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Preparing for your appointment
By Mayo Clinic staffIf you're concerned because you're having repeated emotional outbursts, you can talk with your primary care doctor, or you may want to make an appointment with someone who specializes in treating emotional disorders, such as a psychiatrist, psychologist or social worker.
Here's some information to help you get ready for your appointment, and what to expect from your doctor.
What you can do
- Write down any symptoms you're experiencing, including any that may seem unrelated to the reason for which you scheduled the appointment.
- Write down key personal information, including any major stresses or recent life changes.
- Make a list of all medications, as well as any vitamins or supplements, that you're taking.
- Write down questions to ask your doctor.
Preparing a list of questions can help you make sure you cover everything that's important to you. For intermittent explosive disorder, some basic questions to ask your doctor include:
- Why am I having these angry outbursts?
- Do I need any tests? Do these tests require any special preparation?
- Is this condition temporary or long lasting?
- What treatments are available, and which do you recommend?
- Are there any side effects from treatment?
- Are there any alternatives to the primary approach that you're suggesting?
- I have other health conditions. How can I best manage these conditions together?
- Is there a generic alternative to the medicine you're prescribing me?
- How long does therapy take to work?
- Are there any brochures or other printed material that I can take home with me? What Web sites do you recommend visiting?
In addition to the questions that you've prepared to ask your doctor, don't hesitate to ask questions during your appointment at any time that you don't understand something.
What to expect from your doctor
Your doctor is likely to ask you a number of questions. Being ready to answer them may reserve time to go over any points you want to spend more time on. Your doctor may ask:
- How often do you have explosive episodes?
- Does anything seem to makes these episodes occur more often?
- Is there anything that you've found that can help calm you down?
- Has anyone else in your family ever been diagnosed with a mental illness?
- Have you suffered from a head trauma?
- Thompson JW Jr, et al. Impulse-control disorders. In: Ebert MH, et al. Current Diagnosis and Treatment: Psychiatry. 2nd ed. New York, N.Y.: McGraw-Hill Medical; 2008. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=3289149. Accessed March 6, 2010.
- Intermittent explosive disorder. In: Sadock BJ, et al. Kaplan and Sadock's Comprehensive Textbook of Psychiatry. Philadelphia, Pa.: Lippincott, Williams and Wilkins; 2005. http://ovidsp.tx.ovid.com/sp-2.3/ovidweb.cgi?&S=LIGLFPOGPNDDKGHDNCELCBCKMEKJAA00&Link+Set=S.sh.16%7c5%7csl_10. Accessed March 8, 2010.
- Kessler RC. The prevalence and correlates of DSM-IV intermittent explosive disorder in the national comorbidity survey replication. Archives of General Psychiatry. 2006:63;669.
- Intermittent explosive disorder. In: Stern TA, et al. Massachusetts General Hospital Comprehensive Clinical Psychiatry. 1st ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Mosby Elsevier; 2008. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/187865115-2/0/1657/221.html?tocnode=57542767&fromURL=221.html#4-u1.0-B978-0-323-04743-2..50025-1--cesec2_542. Accessed March 6, 2010.
- Kessler RC, et al. Intermittent explosive disorder is common, has an early age of onset and is associated with the development of other mental disorders in the US population. Evidence Based Mental Health. 2007;10:32.
- McCloskey MS, et al. Prevalence of suicidal and self-injurious behavior among subjects with intermittent explosive disorder. Psychiatry Research. 2008;158:248.
- Koelsch S, et al. EEG correlates of moderate intermittent explosive disorder. Clinical Neurophysiology. 2008;119:151.
- Hall-Flavin DK (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. March 9, 2010.
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