A recently-released study by the National Institute for Mental Health claims that five to seven percent of the population - perhaps up to 16 million Americans - suffers from Intermittent Explosive Disorder (IED), or what could be colloquially referred to as "road rage syndrome".
Symptoms of IED include multiple bouts of anger that are out of proportion to the situation and which include a threat of violence or actual aggressive action towards a person or property. Said to be related to improper functioning of serotonin in the brain, the average age of onset is 14, with an average of 43 outbursts over one's lifetime. For what it's worth, we suffered from at least that many violent episodes while changing the head gasket on a GM Quad 4, but we're pretty sure that could have been addressed by dropping the car off at a junkyard instead of visiting a psychiatrist.
[Source: Yahoo!]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
jrhmobile @ Jun 9th 2006 7:10PM
I heard that crap on CNN yesterday ... Intermittent Explosive Disorder -- that means a lack of control, right? Or is that just an excuse?
"No, you're not an inconsiderate jerk, you're sick ..."
puh-LEESE!
Hank Hill @ Jun 9th 2006 7:11PM
Stupidity is the illness...road rage is the solution.
WillDaThrill @ Jun 9th 2006 8:34PM
Like we need to attach another meaning to the acronym "IED".
According to this I am allowed to have 37 more outburst before I'm determine criminally insane.
Mike @ Jun 9th 2006 8:34PM
thats funny... someone in my apartment complex has that same bumper sticker
Fosterlager @ Jun 9th 2006 8:47PM
Amen on changing head gaskets on a Quad 4...those motors are geat...when there running....who would've ever thought up the starter placement on those things needs shot!!
hmmmm @ Jun 9th 2006 8:48PM
43 in a lifetime ohhh please i drive semi and i drive around 300 miles a day, 250 in the truck and 50 in my car daily ! people have no respect whatsoever for large vehicles and i have 43 or so incidents every day !
Stoneman @ Jun 9th 2006 9:07PM
Road Rage is not a phenomenon anymore, it's an ugly rite of passage. One day, they'll ship BMW's with loaded .357's.
Stoneman
http://www.stonemanautoreview.com
Calvin @ Jun 9th 2006 9:31PM
I was inclined to think about the LA Story 1st Day of Spring episode, but sometimes it's not so funny.
http://wheeltalk.fancal.net/?p=332
netboy @ Jun 9th 2006 10:40PM
what kind of BS or crap is that? "road rage" is a mental illness or disorder?
then i guess beating up your wife/girlfriend, unable to quite smoking, Child Predator, serial killer, rapist, or homosexual is also a mental illness or disorder!?
doug @ Jun 9th 2006 11:08PM
It's 2006, no one is responsible for their actions. It's either someone elses fault or you have a disease/disorder. It's all BS.
It was funny to see on the news that the "experts" all said that you can regulate your new disorder with Xanax etc.. Sounds like the whole story has just been cooked up by the drug companies. Ever notice how some news just seems to be a commercial for some new thing?
Pat Gilmore @ Jun 9th 2006 11:11PM
Serotonin levels are a significant factor for people with bi-polar disorders and chronic depression. Having such an illness does not mean that individuals are not responsible for their actions. It amazes me when so many people are so quick to dismiss ideas when they obviously have no knowledge of the biology involved. Yes I have professional degrees in these areas. I believe the old saying It is better to be believed a fool than open your mouth and remove all doubt applies here.
PJ @ Jun 9th 2006 11:21PM
netboy, I was with you right up until you equated homosexuality with serial murder. (slaps forehead)
P J's @ Jun 10th 2006 1:47AM
#8 - Netboy didn't just equate homosexualility with serial murder. He just said it's not an mental illness, disorder or genetic pre-disposition.
You aren't born homosexual anymore than you're born IED -- both "mental disorders" are a load of crap fed to us on a regular basis!
American is a society of selfish victims wanting someone or something else to blame for their behaviors and problems.
GotThatVibe @ Jun 10th 2006 3:21AM
lol, this is hilarious stuff. I have to agree with Pat on most of what he says (it's all in the biology). Here's a newsflash guys: being labeled as having a "mental disorder" isn't the new cool thing to do. You guys sound like its a privilege to recieve the honor. Oh, and netboy equating homosexuality with serial killers (its plain as day) was pretty funny too, lol. On top of that netboy, most of the stuff you were talking about IS a result of mental disorder. That doesn't mean someone's getting an excuse for his actions, it means that he's crazy.
Frankster @ Jun 10th 2006 8:23AM
IED? Are they serious? Yeah, thats brilliant, let's name a mental disorder after a popular terrorist weapon.
Just imagine a flustered airplane passenger trying to apologize to a flight attendant after a vocal outburst on a plane....
"I'm really sorry miss, it's just this I.E.D. I have makes me a bit volatile".
That's about the time the shit hits the fan.
Carlton @ Jun 10th 2006 8:25AM
One more reason not to be responsible for your own actions. At some point will all the psycho-babblers say that those without any "mental deficiency" are the ones who are defective? Or maybe it's just currently in vogue to have some sort of mental defect.
Why not encourage people to buck up and do the right thing rather than coddle to their stupidity and lack of self control?
GhostDoggy @ Jun 10th 2006 9:39AM
Just because they are now labeling it doesn't give a free ticket to anyone. It just means someone else get's to pick up the tab for your room & board at the nearest psycho-hotel (Nuts Inn?). :)
Carmine @ Jun 10th 2006 9:44AM
hmmmm (#3),
you say people have no respect for large vehicles, and i say they should respect all vehicles equally and no one should expect more respect just because their car is big or expensive. right there is what causes problems in the first place. hmmmm may not be like that, but the cause for a lot of road problems is a general sense of self-importance.
anahit @ Jun 10th 2006 10:53AM
#14, good idea. You should treat semis like #3 discussed exactly like cars. Please be sure to get in their way during difficult semi turns on surface roads. Please be especially sure to cut in front of semis right before a red light. That way you're treating them exactly like a car.
Luckily Darwin's little theory won't treat you exactly like a non-foolish, non-inconsiderate, logical person with a basic concept of physics.
anahit @ Jun 10th 2006 10:53AM
#15, good idea. You should treat semis like #3 discussed exactly like cars. Please be sure to get in their way during difficult semi turns on surface roads. Please be especially sure to cut in front of semis right before a red light. That way you're treating them exactly like a car.
Luckily Darwin's little theory won't treat you exactly like a non-foolish, non-inconsiderate, logical person with a basic concept of physics.