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'IED's Found on American Roads!

mactastic

mactastic

macrumors 68040
Original poster
Apr 24, 2003
3,681
665
Colly-fornia
Yep, it's true. Millions of them.

No, the guy who just rode up your tail, passed you on the right, then cut you off and gave you the finger isn't just an a$$****. He's got Intermittent Explosive Disorder.

To you, that angry, horn-blasting tailgater is suffering from road rage. But doctors have another name for it — intermittent explosive disorder — and a new study suggests it is far more common than they realized, affecting up to 16 million Americans.

“People think it’s bad behavior and that you just need an attitude adjustment, but what they don’t know ... is that there’s a biology and cognitive science to this,” said Dr. Emil Coccaro, chairman of psychiatry at the University of Chicago’s medical school.

Road rage, temper outbursts that involve throwing or breaking objects and even spousal abuse can sometimes be attributed to the disorder, though not everyone who does those things is afflicted.

By definition, intermittent explosive disorder involves multiple outbursts that are way out of proportion to the situation. These angry outbursts often include threats or aggressive actions and property damage. The disorder typically first appears in adolescence; in the study, the average age of onset was 14.
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I think I heard a little bit about this on the news last night.

But from your link, the mention of cognitice science, doesn't that imply that while there may be underlying biological tendencies, it is behavioral and w/ proper therapy and desire to, a person could ineffect, work to alter their behavior?
 
devilot said:
I think I heard a little bit about this on the news last night.

But from your link, the mention of cognitice science, doesn't that imply that while there may be underlying biological tendencies, it is behavioral and w/ proper therapy and desire to, a person could ineffect, work to alter their behavior?
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I dunno... I'm guessing the next thing that happens is that these asshats claim they're disabled under the ADA and deserve some kind of special treatment when they go off.

Sure it's probably treatable. But I would imagine you are aware of the stigma of seeking mental health treatment in this country. These types of people are the least likely to seek out that kind of help.
 
Geeze, to quote Chris Rock "whatever happened to 'CRAZY'?" Seems like there's a "disorder" for everything now - here we'd call someone like that "mad as a cut snake."

I think it's more informative than Intermittent Explosive Disorder. What? You mean people sometimes snap? That has to be a condition, not just a normal human response. At least there some levels to madness here:

Mad as a hatter = not dangerous, just a bit loopy.
Mad as a meat axe = dangerous, but only if the axe is pointing at you.
Mad as a cut snake = dangerous and unpredictable, you never know who's gonna get bitten.

Stop trying to classify things, it only gives people more excuses to sue and more suing = less people able to have fun.

/ incoherent babbling rant

2:02am.
 
mactastic said:
...asshats claim they're disabled under the ADA and deserve some kind of special treatment when they go off.

Sure it's probably treatable. But I would imagine you are aware of the stigma of seeking mental health treatment in this country. These types of people are the least likely to seek out that kind of help.
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Snort. Seek out help?! I think they're the least likely to admit to having a problem in the first place. It's probably more likely that they keep on blaming "other drivers." But it's ironic isn't it? That while not wanting to admit to having a problem, they'd attempt to reap benefits in some way (like you mentioned, "special treatment" of sorts)? :rolleyes:

:edit: Chundles, I love love love your examples of varying degrees of madness. :D
 
Next thing you know, I'm gonna be having to provide access to all public spaces for enraged people. Extra hardened door hardware, punch and kick-proof wall paneling will have to be specified. Bathroom fixtures will have to be installed more securely - you never know when an enraged person might feel the need to rip one off the wall...
 
mactastic said:
Next thing you know, I'm gonna be having to provide access to all public spaces for enraged people. Extra hardened door hardware, punch and kick-proof wall paneling will have to be specified. Bathroom fixtures will have to be installed more securely - you never know when an enraged person might feel the need to rip one off the wall...
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Yep, people are going to be suing house-building companies for damages for not building internal walls strong enough to withstand a rapidly moving forehead whilst suffering an "IED episode."

"Your Honour, I will attempt to show the court that my client would have not suffered the lacerations he did during his episode of IED when he admittedly thrust his forehead into the wall in anger but would instead have only suffered contusions and more minor injuries. Your Honour, companies need to ensure their products are built to cope with sufferers of IED during their involuntary acts of pure rage"

"Counsel, I have deliberated all I need and have come to a verdict. F*** off you whinging mongrel."
 
Just what we need, another vehicle that allows people to shirk responsibility for themselves. I'm sick of the "it can't be my fault, I have XYZ disorder" crowd.
 
Give it a medical name, and 6 months later these people will be on a pill from their insurance company to combat it.

Score another one for the drug companies.
 
I seriously read that article just shaking my head the whole time. As good as meds are for some people who really do have legitimate disorders (depression, shizophrenia, all out craziness), we are too medicated for our own good and too disaffected to take responsibilities for our own problems. BAH! Makes me wanna punch in a wall... :D

Frankly, I like Chundles' categories. :)
 
evoluzione said:
what was it Bill Maher said recently?

Social Anxiety Disorder....used to be it was just called shyness.

something along those lines anyway.

i think it's pathetic. no one can take responsibility for anything these days, very sad. :(
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What? Social anxiety disorder is a real problem, ask anyone that suffers from it. It's not just a bit of shyness. The comment made by Bill Maher is ignorant, and although I would never wish an illness on another person, it'd be interesting to see his take on the problem after suffering for it for a few days.

The lack of compassion in the world for the suffering of other people is what's pathetic nowadays.
 
evoluzione said:
what was it Bill Maher said recently?

Social Anxiety Disorder....used to be it was just called shyness.

something along those lines anyway.

i think it's pathetic. no one can take responsibility for anything these days, very sad. :(
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Yes, that's SAD...shyness. Obviously, there is a disorder for everything that isn't in order.

I consider that I would like to throw something at some driver who isn't thinking and almost causes an accident but it doesn't really matter in the grand scheme of things. Besides, isn't there a saying "don't get mad, get even." :D

Silly people, be responsible for who you are, even if you're not up to your own standards. I don't want to be, but I must be.
 
I think a big reason is the FDA will not approve a drug unless it is designed to combat a disease (disorder, syndrome, etc). Therefore, the pharmaceutical companies "create" these diseases in order to produce the drug to combat it and get FDA approval. Restless Leg Syndrome? Isn't that just the jimmy-legs?
 
Chundles said:
Stop trying to classify things, it only gives people more excuses to sue and more suing = less people able to have fun.
Click to expand...

I agree. There's no such thing as Intermittent Explosive Disorder. There's no "biology or cognitive science" behind this. The reason people who have road rage exhibit the same "mad" symptoms, or why their brains are releasing the same chemical/hormones/gibbity-doo when they suffer a fit of road rage is because they're feeling the same damn emotion ---- rage! That is all. They can label that if they want, but we already have the label "road rage," which is good enough.

It's not that 16 million people have a "disorder." Heck, when such a large percent of the driving population (16 million people?) in the US have this problem, it's not a disorder anymore. I believe it's called "normal."

People who feel happy all the time are probably showing the same symptoms, or releasing the same neural patterns as well. Is that surprising that their brains are going through the same thing if they're feeling the same way?
 
Abstract said:
I agree. There's no such thing as Intermittent Explosive Disorder. There's no "biology or cognitive science" behind this. The reason people who have road rage exhibit the same "mad" symptoms, or why their brains are releasing the same chemical/hormones/gibbity-doo when they suffer a fit of road rage is because they're feeling the same damn emotion ---- rage! That is all. They can label that if they want, but we already have the label "road rage," which is good enough.

It's not that 16 million people have a "disorder." Heck, when such a large percent of the driving population (16 million people?) in the US have this problem, it's not a disorder anymore. I believe it's called "normal."

People who feel happy all the time are probably showing the same symptoms, or releasing the same neural patterns as well. Is that surprising that their brains are going through the same thing if they're feeling the same way?
Click to expand...

Whatever happened to just learning to control your emotions and ourselves?? Have we forgotten how to do that?
 
mactastic said:
No, the guy who just rode up your tail, passed you on the right, then cut you off and gave you the finger isn't just an a$$****. He's got Intermittent Explosive Disorder.
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I do that. I don't have IED. I have a problem with *******s who go 10 mph under the speed limit in the fast lane and refuse to move.
 
yg17 said:
I do that. I don't have IED. I have a problem with *******s who go 10 mph under the speed limit in the fast lane and refuse to move.
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Ah, a new disorder - IMD. Intermittent Moron Disorder - characterized by occasional to frequent loss of common sense. So don't be too hard on them - it's not their fault they're idiots, it's biology.
 
CorvusCamenarum said:
Just what we need, another vehicle that allows people to shirk responsibility for themselves. I'm sick of the "it can't be my fault, I have XYZ disorder" crowd.
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That's exactly what I'm thinking. What happened to personal responsibility. I'm sure that there are some legitimate reasons for acting a certain way (IE: Turrett's syndrome), but it seems like we're making up "diseases" as an excuse for every possible behavior.
 
cait-sith said:
What? Social anxiety disorder is a real problem, ask anyone that suffers from it. It's not just a bit of shyness. The comment made by Bill Maher is ignorant, and although I would never wish an illness on another person, it'd be interesting to see his take on the problem after suffering for it for a few days.

The lack of compassion in the world for the suffering of other people is what's pathetic nowadays.
Click to expand...



hey, i just said "something along those lines anyway". i can't remember exactly what terms were used, that's all.
 
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