control the urge to steal, in pyromania, individuals cannot suppress their desire to start fires, in explosive disorder, people may react disproportionately and excessively to minor frustration, and in trichotillomania, individuals constantly pull out their hair, eyebrows, or eyelashes, even causing skin damage. Prof. Tarhan continued, "Such behaviors are also commonly seen in criminal cases. It is known that impulsive behaviors are behind many violent crimes, such as rape, assault, and murder."

They may find themselves in the wrong even when they are right, due to disproportionate reactions

Prof. Tarhan emphasized that these individuals harm both themselves and others, saying, "A person feels an intense desire to engage in actions that harm themselves and others, and they cannot resist this urge. Their actions may be planned, but more often they happen impulsively."

He explained that these individuals feel significant distress, anxiety, and aggression before acting, and feel relief after carrying out the action. "This sense of relief causes them to continue their actions. While some individuals feel guilty after the act, in more severe cases, there are those who do not feel guilty at all. These impulse control disorders can be the underlying cause of many marital problems. A temporary storm is happening. When this storm blows, the intention is not to harm or hurt the other person, but due to impulsivity, when they are blocked or their anxiety cannot be alleviated, they may react disproportionately and find themselves in the wrong even when they are right," he said.

Children learn to control their impulses later…

Prof. Tarhan, who stated that this is naturally present in children because they learn to control their impulses later in life, continued his remarks as follows: "In fact, there is the orbitofrontal cortex in the front part of our brain. This area is responsible for the repetition of our behaviors and is the most important part of our brain that decides ‘Stop, this is inappropriate/appropriate, valid/invalid.’ Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder also arises from a disorder in this area. Since the front part of the brain in children is not fully matured, they cannot differentiate properly. For example, a child goes to the market or the grocery store, takes something that doesn’t belong to them without paying, and comes back. The child doesn’t know that it is wrong, forbidden, or not allowed. They just take it. When they come home and are asked, ‘How did you take this, did you pay for it?’ if the father says, ‘Well done, my clever son, good for you,’ the child will continue this behavior and eventually start facing legal problems. However, if the father says, ‘Look, child, you took this, but you forgot to pay for it, let’s go and pay,’ and takes the child to give the money to the grocer, the child learns where to stop, learns the boundaries. This is how impulse control is learned. The most important emotion that helps control impulses is the feeling of shame."

The feeling of shame has weakened significantly!

Prof. Tarhan, who stated that the feeling of shame has weakened significantly, said, “Shame and compassion are two fundamental emotions that are weakening among young people in this era. Empathy is also expressed as the feeling of compassion in our culture. The weakening of these emotions also affects the feeling of shame, which plays a great role in impulse control. Wise people, when faced with a situation, say, 'May God not embarrass me' or 'May God not humiliate me.' Why? Because this feeling prevents children, young people, and people from many evils. This is the sensitivity not to harm others.”

Impulse control disorders are partly caused by personality disorders

Prof. Tarhan, who explained that part of impulse control disorders stems from personality disorders, added that "For example, there are Cluster B personality disorders. In cases like antisocial personality disorder and histrionic personality disorder, impulsivity is frequently observed. These individuals are prone to criminal behavior and are skillful. Antisocial personalities are criminal types. Impulse control disorder is often found in them. They don’t usually plan their actions but crush whatever they like or whatever obstructs them. On the other hand, there are Borderline Personality Disorders, also known as borderline personality disorders. As the name suggests, these individuals have not fully developed behavioral boundaries. They experience all four seasons in a single day. They may hate something in the morning and love it by evening. Another type of impulsivity is found in disorders involving self-harming behaviors. Compulsive shopping can also be observed. The person shops, returns home, but does not even open the boxes. The act of buying itself is important, and it is done aimlessly. Impulse control issues and compulsive behaviors are also frequently observed in autism spectrum disorder."

Those with narcissistic traits crush what they perceive as threats

Prof. Tarhan also explained that individuals with narcissistic traits often show impulsivity by perceiving those who do not suit them or do not approve of them as threats. “They believe they must crush and destroy the threats they perceive and behave accordingly. This is one of their other weaknesses. While they may appear fine when they have power, when they lose their power, they find themselves completely alone. Impulse control disorders cause significant harm to human relationships."

Pathological gambling is very common in this condition

Prof. Tarhan, who mentioned that this condition is also seen in agitated depression and bipolar disorder, stated that"In mood disorders, individuals may experience extreme and disproportionate highs and lows, such as excessive love or hatred, because they cannot manage their emotions. In this disorder, the individual views their personality as if they were an external observer and is not fully aware of themselves. This is very common in pathological gambling. Currently, cyber gambling has become widespread, and a serious industry has developed. The internet environment is a convenient and rewarding setting that triggers impulse control disorders. People who are prone to gambling can easily turn to pathological gambling. Sexual compulsions are experienced in a similar manner. The person cannot control their sexual impulses and experiences many problems, which can lead to legal cases. Eating disorders, such as binge eating disorder, are also an example. A person constantly eats and then forces themselves to vomit, or works out for five hours a day to burn off the food. This is also among the cases we encounter with impulse control disorders."

Impulse control disorder is rarely seen as a standalone disorder

Prof. Tarhan, who stated that impulse control disorder can be present in every disease, said that "If the predominant symptom is impulse control disorder, the person is diagnosed with impulse control disorder. However, it is usually connected to other diseases. Therefore, impulse control disorder is rarely seen as a standalone disorder."

Prof. Tarhan further explained that if the person is aware of their condition, there is a 50% chance of resolving the issue, because the brain is the organ that controls behaviors, impulses, and desires. "Just as our stomach is the organ for digestion, our brain is the organ for emotions, thoughts, and behaviors. If the infrastructure in the brain is impaired, advice has no effect. Advice such as ‘Don’t do that, don’t worry, you have everything, why are you doing this?’ has no impact. This is because the neurological and neurobiological infrastructure in the brain is damaged. There are issues in chemical and electrical transmission. Once this infrastructure is repaired, we can make progress by 50%. Then we continue with therapy."

People with attention deficits are impulsive

Prof. Tarhan, who stated that if the impulse control disorder is substance use-related, the disorder cannot be corrected without eliminating the substance use first, said:
"When necessary, individuals stay in rehabilitation centers for 3 to 6 months, receive treatment, and are supported. Even if the person doesn’t want it and leaves the hospital after a while, they can start using substances again within a few weeks. This is a reflection of impulse control disorder. Even though the person is aware of the harm they may cause to themselves and others, they cannot stop themselves. Even if they regret it later, they avoid paying the price for this regret. Adolescence is naturally the most turbulent period where impulse control disorder exists. There are four main symptoms of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD): attention deficit, excessive mobility, impulse control disorder, and behavioral problems. Impulse control disorder is one of these four main symptoms. People with attention deficits are impulsive. This characteristic stems from insufficient dopamine metabolism in the brain."

Impulse control disorder can be recognized in adolescence

Prof. Tarhan, who said that the most important thing for families to pay attention to in impulse control disorder is whether the child feels regret when they make a mistake, break something, or spill something, concluded his remarks as follows: "If the child feels regret, this is a 50% gain for the child in terms of learning to feel regret. When the family approaches with the question, ‘What should we do to prevent this from happening again?’ it helps the child learn something about impulse control disorder in life. The things the child learns will assist them in the maturation process. Impulse control disorder can be recognized in adolescence, and in untreated cases, it may later manifest."

Üsküdar News Agency (ÜNA)