Anyone have experience with Intermittent explosive disorder?

[justme1119]

My son is almost 27.  He had Intermittent explosive disorder.  He drinks and smokes pot to self medicate.  He is good looking, super smart, articulate, talented etc. but he won't go to a doctor.  He tried Prozac, very small dose, last year at this time and he drank a lot on New Years Eve and got arrested for Public Intoxication.  That happens a lot because he is so loud and attracts attention.  He thinks if he gets through school and gets a job everything will work out.  But he's had jobs, good ones.  He messes it up every time.  We never get the whole story.  Any suggestions?  Can I help him?  Or will he have to learn the hard way?  

[Peter Forster]

I am going to assume that you have already talked to him a number of times about your thoughts about how getting help might make a difference. And I am also going to assume that your son is very sensitive to not being right.
In that case, I think that you may not be in a position to do much.
But here are a few options you could consider -
1. Try to lead by example - do the things to take care of yourself that you should, get any psychological or psychiatric help that you might benefit from - and get really really happy and healthy.
2. Agree to disagree. Something like "I am not going to lecture you, you are an adult and you have to decide for yourself, but I think it might be worth trying getting some help."
3. As lindahand suggested above, you might try to get him to consider treatment options that might seem less disturbing. A good life coach, an anger management group... there are many choices and the "right" one would depend on his beliefs about what helps him.

[lindahand]

Maybe he will go to a psychologist who specializes in cognitive behavioral therapy. You don't have to go to a doctor - you can self refer. If he is going to a large enough school they may offer psychological counselling free of charge. I know that mine did. May be worth a shot.

[justme1119]

Correction...he has it.  He blamed the Prozac for his arrest.  Our doctor said that the dose was so low, it could not have caused what my son says it did.