Treat road rage with politeness, instead of a pill

Minneapolis Star Tribune ^ | June 12, 2006 | Katherine Kersten

[rhema]

You know that guy on the freeway? The one who cut you off in traffic the other day, and flashed a vulgar salute as he zoomed by? We used to think of this as "road rage" - reckless rudeness, plain and simple. Silly us.

Now, thanks to a new study, we understand that the poor man may simply be the victim of a medical condition: intermittent explosive disorder (IED).

The study, paid for in part by the National Institute of Mental Health, gives us the lowdown on this "seldom-studied mental illness." IED, it informs us, is characterized by "recurrent episodes of angry and potentially violent outbursts," and is much more common than previously thought. As many as 16 million Americans - 7.3 percent of adults - may suffer from it.

"In the general population, aggressiveness or 'blowing up' is considered bad behavior," says coauthor Dr. Emil Coccaro. "People think, 'This person just needs an attitude adjustment.' "

Such primitive ideas are wrong, the good doctor assures us. IED involves the inadequate production or function of serotonin, a mood-regulating and behavior-inhibiting brain chemical. Doctors advise a threefold approach to treatment: early diagnosis, psychiatric drugs and behavior therapy.

What a revelation! Now instead of getting mad at the guy who tailgates me while shaking his fist, I owe him my sympathy.

The "road rage" study is the latest example of America's rush to "medicalize" behavior previously thought of as simply boorish, discourteous or wrong. Real mental illnesses exist, of course. But the push to transform our nation into a giant mental hospital is getting ridiculous.

In 2005, for example, the National Comorbidity Survey found that 26 percent of American adults qualified as having a mental illness during the previous 12 months. The current Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders--

[English Nationalist]

intermittent explosive disorder

A common issue among Palestinians, I'm led to believe.

[Smokin' Joe]

But the push to transform our nation into a giant mental hospital is getting ridiculous.

Well, that's what happens when the lunatics take over the asylum...

[white trash redneck]

So road rage is now a psychiatric disorder.

I remember seeing a cartoon in Playboy back in the 60's when I was a teen (yes, I just looked at Playboy for the cartoons and articles, which unfortunately explains a lot about me today). There was a man lying on a couch, with a psychiatrist sitting on a chair beside the couch, and the shrink was saying "You know, my secretary has an interesting theory about your case. She thinks you're just an @$$hole."

I think this diagnosis explains a lot of road rage, as well as other antisocial behavior.

[From many - one.]

More accurately termed "Improvised explosive disorder.

Is this a joke?

[Dark Skies]

Now instead of getting mad at the guy who tailgates me while shaking his fist, I owe him my sympathy.

As someone who gets easily p!ssed off when treated rudely, I can honestly say that Jesus got it right (as He always does) when He instructed us to turn the other cheek and forgive those who sin against us.

[CertainInalienableRights]

There may be many people who are constantly "on the edge" and are raging drivers.

However, IMHO, the root cause of "road rage" is usually some driver who is unwilling or unable to follow the simple rules of the road, such as staying right except when passing, yielding when not having the right of way, etc.

Most of us deal with this stream of incompetents on a daily basis without getting too upset about it, but I can understand how regular exposure to willful stupidity would take its toll after awhile.

Certainly, the "ragers" should better control their emotions, but in the "road rage" discussion, one never hears any consideration that the "ragees" may be partially to blame.

[GladesGuru]

"National Comorbidity Survey found that 26 percent of American adults qualified as having a mental illness during the previous 12 months."

YasSah, YasSah, YasSah, Dr. Doctor HeadShrinker, Sah!

We mere peasents real eager to give all you deservin' Shrinks ALL our money - 'cause you gonna help cure us o' what ails us.

Anyone who gave this RedStar article any credence at all should remind themselves of the Rule Of Thirds. It says that 1/3 of the Shrink's patients get better, 1/3 stay the same, 1/3 get worse.

That is true for patients of Rogerians and Skinnerians. Fraudian's (spelling deliberate) patients do not follow the rule of thirds - 1/3 get better, 2/3 get worse.

Applying the "follow the cashflow" rule explains the diagnosis quite clearly.

Brace yourselves for a new declaration by the HillaBeast that America must have more Shrinks. In one sense, she will be correct, for did not nearly half of the voters vote for Democrats? That is a reliable indicator of mental illness.

[CertainInalienableRights]

What a revelation! Now instead of getting mad at the guy who tailgates me while shaking his fist, I owe him my sympathy.

Maybe you should get out of the passing lane while going 10mph under the speed limit, putting on lipstick and chatting on your cell phone.

The dude probably flashed his lights over the course of the last two miles to courteously suggest that you yield the right of way, but you weren't paying attention.

[rj45mis]

the "ragees" may be partially to blame.

Now..now..now! What's wrong with someone moving into the passing lane and staying there beside a car in the right lane without any attempt to actually pass and this goes on for miles? They can't be held responsible for contributing to the ire of an unhappy driver, can they? (sarc)

[Dark Skies]

He instructed us to turn the other cheek and forgive those who sin against us.

Oh...and if the SOB keeps it up. Plug him with a .357 hollow-point. But only after forgiving him.

[MineralMan]

"Maybe you should get out of the passing lane while going 10mph under the speed limit, putting on lipstick and chatting on your cell phone.
"


Or, maybe, that isn't what happened at all. I was driving on a local interstate that passes through my city the other day. I was in the left lane, going 55, the limit on that stretch of I-94.

Guy behind me motors up doing about 65, flashed his lights at me, starts blowing his horn, and is flipping me off as I look in the mirror.

My fault? No, not really. 1/4 mile ahead is the left exit I'll be taking. Left exit. It's marked well, by signs, and even arrows marking the lane to use to switch to that other Interstate. But no...that doesn't work for Mr. Butthead behind me.

The left lane is not always the passing lane. Sometimes it's a transition lane, especially in cities. Sometimes, there is even a left exit.

Oh, yeah....the lane one over to the right, which is one of the two through lanes on that freeway at that point, had no traffic in it. Mr. Butthead should have shifted to the right one lane, passed me, and gone on his way.

I had no choice. I had to be in the leftmost lane to take my exit.

It's not always as simple as you pretend it is.

[rj45mis]

This issue deals in part with what many refer to as a "hot button" issue. There are things that "bug" me that don't bug other people and vice versa. I agree that, if people while driving paid more attention to their driving and less to their cell phones and makeup, traffic would not only flow more smoothly, but there would be fewer mishaps. Of course I realize that the only way I'm going to win this one is to change my reaction to it because, rest assured, these other distracted drivers are not going to change their habits to accomodate those of us who are wanting to move along with minimal impediments.

[wizr]

Nah, it's caused by STRESS. The stress many of us go through every day.

Trying to do the work of two people, while your boss is complaining that you don't do enough. Juggling work and family. Trying to work and save money, while the price of everything keeps going up. Oh yeah, and taxes seem to take half your paycheck.

You feel like your on a treadmill that's just been greased.

Been there.

[CertainInalienableRights]

They can't be held responsible for contributing to the ire of an unhappy driver, can they?

The whole "road rage" thing is sort of a pet peeve of mine.

Weren't the origns of road rage a period in California where people were shooting each other up?

Now "road rage" is any act of communicating with another driver that would indicate that driver is an idiot.

For example, the author's example of a tailgater. In my experience, most people don't tailgate because they're mean, or because they're psychotic. They tailgate because the person in front of them is impeding the flow of traffic, usually by being in the wrong lane. Most people will hang out behind that person for a few minutes, waiting for them to get a clue. Some people will then flash their lights, again, hoping the driver will get a clue.

After that, the "rager" is left with three options: stay behind them and become part of the problem, pass them on the right, which is dangerous, or creep closer hoping to get the clueless driver's attention yet again.

I observe this behavior every day back and forth to work, and used to participate in it.

Now that I'm a little older and wiser, I've learned to find ways around it, but I still see it every single day.

Lately, I've noticed that the ragee nearly always has some pro-dem or liberal bumper sticker (or "gallery" of them).

[CertainInalienableRights]

It's not always as simple as you pretend it is.

You'll note that I prefaced my comment with "There may be many people who are constantly "on the edge" and are raging drivers."

That said, I drive an hour per day, on the same freeways, and about twice per month, I do a four hour round trip to another city. No left hand exits anywhere. I see the same behavior day in and day out, and it really is as simple as I pretend it is. Worse yet, this behavior (impeding traffic unnecessarily) could possibly be excused during heavy traffic periods because there often isn't the freedom of movement that exists in light traffic. Yet, the same behavior occurs in light traffic. Sometimes, an entire three-lane highway will be blocked by three drivers spanning the interstate, with dozens of cars and trucks backed up behind them.

Here in Ohio, it used to be illegal to pass on the right, so it was even worse - you were stuck behind the inconscientous driver in the passing lane for miles.

Just my observations in my area, YYMV.

[agrarianlady]

It's so true. We need to somehow be kinder to ourselves. I realized lately that I've been a very bad driver, and have let those exact same stresses make me think that just by going faster and getting ahead of people on the road, that somehow I'll compensate for all the perceived failures.

I realized that I was only further jeopardizing my happiness with the likelihood of an accident. We saw two bad ones yesterday. They happen in a flash.

[CertainInalienableRights]

the only way I'm going to win this one is to change my reaction to it

That's what I learned to do.

I also found that I can make better time hanging out in the right lane, because there's usually nobody in it besides me and the semi-trucks. Often comes with the downside of having to pass slower traffic on the right, even while I'm going the speed limit, and there is a slight danger in that.

[MineralMan]

"Just my observations in my area, YYMV."

And there it is. I wonder, though: What is the prevailing speed on that Interstate you're talking about? Is it around the speed limit?

In any case, that's the situation you find yourself in. The way I figure, I can either drive along with the traffic, listen to the radio, and get where I'm going with some sanity, or I can get royally ticked off at my situation, and get where I'm going in the same time, but with my blood pressure elevated.

I think I'll stick with the more relaxed option.

[taxed2death]

You know that guy on the freeway? The one who cut you off in traffic the other day, and flashed a vulgar salute as he zoomed by?

___________________________________________________________


Yea....I know that guy...two miles up the road he crapped his pants as he nailed his brakes and screwed his econo-box into my 1/2 inch steel plate skid plate and tow hooks under the rear of my 3/4 ton PU.

Karma baby....