I Have A Relative in Prison Who Has A History of Explosiveness. Could This Be A Psychiatric Problem and What Can I Do to Help?

by Richard B. Patterson, Ph.D.

Question: I have a relative in prison who has a history of explosiveness. Could this be a psychiatric problem and what can I do to help?

Let me preface my answer by saying that I'm not in a place to comment on how psychiatric conditions are viewed from a legal perspective. Explosive behavior can indeed be a manifestation of a psychiatric problem, even a neurological one.

Explosiveness can reflect pent-up anger or poor impulse control. It can also be a symptom of conditions ranging from post-traumatic stress disorder to depression. Some acts of explosiveness also relate to neurological conditions such as temporal lobe seizures.

Your relative might be able to request evaluation of these conditions through prison medical personnel. Another option would be for the family to work with an attorney to request these evaluations. What would be important would be to obtain a thorough evaluation so that an accurate diagnosis might be obtained.

About the Author:

Richard B. Patterson, Ph.D. is a clinical psychologist in private practice in El Paso, TX. He is the author of three books on psychology and spirituality.

Originally published 08/07/98
Revised 05/05/09 by Marlene M. Maheu, Ph.D.

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