Friggin' Stupid Driving Anxiety

[DustingMyselfOff]

I had my first re-occurence of panic attack a few months ago while I was driving on the highway. It's no real surprise they're back - I had probably one of the most stressful and upsetting years of my life and my thyroid came out of remission (went hyper again) so I guess why they're back makes sense but I need to get them the hell away from me again! I've upped my dosage of Prozac, am taking thyroid meds and beta blockers as needed, have seen a shrink, started seeing a therapist and am joining an anxiety support group next week. I meditate and I do guided self hypnosis.

I've been functional for the most part (some days I've had to leave the office early and some nights I've just curled up in a ball and tried to shut the world out) but for the most part I am still maintaining normal appearances. I tried to force myself to get back on the highway where I had a problem and, you guessed it, I freaked out again and had to pull over. A few days later I tried a less intimidating stretch of highway and still had no success. I mentioned it to the psychiatrist and he suggested that I wait until we get my thyroid and general anxiety under control before I keep pushing myself to get back on the horse, so I've pretty much layed off even trying. I thought about taking a tranq and doing it but he really didn't like that idea.

Today I took the day off and wanted to buy and plant flowers. On the way to the nursery I got on a road that isn't a highway but still has four lanes of traffic (two each way) without barriers and I panicked. I am so pissed off because instead of this getting better it seems like my world is getting smaller.

I am NOT going to give into this. I so enjoyed my new-found driving confidence (only got it about 4 years ago) and I do NOT want anything to take that away from me again.

I have no idea why I'm writing this - I guess I'm just venting and also kinda wondering why I never read about driving anxiety on here..... I would imagine it's a pretty common issue but don't see much about it.

I am tempted to get in the car right now and take myself back on those highways until I either faint or crash, but I'm taking the easy way out and following doctors orders not to push it right now.

And yes, I know it's all in my head and I know I'm the one bringing it on. And I'm going to continue to do that until...... that's the part I forget. How did I get rid of this last time and how do I do it again?

Thanks for letting me blow off some steam. Damn it.
Sue

[trinidiva]

That's how my anxiety started, issues with highway driving. Unfortunately, I have an hour and a half commute to work, 95% of it on thev highway. I ended up getting special permission to work from home because I kept getting dizzy spells and anxiety attacks while on the road. I can still drive local roads, but still have trouble with highway driving.I'm still working on that.I will get on and drive an exit or so.
You are right, you have to fight it or else your world will start to become smaller and smaller till it is uncomfortable to drive anywhere. I would suggest to continur driving....short trips and perhaps when you feel like you can do it...try the highway for an exit or two.

[Malyn]

Hi

I have the same problem. Had a bad panic attack on the freeway and since then I been afraid to drive in the freeway it's been more than 20 yrs ago. Lucky me there is a bus that goes to my work because the only way to get there is the freeway. My husband always drive me. I can drive on a surface street but never on the freeway. Maybe we should try CBT

[DustingMyselfOff]

I will ask my therapist about the highway phobia next week (have only met her once so far so we haven't really gotten into anything) and I hope to be joining a support group for anxiety next week and if I do I will bring it up there - I'm betting we're not alone with this.

I would consider CBT but I think the problem is we KNOW what we have to do and we KNOW it's our own thoughts bringing on the attacks. If I know how to bring one on then I should know how to stop them and I guess it's going to take being stubborn, angry and lots of practice. Since the shrink told me not to even work on it until the anxiety came down a little and the thyroid was level, I've simply avoided trying and the longer I do that, the harder it will be.

There is a driving program on the main page of this forum.... has anyone tried that?
Sue

[Cobra]

I tried fighting it and it only makes it worse. The trick is to not fight. Fighting reinforces the sense of danger, making it more real to your mind, and causing more tension. Just relax, breath, and let it pass. It feels awful, but fighting is not the key. The key is learning to flow with the fear, knowing it can't really hurt you, it's just an inconvenient discomfort.

[DustingMyselfOff]

I know you are absolutely right, and I've done really, really well with accepting panic, not fighting it, and just letting it pass, knowing it's only a symptom. But when driving on a highway it's a little more challenging because it CAN hurt you. I feel like I just freeze and need to be out from behind that wheel immediately or I may kill someone or myself. It's a semi-valid fear, so it's a tough one to just let pass, but I know you're right.
Sue

[Enduronman]

I have some ideas.
1. Wear a football helmet.
2. Prop a dummy up in the seat next to you with a giant black frizzy fro.
3. Turn your flashers on.
4. Install a sign on the back of your car that says WIDE LOAD.
5. Get some flashing lights to install on the top of the car.
6. Get one of those loud speaker horn things and yell out your favorite phrases repetatively.
7. Keep your left arm out straight, as if you're signalling a turn, all the time.
8. Get a bumper sticker that say I SURVIVED CHERNOBYL.
9. Install a set of giant bull horns on the hood.
10. Install a Bose stereo system with giant 15" subwoofers and turn it up so loud that everyone elses cars vibrate around you.
11. Have some hydraulics put on the axles of your car.
12. Spray paint a number on your side door, paint a different number on the other side.
13. Install some studded snow tires, even if you live in Nevada.
14. Get some of those rubber hanging ornaments that dangle from your trailer hitch.
15. Stop worrying about something that has not yet even happened, and statistically speaking, probably never will.

Hope that helps!

E-Man.

[krayziee]

Hahaha e-Man that cracked me up

[Enduronman]

That's what it was supposed to do!

I sensed that everyone above that posted about this issue, I took a mental concensus, and it led me to the fact that they all thought it was something that they all stated that they shouldn't be worrying about anyway...

Hence, HUMOR!

DOH!

[u4ea]

That's how my panic attacks first started occuring - I was driving on a major highway, a truck roll over caused a major traffic jam; and I started to freak. It was SCARY - never had that type of anxiety in my life....sweaty palms, dizziness, shortness of breathe; that trapped feeling...

I've been stuck in traffic for probably a gazillion hours in my life, but for some reason....this time turned out different.

What sucks, is now driving seems to be a trigger for anxiety and panic for me. I used to love driving too - so it's a real challenge to deal with.

It's still hard, but I fight it, and drive where I have too. It's been a few months of driving since this all started; so if I didn't have a heart attack, pass out, crash, faint, etc....yet - I'm pretty sure it's just anxiety. That's what I try to tell myself anyway.

[Enduronman]

If Reese Bobby, Ricky Bobbys father, can help his son overcome this fear in the methods he used in Talladega Nights (cougar I,II,III on youtube) then you can all get back on the roads too...:)

[DustingMyselfOff]

That's how my panic attacks first started occuring - I was driving on a major highway, a truck roll over caused a major traffic jam; and I started to freak. It was SCARY - never had that type of anxiety in my life....sweaty palms, dizziness, shortness of breathe; that trapped feeling...

I've been stuck in traffic for probably a gazillion hours in my life, but for some reason....this time turned out different.

What sucks, is now driving seems to be a trigger for anxiety and panic for me. I used to love driving too - so it's a real challenge to deal with.

It's still hard, but I fight it, and drive where I have too. It's been a few months of driving since this all started; so if I didn't have a heart attack, pass out, crash, faint, etc....yet - I'm pretty sure it's just anxiety. That's what I try to tell myself anyway.

Good for you! It sucks that we have to deal with this at all but it's great when you / we can conquer it. In the general scope of things and in the big picture I guess there are a lot worse problems we could have but it's still a very debilitating one, and one that can truly be dangerous.

I will beat this, but I think I need to get my anxiety and my meds and my thyroid and my colitis a little more consistent and stable before I take on another challenge. One hurdle at a time. Unless someone's life depends on me getting on a highway, I can avoid it until I'm physically and mentally strong enough to kick it's ass. But right now, I don't need one more thing to beat me up.
Sue

[u4ea]

Good for you! It sucks that we have to deal with this at all but it's great when you / we can conquer it. In the general scope of things and in the big picture I guess there are a lot worse problems we could have but it's still a very debilitating one, and one that can truly be dangerous.

I will beat this, but I think I need to get my anxiety and my meds and my thyroid and my colitis a little more consistent and stable before I take on another challenge. One hurdle at a time. Unless someone's life depends on me getting on a highway, I can avoid it until I'm physically and mentally strong enough to kick it's ass. But right now, I don't need one more thing to beat me up.
Sue

It sure is debilitating, but it's hard for me to explain to people what it's like. Everyone always seems to associates anxiety with "the night before starting that new job", or "butterflies in stomach when I'm waiting for the dentist." They don't realize how severe and debilitating it can be.

It will pass for you - and trust me, I just saw you're from New England; I'm from Boston, so I know how driving around the northeast can rattle even the most non-anxious person!

[Enduronman]

I hope you all here can see that my comments of this subject are not to poke fun at any of you because these disorders that I also fight daily are just as terrorizing as this sub-topic of anxiety and panic.

It was merely to make the subject matter appear much lighter in weight because I really do wish that this fear related to a car or traffic or driving would simply disappear for you all but I also know that it won't go away or stop threatening you until you make this experience, insignificant and non-threatening.

Best wishes.

E-Man.

[trinidiva]

I hope you all here can see that my comments of this subject are not to poke fun at any of you because these disorders that I also fight daily are just as terrorizing as this sub-topic of anxiety and panic.

It was merely to make the subject matter appear much lighter in weight because I really do wish that this fear related to a car or traffic or driving would simply disappear for you all but I also know that it won't go away or stop threatening you until you make this experience, insignificant and non-threatening.

Best wishes.

E-Man.

You're right!