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View Full Version : These red lights...



MetalMan
06-18-2013, 10:24 AM
Last night I decided to go out for a night ride. There's a restaurant literally right around the corner from my new house, and I decided I would go over there and get a job application. I figure that working somewhere close by might help with the agoraphobia, and at the very least, help me make some money. Worst case scenario, I "can't" work the job and just have to quit. I also got an application for Dunks. Anyway, I went for this night ride all alone, as I have been trying to get myself out of the house alone at least one a day for at least 30 minutes or so. At one point I think I was at least half to 3/4 of a mile away from my house and was doing pretty well in the car jamming to my music. I found that when I was behind a couple red lights though, my anxiety began to quickly creep up on me. I don't why those trigger my anxiety when I drive. Either red lights or traffic. They both bring forth the symptoms. I calmed myself down and got through them. It was night time though. Meaning less cars on the road and less traffic to sit through. Maybe I feel this way because when you're in traffic or behind a set of lights, you can't immediately escape. This trips the anxiety switch in my head I guess... "What if the light never changes???" or "What if this traffic never moves???" That's gotta be the internal worry. I used to drive myself to and from work every weekend morning as a 16 year old kid. From a town to a city, and now this... I can't even get through traffic in the day. Fml.

alankay
06-18-2013, 10:54 AM
Yep, common. Classic really but I feel it's not that bad since the lights can only be so long and when anxious just distract myself(count change, go through the glove compartment quickly, change the radio stations, etc). Alankay

Dcoito
06-18-2013, 11:11 AM
When my anxiety first started this time around ! That is exactly what started it. It was mild and brief at first. But it grew every time I had to stop in traffic , now I will just pick something out to look at, and slow breathing through the nose, belly breath!