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Hi! I'm a 20 year old female, I suffer from stress induced anxiety attacks, for which I take medication as needed. I have recently started a new job that requires me to commute. While driving on the highway, I'll get little bursts of terrible fear and anxiety, usually when I drive around a curve. I was wondering if there is anything someone could recommend that I could try to soothe my nerves while driving?
I get that aswell. May I ask you if you are claustrophobic?
No. I suffer from general anxiety disorder, but that's the only thing I've actually been diagnosed with.
I am an old woman girls, stop making an excuse and drive and be happy that you can. Appreciate that you do not have to walk ten miles to work. I enjoy driving maybe cause I was 40 when i got my first car and drivers license to follow. Nothing makes me calmer like driving without the goal, just driving
well Dahila sometimes its not easy. I drove an ambulance for 5 years on my last year I started getting panic attacks driving.
Hey Foxy,
Have you tried singing along to something suitable that you like?
A previous post follows:
Systematic Densitisation Therapy, and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy have been shown to be effective in the treatment of fears/phobia. Also worth considering are hypnotherapy, particularly from a reputable professional hypnotherapist, and EFT. Give the Meridian Tapping Technique / EFT a good tryout, to see if it helps you. It is free via the searchbar at www.mercola.com "EFT" & "EFT therapists" or www.tapping.com (13 free videos), or www.eftuniverse.com or www.emofree.com or one of the many YouTube videos. Google: "YouTube; EFT videos".
Professionally instructed is generally preferable. - There is a version for use in public places at http://eft.mercola.com (if you like, you can claim to have a headache, as you employ the acupressure massage / tapping on your temples, but you would then be restricted to subvocalising: saying it to yourself in your mind: "Even though I have a fear of driving, I deeply and completely accept myself)."
View http://drivingfearhelp.com
Check out http://www.wikihow.com/Special:LSear...riving+anxiety such as: "How to Overcome a Driving Phobia: 9 Steps"
Anyone from any country should closely examine the advice at the following websites, before beginning their search for a suitable therapist: http://1-800-therapist.com/index.html and http://www.metanoia.org/choose/
Recommended reading:
Fear of Driving, by Daniella Brodsky, & How to Stop Anxiety & Panic Attacks: A Simple Guide to using a specific set of Techniques to Stop Panic Attacks, Agoraphobia, Social Phobia, Fear of Driving or Flying and Stress, by Geert Verschaeve, & Overcoming Specific Phobias - Therapist Protocol: A Hierarchy & Exposure-Based Protocol for the Treatment of All Specific Phobias (Best Practices Series) by Edmund J. Bourne, & The God of Driving: How I Overcame Fear and Put Myself in the Driver's Seat (with the Help of a Good and Mysterious Man) by Amy Fine Collins, from your bookstore, Amazon.com or BarnesAndNoble.com
View http://your-mental-health.weebly.com/1.html about panic attacks, and anxiety, then pages h, & i. Phobia; see page v. If you suffer from panic attacks, learn, and become proficient in an anti-panic breathing technique, such as the one shown. With anxiety attacks, there are a number of approaches, including pulling over to a relatively safe place, and employing the EFT, or Progressive Muscle Relaxation, but it's probably not wise to use them if driving.
Begin by driving up and down your driveway. Later, go up and down the street. Then around the block. Then a short distance, in off peak hours in daylight, where there is light traffic. The idea is to build confidence, and gradually increase the distance, and the amount of traffic you have to cope with. Leave peak hour, highways, long distances, and especially night driving until later on. Consider having a friend, or relative along when tackling a new stage.
Ensure you can park alright, and that the vehicle is prepared; make a checklist if necessary. Can you change a tyre? Are you a member of the auto association, or do you have the phone numbers of those who can assist in the case of breakdowns, and a charged cell/mobile phone? If going somewhere new, (not having sat. nav.) get, or make a map, (Google: maps is quite comprehensive) with approximate distances to turns, and plan it beforehand. It can help to either have someone else drive, while you study the route, and the visual cues, or to have them give you instructions. If lost, go back the way you came until in familiar territory.
Hypnosis is merely a heightened state of suggestibility, in which you are better able to communicate with your subconscious mind. 85% of people are suggestible to some degree; 15% - 20% highly so, and 15% - 20% aren't much at all, so you could either preferably seek professional hypnotherapy, or, if not an option, hypnosisdownloads.com has ones about overcoming fear of driving, and fear of the driving test. Take a course in defensive driving; always scan the road for dangers, and know what vehicles are around you when changing lanes, and especially during turns.
we all are in the same seat, we all deal with it. It is very difficult but we do it. One day at the time, one step at the time;)Quote:
Originally Posted by kman87
Listen to music you enjoy while driving which may make you feel better and distract you from your worries.
I forgot to mention that if you are interested in non-pharmaceutical anxiolytics, (anti-anxiety substances) my previous posts may be viewed at:
HERBAL ANXIOLYTICS: http://anxietyforum.net/forum/showth...415#post225415
&
NON HERBAL NATURAL (NON PHARMACEUTICAL) ANXIOLTYICS: (5-htp, etc.) http://anxietyforum.net/forum/showth...lease!!!/page2