Don’t get mad-get treatment

Hint: eat more carbohydrates to increase your serotonin levels.

Researchers have claimed that 'road rage' and similar outbursts of irrational anger are not caused by plain bad manners but actually are signs of a psychiatric condition that requires treatment.

Researchers in the USA have now termed this type of behaviour 'intermittent explosive disorder' (IED). It is claimed that road rage is not just a question of bad behaviour, it is also down to biology and cognitive science, and the condition is often linked to depression.

Intermittent explosive disorder, it is claimed, involves multiple outbursts that are considerably out of proportion to the situation at the time.

These angry outbursts often include threats or aggressive acts and property damage, with the disorder usually starting in adolescence. It is stressed, however, that not everyone who loses their temper irrationally is afflicted with the disorder. ... It was found that up to 7% of those surveyed had the intermittent explosive disorder at some time, and this is a higher incidence rate than for better-known psychiatric disorders.

The average number of lifetime attacks per person was 43, resulting in nearly 1,400 dollars in property damage per person.

Experts claim IED is caused by inadequate production of serotonin in the brain, which regulates our moods. It is felt that treatment with antidepressants can help the condition. - irishhealth