I live near a tertiary care center that has a large inpatient psychiatric center. They also have a fair amount of outpatient services. In fact, it can get very busy. Thinking about all the people that need psychiatric help can be at times...overwhelming.
And thinking about all the drivers utilizing those services for various reasons frighten me at times. Sure, some disorders have nothing to do with driving. But what about those people who are depressed, addicts going through withdrawl, or those just starting to exhibit more serious symptoms? If the symptoms can affect judgement, wouldn't that translate to driving skills in some way?
I often see people coming out of the institute get confused at the crossroad with 4 stop signs. No one knows who is supposed to go first. Trying to drive through there is really frustrating. I wonder whether this confusion derives from psychosis or just shitty driving skills. I wonder if car accident rates are higher near these centers.
I recognize the importance of these patients seeking help. I understand that perfectly "sane" people cause a shit load of accidents and make crappy choices on the road.
Still, I can't shake off the feeling that one of these days, while driving through that intersection, a distressed individual in one of those huge SUVs will drive straight into my car to end it all.
Am I psychotic to think this way?
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