Outpatient Clinic for Impulsive Control Disorders

Heads

Dr. med. Dr. rer. biol. hum. D. Turner

Prof. Dr. med. Oliver Tüscher

Contact

 daniel.turner@unimedizin-mainz.de

Office hours

By arrangement

Impulse control disorders

Impulse control disorders are a range of disorders that have in common the inability to control behavioural habits or impulses. These impulse control disorders usually lead to suffering and harm for the affected person or others. From today's perspective, the spectrum of impulse control disorders ranges from behavioural addictions (so-called non-substance-related addictions) such as pathological gambling (gambling addiction), pathological internet use (internet addiction) and pathological buying (buying addiction), pathological stealing (kleptomania) and pathological sexual behaviour (hypersexuality) to pathological arson (pyromania) and intermittent explosive behaviour to compulsive disorders such as pathological hair pulling (trichotillomania) and pathological skin plucking (dermatillomania). Due to the range of disorders, not all impulse control disorders are treated in the Outpatient Clinic for Impulse Control Disorders itself, but are treated in close cooperation with the special outpatient clinics of the Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy (Forensic Psychiatric Outpatient Clinic and Outpatient Clinic for Sexual Health) and the Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy (Outpatient Clinic for Gambling Addiction; Psychotherapy Online Sex Addiction).

When should I present at the outpatient clinic for impulse control disorders?

Do you suffer from irresistible impulses to act/ urges that you often don't even want or are senseless (buying unnecessary things, pulling hair or skin, aggressive outbursts, etc.) that harm you or others in the long run? You try to resist the urge but can't do it? Urge and resistance are accompanied by strong excitement (positive feeling) or tension (negative feeling)? When you give in to the urge, you feel relieved or even happy at first, but soon feel guilt and regret?  

Offer of the outpatient clinic for impulse control disorders

Diagnostics

At the outpatient clinic for impulse control disorders, you will first have an orientation talk in order to plan further, in-depth psychological and neuropsychological diagnostics and, if necessary, refer you to one of the partner outpatient clinics. 

Therapy

Please note that we are currently unable to offer outpatient psychotherapy. If indicated, we can advise you in an outpatient setting regarding drug therapy and also initiate this. Depending on the disease and its severity, we can offer you inpatient therapy.