| Do you tailgate other cars when you want them | | | | depression, and domestic violence. |
| to go faster? What about showing impatience | | | | |
| by flashing your headlights? Do you honk | | | | Once it is diagnosed, treatment for IED |
| your horn at other cars that seem to be a | | | | includes antidepressants, anger management, |
| little slow reacting to a green light? | | | | and cognitive behavioral therapy, or |
| | | | treatment based on the fact that feelings and |
| Watch out. Impulse reactions such as these | | | | actions are caused by thoughts and not people |
| are warning signs of a clinical disorder | | | | or events. |
| called INTERMITTENT EXPLOSIVE | | | | |
| DISORDER, or IED. That is right! Road rage | | | | Not everybody thinks road rage should be |
| is now officially recognized as a form of | | | | blamed on a mental disorder. According to one |
| mental illness. | | | | survey, 75% think of IED as an excuse to |
| | | | avoid accepting responsibility. Crowded |
| A recent study funded by the National | | | | highways, greater urgency, sleep deprivation, |
| Institute of Mental Health found evidence of | | | | added stress, poor driving habits, and more |
| IED in 1 out of 20 Americans surveyed, | | | | drivers with bad manners are also likely |
| meaning as many as 15 or 16 million of us are | | | | contributing factors to the rising number of |
| prone to road rage. According to lead author | | | | road rage incidents. |
| Ronald Kessler, a Harvard professor of health | | | | |
| care policy, an awful lot of people in | | | | Whatever the cause, road rage is now a common |
| America have IED, a condition characterized | | | | occurrence, with many incidents ending in |
| by overreaction with explosive anger attacks | | | | violent behavior, destruction, or injury. To |
| that are out of proportion to the situation. | | | | avoid potential problems while driving, |
| | | | always be courteous. |
| A big problem, according to Kessler, is they | | | | |
| are not being treated because they do not | | | | Tailgating, changing lanes without signaling, |
| think they have a problem. They think | | | | and other aggressive tactics are uncalled for |
| somebody else has a problem. | | | | unless you are the one looking for trouble. |
| | | | Avoid confrontation and eye contact with |
| Experts worry that the rising trend of IED | | | | other drivers that may have done you wrong. |
| among teenagers may lead to future mental | | | | Take a deep breath, let it go, and move on. |
| health problems such as alcoholism, | | | | |