Is there a name for this?

Robin Boyd 1212

It could be a type of "tic" disorder. According to the DSM-IV, a "tic" is "a sudden, rapid, recurrent, nonrhythmic, stereotyped motor movement or vocalization." Tics can be simple, lasting only milliseconds, or complex, lasting several seconds or longer. Complex motor tics include hand gestures, jumping, touching, pressing, stomping, facial contortions, repeatedly smelling an object, squatting, deep knee bends, retracing steps, twirling when walking, and assuming and holding unusual postures. Copropraxia, a sudden vulgar or obscene gesture, is a complex motor tic. Complex vocal tics include the sudden spontaneous expression of words or phrases; Coprolalia is the sudden expression of a socially unacceptable word or phrase and may include obscenities or racial slurs. Tourette's, which involves both vocal and motor tics, is the most well-known of the tic disorders, but there are others that may involve only one type of tic. Diagnosis is made according to the duration and variety of the tics and age of onset. Tics are not always obvious or easy to recognize. My son had this really annoying habit of clearing his throat that, I later learned, was a tic. Tics are usually accompanied by a rising tension or sensation in a part of the body that produces the tic, followed by a feeling of relief when the tic is produced. Tic disorders are closely related to obsessive-compulsive disorders. Compulsions are often preceded by a persistent worry or concern while tics are more likely to be preceded by tension in a part of the body. Obsessive-Compulsive disorder is common in individuals with tic disorders.

Amy Johnston 2055

I have gotten similar feelings. I don't know that it's an impulse disorder. I have had the urge to slap someone before. It usually happens when the person I'm talking to is being very annoying. They just won't shut up. They keep going on and on and on and you want to say enough already! It usually happens to me when I am either stressed out or overtired. As far as jumping goes, I am afraid of heights and of any water that isn't bath water or pool water so I don't think I would ever consider jumping off of a bridge.

Lisa Stonecipher 1465

The symptoms you are discussing are incredibly broad, and there are a number of psychological disorders they could fit. The impulses for self harm as well as harm to others you are describing are often found in survivors of childhood abuse. The other things that come to mind are: Narcissism, Sadomasochism, BPD (Borderline Personality Disorder), Bipolar Disorder, Histrionic Personality Disorder, OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder), PTSD (Posttraumatic Stress Disorder ), Untreated Chronic Depression, etc. You could also be experiencing symptoms related to an undiagnosed physical illness.

What I am trying to say, is that number one, you are not alone; and two, this is not something that anyone should attempt to self diagnose. Please call a mental health professional. Not only will they do more in-depth testing to help you figure out what is going on, they will be able to help you treat it. My intent was not to frighten, or overwhelm you with that list, and even if what you are describing is a symptom of something that fits into one of those disorders, it doesn't mean you are defective. Think of your brain as a highly complex computer that has not only unlimited potential, but also needs occasional maintainance and diagnostics run on it; to ensure maximum useage.

Good luck and please keep us posted.

Kasim K 1908

LOL Jim, how is this a fact based question?

Alexander Baggett 1750

Hmm it is difficult (for me anyway) to see those situations as all that similar but I guess they are a little bit.

I have gotten the urge to when driving to just go 70mph on the highway and let go of the steering wheel and close my eyes and relax.

But I haven't recently felt like just smacking someone. Usually I never get angry enough to think about punching someone. But, if I do I let it die as a thought and move on with my life. As for a name, I'm sorry I can't think of one. =(

Kevin Copenhaver 2371

I get this problem all the time. One of the more intense experiences I had was caused by something similar. Sometimes, even if I know something will HURT LIKE HELL I have to do it anyway just to know what it really feels like. So, I was sitting outside of the college one day and said to my friend who was smoking a cigarette, "Hey Dannon, put that cigarette out on my hand." Well, I thought she would just tap it out, but she did the slow back and forth twist on my hand and it burnt 2-3 millimeters into my skin. To this day I have a perfectly round scar on my hand from it.

Back to the point. Yeah, I have that feeling on bridges a lot and also when fishing from the pier. I also get the urge to throw children from high places or push them into traffic, but I think that is VERY understandable.

Unknown Brain 1248

I have had such experiences before and I think it is to do with the feeling of giving up when it comes to the 'jumping of the bridge' or getting annoyed like in the case of 'slapping or punching someone'. It is to do with our minds that are over-reactive some of the times. I did try to find such a word and the closest I could get is to self-harm. So, I think we can call it 'self-harm of the mind'.

Atiqa Rafiq 1305

Jim,

If you are having ideas of harming yourself frequently by jumping into a river or by any other way, with or without symptoms of depression, please speak to a psychiatrist and get to the bottom of this. Many individuals with borderline personality traits have impulsive ideas and may even act on them to get a break from the feelings of boredom and emptiness inside.

If however you are describing fleeting thoughts that occasionally cross your mind, pay no heed to them. It is the working of the normal human mind no matter what label psychology puts on it. Brain is an amazing thing that responds to a lot of present and past events and at times, without the individual being aware of it.

If these thoughts are recurring in a stereotypical manner and you find them nonsensical and not associated with your will, these could be a symptom of OCD, predominantly the obsessive type. Again, go to the psychiatrist and try to face them and think about them rather than trying to push them out of your mind.... because that worsens the impulses.

Alla Goltsman 1479

When I feel something of that nature, I order myself 'You don't dare!'. So, I call that feeling exaggerated 'daring - willingness to seek out risks; bold and venturesome' (online dictionary definition).

I find cases in my life that do not fall into any category. My method - inventing new words: neologisms. These words can eventually become very popular. So, go ahead coin a word and let us know. We might like it and it will go out into the world.

Alison Vance 1544

I've wondered this too. Yes, strange sudden urges like to open the door of a speeding car on the highway and letting yourself "fall" out. Obviously nothing you'd do in real life, but strange "fantasies" of self destruction.