Not just road rage: Understanding intermittent explosive disorder, from the Harvard Mental Health Letter
Horns blaring in heavy traffic. Aggressive drivers swerving from lane to lane. Anyone who drives a car has witnessed road rage at some point. Although any normally calm and collected person might become angry under severe enough stress, people with intermittent explosive disorder lose their tempers repeatedly — often in response to minor frustrations. The good news, according to the April 2011 issue of the Harvard Mental Health Letter, is that medication and cognitive behavioral therapy may help.
Intermittent explosive disorder is more common than experts initially believed — affecting 3% to 4% of people in any given year. And intermittent explosive disorder tends to appear early in life, with an average onset of age 13 in males and age 19 in females.
To continue reading this article, you must log in.
Source matters. Subscribe to HarvardHealthOnline+ FREE for 30 days for unlimited access to the site – where all content is reviewed by an HMS physician or faculty expert.
With HHO+ you get these exclusive benefits:
- Unlimited access to all Harvard Health Online content
- 4 expertly curated newsletters delivered monthly
- Customized website experience aligned to your health goals
- In-depth health guides on topics like sleep, exercise, and more
- Interactive features like videos and quizzes
- Members-only access to exclusive articles and resources
SPECIAL OFFER! UNLOCK EXPERT ACCESS for 30 days FREE!
Already a member? Login ».
Disclaimer:
As a service to our readers, Harvard Health Publishing provides access to our library of archived content. Please note the date of last review or update on all articles.
No content on this site, regardless of date, should ever be used as a substitute for direct medical advice from your doctor or other qualified clinician.