On Fire

Download available from

"I set fire to the house. I couldn't stop myself. I knew it was wrong. I knew it was dangerous, but it was such a strong compulsion that I had to do it. As I stood and watched it burn, I felt all the stress and tension just melt away in the heat of the flames. It was such a release. In all the commotion and panic going on around me, I felt so calm and detached, yet no one suspected I could have done such a terrible thing."

Matt Reagan

Matt is confined to a secure ward in a psychiatric hospital where he receives treatment for his pyromania. Although he is extremely dangerous, he is not considered a criminal like an arsonist or terrorist. He has a disorder where he simply cannot resist the implusive desire to start fires. Pyromania falls into a subset of other obsessive-compulsive behaviour ranging from a simple cry for help and attention seeking to people who are severely psychotic or paranoid. Treatment usually consists of a combination of medication and psychotherapy, but the prognosis for those diagnosed with pyromania is generally poor. There are no figures of recovery rates available and although still comparatively rare, these conditions are a growing social and economic problem.