Say No to Road Rage!

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By Jessica Feagin, Intern and UAB Community Health and Human Services Student

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Road rage can be defined as uncontrolled or violent anger in response to a driving-related behavior, which is a factor in many fatal motor vehicle accidents (Progressive, 2022). Some examples of road rage could be yelling at each other, honking your horn, making rude gestures, tailgating, or weaving through traffic. More extreme examples of road rage could be a physical confrontation or intentional ramming into other cars. Most people experiencing road rage are usually deal with a stressful situation or some emotional crisis. Most people have probably dealt with road rage, even if they were calm. It is vital to handle the situation appropriately, not to make things worse and put yourself in danger.

According to AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety’s 2019 data, nearly 80 percent of drivers expressed significant anger, aggression, or road rage behind the wheel at least once in the previous 30 days (AAA, 2019.). In addition, an AAA Foundation study looked at over 10,000 road rage incidents over seven years, which resulted in at least 218 murders and 12,610 injuries.

If you are prone to road rage and think this has become a problem, some steps to take could be to get adequate rest, limit alcohol, leave earlier for your destination, play soothing music, be aware of your driving, and put pictures of your loved ones on the dashboard to remind you that you want to come home to them. If you are a victim or target of road rage, don’t make eye contact, pull off the road or take the next exit if necessary, calm yourself, don’t return gestures, change lanes if being tailgated, stay behind the angry person, and if someone wants to pass you, slow down and let them (Lawrence, 2003). If the road rager is following you, do not hesitate to call the authorities. Do not take a chance. That can be a very dangerous and serious situation. Protect yourself and others, and say no to road rage! Have you ever been a victim of road rage? If so, let us know about your experience and how you handled the situation.

References

Aggressive driving. (n.d.). AAA Exchange – Advocacy. Communication. Education. https://exchange.aaa.com/safety/driving-advice/aggressive-driving/

How to deal with aggressive drivers. (n.d.). An Insurance Company You Can Rely On | Progressive. https://www.progressive.com/answers/how-to-deal-with-aggressive-drivers/

Lawrence, J. (2003, February 3). Road rage root cause. WebMD. https://www.webmd.com/women/features/root-cause-of-road-rage

Relieve Caregiver Stress

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By Jessica Feagin, Intern and UAB Community Health and Human Services Student

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

A caregiver can be anyone who provides help and care to another person in need, such as a sick spouse/partner, disabled child, or an aging relative. Being a caregiver can be rewarding just by the act of being there for a loved one in need; however, sometimes, a shift in emotions can occur. Those emotions can include exhaustion, frustration, sadness, loneliness, and anger. Caregiver stress is the physical and emotional stress of caregiving, which is common (Mayo Clinic, 2022).

Risk for caregiver stress are higher among women. Some of the risks associated are social isolation, lack of coping skills, lack of choice in being a caregiver, depression, and long hours spent caregiving. Being a caregiver can make you so focused on others that you do not realize you are suffering from caregiver stress. Some signs of caregiver stress could be: frequent tiredness, constantly feelings of worry, not getting enough sleep, gaining/losing weight, sadness, frequent headaches, bodily pain, and abusing alcohol or drugs. Too much stress can harm your health and increase your risk of medical problems (Mayo Clinic, 2022).

Here are some tips that were provided by actual caregivers off of social media on how they manage the stress and pressure of caregiving (Sealy et al., 2022):

  • Eat Right
  • Get Enough Sleep
  • Exercise
  • Meditation
  • Do a Little Coloring
  • Have a Healthy Dose of Laughter
  • Get Social
  • Start Journaling
  • Get a Pet
  • Just Say “No”
  • Reclaim Your Identity
  • Prioritize Your Own Medical Needs
  • Ask For and Accept Help

I can relate to some of the tips that were provided. Before my daughter passed in April, I was her mother, nurse, and caregiver. I am a professional nurse at a hospital and had to take care of my daughter at home. She was diagnosed with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy, cerebral palsy, seizures, quadriplegic, developmentally delayed, and vision and hearing impaired. She also had a tracheostomy, feeding tube, and was oxygen dependent. My husband and I had to provide total care for our daughter. It was vital for us to manage caregiver stress to take care of her and ourselves properly. These tips are helpful, and most importantly, do not be afraid to ask for and accept help. You cannot do it alone! If you have ever had to be a caregiver, professionally or personally, how did you relieve stress and burnout?

 My daughter and I “RIP My Angel”

References

Sealy, K. L., H, L., N., L., Verdone, K., Waguespack, D., Mueller, C., Mckeon, D., Thompson, L., Godwin, D., Riley, A., Goodman, L., Millan, Y., Wong, L., Lyon-Loftus, G. T., & Sautter, N. (2022, April 16). 14 life-changing tips to relieve caregiver stress. CaringBridge. https://www.caringbridge.org/resources/techniques-to-relieve-caregiver-stress/

Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. (2022, March 22). Practical solutions for caregiver stress. Mayo Clinic. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/in-depth/caregiver-stress/art-20044784