Dealing With Anger

The guy in front of you cuts you off; intentional or slopping driving? You watch and keep your distance but note his actions are erratic. Either he is texting or checking work files on the computer next to him. Now you really keep your distance.

No wonder accidents occur. And no wonder road rage is more prevalent today than in days long gone. Traffic is more congested now. Street and highway designs are better engineered, but volume tests the limits of those designs. Besides, rush hour seems to rewrite the rules of the road each day.

You are in line at the pharmacy drive-through and someone is taking a long time. No movement for 15 minutes. You wonder why someone monopolizes this facility at the expense of all the other customers. Fumes begin to form in the mind! 

A doctor’s office notifies you they have denied your prescription refill. When you call you learn they think you have not seen the doctor yet for the annual checkup. I can’t believe I let something like that slip. I challenge them. Their voice belies tension. I later learn they changed their annual checkup scheduling procedure and they failed to notify patients of this. A reminder card had been sent to patients at the 6 month time frame and we were to make the appointment following instructions on the card. They dropped use of the card. Told no one. All appointments for annual checkups were left to chance memory of patients. I don’t have that kind of memory. Besides I have too many doctors to leave it to this memory schema.

Although the new appointment was now made, the prescription was approved for only one month at a drug cost premium of about 30%. So I denied the refill and will await my checkup with the doctor and acquire my 90-day refill approval. And then for the remainder of the year going forward.

There were other instances this past week when I was challenged and did, in fact, lose my cool. Although I’m usually a pretty nice, cooperative person, I get agitated when tired, pushed by others with outrageous expectations, or am treated poorly by bureaucracies. In truth I can melt down pretty easily. Because last week contained an election day and I worked it as an election judge, my work schedule was doubled. We all spent about 20 hours on Tuesday’s election routine. So we are tired. I am pooped. I am thus ready to be irked easily.

And I was. Melted down at least three times, maybe four. Believe me I was tempted on other occasions but restrained myself. Sometimes the meltdowns are good medicine. Most often, though, they are not. Just the opposite; they are destructive and not good for my own physical health. Or any one else for that matter!

I’ve discussed this with others and admitted my lack of control and poor humor. Others piped in with their own experiences. Seemed I was not the only one stressed last week. Maybe there was something in the air or water supply?

I kind of doubt that. but I don’t doubt that the incivility within our current social environment is catching and infecting others. I’m just one of the sufferers. And infectors!

When will these awful political campaigns be over? Really? They just seem never to stop. Following a campaign and inauguration, it seems campaigning starts all over again for the next election just 2 or 4 years distant. That’s so unfair. To begin campaigning again. So soon.

Please God. Make them stop!

March 22, 2015