| Recent headline: "Road Rage may be due to
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| | Unlikely! Some are and some are not. This
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| medical condition called Intermittent
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| | is why it is important to have a
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| Explosive Disorder (IED)"
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| | professional assessment of each case of
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| WHAT IS THE SCIENCE BEHIND THIS?
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| | "road rage" to determine the underlying
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| The study, reported in the June (2006)
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| | cause, such as IED - or some other
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| issue of the Archives of General
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| | problem.
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| Psychiatry was based on a national
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| | Other causes that could come into play
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| face-to-face survey of 9,282 U.S. adults
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| | would include: alcohol or drug
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| who answered diagnostic questionnaires in
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| | intoxication, stress, depression or
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| 2001-03. It was funded by the National
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| | bipolar disorder and, of course, bad,
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| Institute of Mental Health.
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| | selfish or inconsiderate behavior.
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| Results? About 5 percent to 7 percent of
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| | ROAD RAGE VS AGGRESSIVE DRIVING
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| the nationally representative sample had
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| | The person who weaves in and out of
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| had the disorder, which would equal up to
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| | traffic, tail gates, or cuts in front of
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| 16 million Americans. That is higher than
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| | you may not be showing "road rage" per
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| better-known mental illnesses such as
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| | se, but inconsiderate aggressive driving.
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| schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.
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| | He is not angry at you; he probably
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| The average number of lifetime attacks
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| | doesn't even know you exist, being
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| per person was 43, resulting in $1,359 in
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| | preoccupied with his own selfish needs.
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| property damage per person. About 4
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| | IED SEEN IN OTHER LIFE AREAS
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| percent had suffered recent attacks.
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| | It is also important to remember that
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| IS IT REAL?
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| | persons who do indeed suffer from
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| This study has created much controversy
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| | Intermittent Explosive Disorder may
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| regarding exactly what is "medical" about
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| | explode in many other situations besides
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| road rage and how it differs from plain
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| | road rage. Often they "blow up" at
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| bad, inconsiderate behavior.
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| | spouses, children, co-workers, or
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| Take the two following headline which
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| | customer service employees.
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| were published recently:
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| | REMEDIES FOR ROAD RAGE
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| News Item #1: "Police search for shooter
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| | If road rage is indeed due to IED, there
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| following road rage incident"
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| | are two treatments that can help both
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| Date: June 10, 2006. City: Indianapolis,
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| | adolescents and adults: (1)medications ,
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| Indiana.
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| | and (2) cognitive training
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| The event: At an intersection, two
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| | The medications usually involve SSRIs (a
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| drivers were involved in a confrontation
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| | type of anti-depressant). In my opinion,
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| when one of them opened fire on the other
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| | most people who show rage on the road do
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| at a stoplight.
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| | not need medication, but some do and will
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| News Item #2: "Man, 21, charged in road
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| | benefit greatly from them.
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| rage shooting."
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| | Cognitive Training means learning to
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| Date: May 21, 2006. City: San Antonio,
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| | think differently about driving,
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| Texas.
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| | aggression on the road, and other
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| The event (according to news reports):
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| | drivers. Cognitive training is an
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| "Around 3AM Samuel Hitchcock, 21, Daniel
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| | important element in many anger
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| Pena, 17, and another man were driving
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| | management programs, which a few states
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| when a pickup passed them on an inside
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| | now require for "road rage" behavior and
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| lane, striking Hitchcock's side mirror.
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| | or aggressive driving.
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| Hitchcock followed the truck into a
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| | In our anger management classes and
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| residential area to gather information
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| | programs, we teach specific cognitive and
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| and the truck made a sudden turn,
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| | behavior skills to control aggressive,
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| stopping. Hitchcock pulled up next to the
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| | inconsiderate, and dangerous driving
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| truck. Pena, who was in the front
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| | behaviors. These skill include:
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| passenger seat told police the truck's
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| | *managing life stress better, including
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| driver pulled a gun and started shooting
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| | time-management skills
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| at them, striking him and killing
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| | *developing empathy for other drivers
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| Hitchcock.
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| | *learning healthy "self-talk" phrases
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| Are all cases like this due to
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| | *adjusting expectations of others on the
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| Intermittent Explosive Disorder? Very
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| | road.
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