What’s Driving our Frustration

Does it seem that there has been an in crease of impatient drivers on the road? An earlier case of missing traffic signals and instances of poor street lighting are just a few of the elements that may have teamed with an increase in frustrated drivers, all together contributing to some risky driving.

And while some of the physical factors may have been resolved, the level of frustrtion may be rising, as the population scrambles to complete critical arrangements, particularly with Christmas approaching.

But don’t feel bad – it’s part of the postdisaster recovery syndrome, and if we understand what is happening, we may be able to better control reactions in ourselves, as well as understand when others demonstrate impatience.

Dr. Marc Lockhart, consultant psychiatrist at the Cayman Islands Hospital, says that an increase in frustration following a traumatic event like Hurricane Ivan is to be expected. “After a major catastrophe we feel we have less control over our lives. Sometimes when driving a vehicle we take the opportunity to funnel our frustration at conditions in our home and misdirect these feelings to other drivers through our poor driving habits, shouting, or other displays of anger,” he said.

“The key thing to keep in mind these days is that we must be continually aware of our moods, thoughts and the events that cause us to feel frustrated. We are all at risk for “road rage” or for directing our frustration at others.

“The overall situation requires that we step back and evaluate our moods and take care to monitor our behaviour and emotions. We must be aware of the type of activity we are about to engage in such as driving, interacting with children or making major decisions and we need to determine whether we can do these activities while frustrated.”

For individuals who feel out of control and who are experiencing increasing episodes of anger and frustration, Dr. Lockhart says there are appropriate outlets for discussing such feelings with trained counselors and therapists.

Dr. Lockhart prefers the use of the term “debriefing” instead of “counselling” when describing the approach therapists take in working with people who survive a traumatic event such as Hurricane Ivan. “Debriefing is used in professions that have a high frequency of dealing with tragedy, such as fire fighters and police officers.” He feels it is important to remember that seeing a counselor or therapist is not a sign of weakness and does not mean you have a mental illness. “Debriefing allows individuals to admit that the level of stress has increased in their lives because of an external situation and gives them tools to cope with the situation in a healthier way,” he said.