Heat Not Only Affects Body, But Mind

The kind of heat the Borderland is experiencing can be dangerous not only to your body, but also to your mind.

It’s apparent these triple-digit temperatures have a lot more people are on edge.

“I don’t feel like dealing with anything,” said Armando Reyes, who works outdoors for Drive and Shine Mobile Car Wash and Detail.

Others who work outdoors admitted to us that they get mad easier. “It’s hard to concentrate,” said construction worker Mike Gallegos.

Just a week into summer, 19 days have already topped 100 degrees, including seven in a row.

“There’s no break from it,” said El Paso psychologist Dr. Richard Patterson. “I think the main psychological thing that happens to us with something like this is a feeling of powerlessness. There’s not a blessed thing you can do about it.”

Patterson said it’s not uncommon for people to take it out on someone else.

“People’s nerves are frayed, so that makes it a little bit riskier,” he said, pointing out that domestic violence can increase with the temperatures. “I can’t control the weather, so I’m going to go over and yell at my kids or get onto my spouse about something or other.”

Reyes said when he gets done with work, “I just want to get home, take a shower and rest.”

Others, like car salesman Nick Dismukes, said it can cut into your rest.

“I have trouble sleeping at night sometimes because it gets too hot,” Dismukes said. “It’s just hot, you know, what can you say?”

It’s the kind of heat Patterson said can cause some to snap. He said it might seem a little silly, but he urged those who feel like the heat is getting the best of them to close their eyes and try to think back to those freezing temperatures El Paso had back in February.

“It’s not necessarily going to cool them off,” Patterson said. “But at least it’s a pleasant counterpoint to what we have going on right now.”