DOES YOUR MIND NEED A TUNE-UP SO YOU CAN DRIVE BETTER?
I can imagine, 9 years after this article first came out, that the current pandemic could be introducing a new set of worries to these drivers, or enhancing old ones. And not just to bus drivers, but to all of us who need to drive to make a living or to get things done.
The ongoing pandemic should make us take mental health awareness a more serious thought. We’ve seen how living in fear of an unseen enemy, forcing us to live isolated and unable to physically commune, while many of our friends and loved ones come down with the disease and succumb to it, can adversely affect our minds, and by extension, how we drive. October being designated as Mental Health Awareness Month is quite timely, as well. The month often heralds our celebration of the Holiday Season—the longest anywhere in the world— and the second under this pandemic. What should be joyous occasions could become a season of depression for others who have suffered irreparable loss and prolonged isolation.
Like I said before at the beginning of this article, I shouldn’t have driven the night I knew my mind was being besieged by troubles. I should have asked someone to drive for me, or I could have taken the taxi. But there’s the rub, isn’t it? When do we say, “No, I can’t drive, my mind is too troubled”, or “Yes, I can still handle myself well behind the wheel, so give me the keys”?
I asked the following questions to a psychiatrist, Dr. Rodney R. Boncajes, MD, a Medical Specialist III of the National Center for Mental Health, and head of the community-based Mental Health Capacity Building and Training Unit of the institution.
What are the mental/psychological tell-tale signs that drivers of any age are not fit to drive?
Boncajes replied, “Since driving is a complex task and requires the involvement of physical, cognitive, and perceptual skills, individuals who are exhibiting some psychotic symptoms such as hallucinations, delusions, disorganized behavior, and individuals with cognitive impairment might be at risk of engaging in a crash.”
He added, “Reduced attention, problems with visual-spatial functioning, impulse control problems, and impaired judgment may also compromise driving skills. At risk of having road accidents are those individuals taking medications for their mental health conditions and who are experiencing adverse or common side effects— excessive drowsiness, motor activity problems (muscle rigidity), and disruption in perception, slower reaction time, and processing of information.
“With the increasing cases of anxiety and depression and other mental health conditions, individuals with these conditions are being cautioned in using complex machinery, including cars.”
Boncajes added that the same conditions may also apply to pedestrians and other road users.
Can these signs be revealed in psychological evaluation tests, which can be then required for renewing driver’s licenses, and would it be advisable for mental health experts to help in formulating such psychological evaluation exams for driver applicants?
Boncajes replied: “Some of the symptoms of mental health conditions can be overtly seen, but some can only be revealed through appropriate psychological testing (especially conditions related to personality disorders). I think other countries have already taken action in including mental health experts in their panel of evaluators for driver applicants. Though some countries would rely solely on the disclosure of the applicant, whether they would disclose their conditions or not.”
He stressed: “Noteworthy of our attention also is the provision of the mental health law focusing on the rights of people with mental health conditions, i.e. they should not be discriminated against. However, it also implies that appropriate evaluation is necessary to determine whether individuals (e.g. workers) are still fit to do the rigors of their tasks.”
The brain, along with the ecology that it exists in that encompasses the mind, is a complex and vulnerable thing; truly sensitive and receptive to external stimuli. But it’s also incredibly resilient. Today, five years after that harrowing experience, my mother is at home, off the ventilator, and all her vitals look great. Albeit still bedridden, her present condition is much better than the time she was rushed to the hospital.
As for me, I still do worry about my mom, but not to the point that it clouds my better driving judgement. I learned something valuable that night five years ago, and it’s that it isn’t really just about “mind over motor”, but more “mind over mind”.