anxiety and driving

[Gaz28]

hi, just wondered if anybody else suffers anxiety whilst driving? I think i get it because i had a panic attack on the motorway 3 years ago, but i have never had one since but i still get anxiety, feeling like I'm gonna faint and feeling really spaced out and dizzy, then as soon as i get out of the car, i'm fine. anybody else get this? its driving me mad!

[Jen3535]

I do this, i wont drive on the M25, even as a passanger, I always think something will happen to me and noone can get to me if i need help. i also get it whenever i drive, its like i cant breath deep, feel dizzy, and claustrophobic..i even bought a soft top to see if it helps, it does'nt.

I hate driving too far from home too

However if i pull the car over, get out i feel fine? i can get that deep satisfying breath, and feel free

[kdog8173]

same here..i use to drive for a living..short runs like 2 min to each stop were ok but a hour was pure hell

[1970]

thats my biggest problem with anxiety

years ago i was driving and passed out and had an accident, no one got hurt , i ran off the road, its never happened again, dont know if anxiety caused it i was checked out by doctors for other things but all came back clear.

when im driving and feel a bit faint or light headed it brings on an attack fearing it might happen again, as i say it never has happened again, but i find myself looking for a spot on the side of the road i can pull over in a hurry if i need too, i find sometimes driving on a road where there is nowhere to pull over makes it worse. or sometimes when im driving up to a spot where i have had an attack before can bring it on as well, also driving with a passenger in the car can make it worse as i fear if it happens again and i harm them or some one else

its the worst part of panic / anxiety for me , i hate it so much, if i could just get rid of that thought and association i would be so much better.

i try to tell myself i have driven hundreds and hundreds of times since and i have never passed out again, i read that in order to pass out you need low blood pressure its a safety mechanism for our body to get our head down low so blood can flow to the brain, where an anxiety attack brings on high blood pressure,

also panic / anxiety is discomfort not danger

i can totally understand what you mean and i hate it so much

[hypnogood]

Yes, people with anxiety disorder have intense fear about irrational things which is accompanied by symptoms like sweating, trembling, feeling of choking, dizziness and pounding heartbeat.

You can try to take your anxiousness as a positive thing and think that you are a capable driver. Of course it is better to be calm with no anxiousness at all but if you have anxiety, always think that it is not bad to be anxious and you can control your emotions. Actually, anxious drivers are not dangerous in the road because they are more careful and have a high level of alertness than ordinary drivers.

[Gaz28]

1970.......... thats exactly what i get, i constantly look for safe places to pull over in case i'm gonna faint and its twice as bad when somebody is the car with me because i feel scared if i faint and crash, i will cause them harm, even though i have been driving for over ten years, i still get it, i hate it and at times, it scares me. but i rely on my driving to do my job, which i love. do you know what causes it? is it blood sugar thing? or is it blood rushing to the head ? doctor prescribed me diazepam tablets for when it gets really bad, and they are amazing, it goes away completley, but i can't obviously rely on pills.

[1970]

1970.......... thats exactly what i get, i constantly look for safe places to pull over in case i'm gonna faint and its twice as bad when somebody is the car with me because i feel scared if i faint and crash, i will cause them harm, even though i have been driving for over ten years, i still get it, i hate it and at times, it scares me. but i rely on my driving to do my job, which i love. do you know what causes it? is it blood sugar thing? or is it blood rushing to the head ? doctor prescribed me diazepam tablets for when it gets really bad, and they are amazing, it goes away completley, but i can't obviously rely on pills.


Hi Gaz28

Im not really sure of how the body is causing it, i have always just considered it a physical effect of panic attacks, if i could just get rid of that side of anxiety i would feel so much better its my greatest fear.

I also do a lot of driving i dont want to avoid it, i feel that if i do stop driving that will be the last straw for me meaning the anxiety has finally beaten me and im not going to let that happen.

How do you go with the diazepan tablets and driving, i know you said they help you out a lot, do you suffer any side effects like tiredness etc with a lot of anti anxiety medication a lot of the side effects include dizziness thats the thing im trying to stop, not to take medication to make it happen

Do you just take 1 tablet a day or take them as needed, do they last a while, i would be interested in maybe looking at the diazepan if they are going to take that feeling away but dont want something that is going to make me tired or dizzy when driving, i know its not going to fix the problem alone but if it helps im all for that its a start and any relief would be great

thanks

[Gaz28]

hi 1970....... i was reluctant to use the diazepam (valium) tablets at first, but i take them when my anxiety gets unbearable. they are amazing, no other word for it. i myself do not get any side effects what so ever, but within one hour of taking a 5mg tablet, all my anxiety goes away, completley, for about a day and a half. they are brilliant, but i can see how people get addicted to them. got to be carefull. I find that having a couple of them in the glovebox of the car all the time is comforting. if i didn't have them with me, i would probably panic about not having them. I know different people respond to different drugs in different ways, but i honestly get no side effects.......at all. I usually have one if i've got a really stressfull day ahead or a important meeting. i would highly recommend them. i tried half a tablet at first. they don't knock you out or anything like that, but they do remove the anxiety. and like i said, its comforting to know that i have them with me all the time.

[user38]

i mainly get anxiety while driving when i am stuck in a car such as traffic, or ride with someone else where I am not in control. It come on fast. I also have diazapam, they do help a lot, but as stated before, they can become an addiction if you take them too often. I usually only take 1/2 of a 5mg pill, it seems to do the strick for me, and i don't take them very often.

[unnerved]

Driving by itself doesn't cause too many problems for me. Unless it is a really long trip.

But driving in a snowstorm is a completely different beast. Just did it this morning in fact.

I have a story on my blog about the first panic attack I ever had while driving in a snowstorm on Christmas day. You can read it if you like. The link is in my signature.

[Bez]

My anxiety all started with driving on a highway 2 years ago....totally out of the blue. It came to the point where I'd take back roads so I didn't have to drive on the highway. Anything under 50 I was good. My anxiety got worse last summer and once I started using a daily xanax xr pill for GAD my driving got better. I still have issues with driving on the highway in the rain/snow and bridges but overall I'm alot better driving without issue.

[JennD]

I just found this forum today because I have the exact same problem. I have never had a driver's license, and haven't even attempted to get behind the wheel in 8 years (I'm 28). This applies to ALL driving, as I horrifyingly discovered when attempting to mow our lawn with a riding lawmower that couldn't have gone more than 3 miles an hour. I know, that sounds absurd but it is how it is. I have actually blacked out while driving, and it is a miracle that I was able to walk away and no one was hurt. I had always lived where there was public transportation, but now I am living in an area where there is not any, so I do not work, go places I want to, etc.

[1970]

Hi Jenn

Just posted on your other post

With the ride on mower, have you tried going a little bit faster each time, reassure yourself that you have driven the mower before and not blacked out from it, im sure you can beat this but i think it will be in very small steps

If you do happen to have a set back don't see it as a failure because its not, see it as a lesson learnt

good luck with it