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Traffic problems add to marital woes

DUBAI — Traffic problems seem to be taking their toll on married life as well.

And they have led to a new disorder called Traffic Stress Syndrome (TSS), according to psychiatrists.

With hardly any time for each other, thanks to hectic work schedules, couples say mobile phones are usually their ‘companions’ while they are stuck in traffic snarls.

They also complain that they are losing their temper even for very petty issues and increasingly getting impatient with each other mainly because of work and travel fatigue.

“We usually meet on weekends and solve all our problems over the phone,” says Tabassum Khan, a doctor.

“I work on various shifts, spending the ‘spare’ time driving. My husband works in a bank. He leaves for work early morning so that he can reach his office on time. After completing my night shift when I return home, he is fast asleep. So we hardly get time to meet each other!”

Says Mark D’Souza, “Work schedule is hectic anywhere in the world, but we spend so much time on the road that by the time we meet each other, we are too exhausted to discuss anything.”

Mark explains that he and his wife, who works as a marketing executive, seem to have time for each other only during weekends.

“A day off does not seem enough for us because there are so many personal tasks to be carried out. Children, too, complain that they do not get to see us as frequently as they would like to see their parents,” he says woefully.

Dr Haleh Azarpazhooh, Specialist Psychiatrist, Health Care Medical Centre in Dubai, says, “Traffic jams are not only bad for your mood, they can also damage your health. Almost a third of drivers are found to be suffering from the newly detected disorder known as TSS.”

Explaining the syndrome, she says that it was reported that people belonging to the 30-50 age group suffered the most because of pressures and worries associated with their overall lifestyle.

“Traffic jams and the resulting stress and frustration can be detrimental to both physical and mental health coupled with other stresses related to work and home. They can wreak havoc on our immune systems,” she says.

A breakthrough research reveals that the syndrome — a result of the combination of the effects of anxiety and aggression — occurs within three-and-a-half-minutes on an average in TSS sufferers, she says.

“In non-TSS cases, it takes an average of 13 minutes for drivers to become stressed about being in a queue. TSS has a significant impact on driver behaviour resulting in a loss of concentration and hazardous driving,” she adds.

“Every evening, there is tension about going to bed early and then in the morning, we are stressed about getting up early to reach our offices on time,” says Kavita Murli.

“We need an extra two hours to beat the traffic. In the evening, it is more frustrating because we are eager to return to our children as soon as possible.” Murli says the stress results in constant bickering over trivial issues. “Even small issues like childen not going to sleep on time makes me angry with my wife,” says her husband.

“Because of this stress and anger, the general atmosphere at home is gloomy,” says Kavita.

Dr Azarpazhooh offers the following suggestions to deal with the problem: Take deep and slow breaths, listen to calming or relaxing music, use cognitive distraction tasks such as thinking of loved ones, push the recycle button on a vehicle’s air conditioning system as it will prevent exhaust fumes (carbon monoxide) from the traffic jam coming into the vehicle making drivers feel nauseous, place some aroma oil on a tissue and keep it in the vehicle’s ‘cockpit’ to help you relax.

“Any change in the routine of our lives — even welcome ones — can be stressful,” she cautions.