My first posts here will explain some background
http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=86342
I'm quite a bit luckier than many other anxiety and panic sufferers. I could just quit driving and never have another panic attack. I do have some anxiety with some other drivers driving, for instance my 17 year old driving me in the dark at 70 mph.
It's been about two years since the first panic attacks in the car. I was stuck driving to the sun in the middle lane going to the sun. Could not get off to my exit. Many have the trapped feeling only on bridges.
So I am having a panic attack going 50mph, or maybe 90-100km. I knew it was one, I knew it was not a heart attack. And I am probably somewhat better at driving in daylight than most drivers, having driven 40 years.
I did not see another topic on the driving fears. So I started a new thread.
I am Finnish and went to search fear of driving in Finnish. I found to my surprise at least a dozen people discussing the problem in a forum. One fellow was able to drive in rural areas and stop signs, but had a panic attack at every traffic light he was supposed to stop at. They do not do right turns on red there, I believe. No way out for him.
Phobias have all the symptoms other anxiety sufferers have, but we are a bit special to treat. I have no fear or anxiety about social issues. It is just strictly me stuck in a situation where I do not have full control. I could care less what other drivers think of my driving. I am a bit bothered by police, so I dare not ever pull to the shoulder.
So there is most of the story.
I did see a doctor. The first drugs resembled valium, I quit it after a week, no effect.
I was, after some 4 months of driving off the interstate on streets only, put on citalopram 10mg. The driving was fine, confident, for 6 months. Then some more panic attacks. I knew the road by heart, so I could get off the freeway anywhere and find my way home from any exit. I avoided the attacks. It was mostly fear of panic attacks at this point!
I was then on 20mg citalopram, but the confidence was less than the firs citalopram months. I suspect a placebo effect for the 10mg.
I added 250mg magnersium a day. It has, I believe, cut down on both panic and migraines. It may be a placebo too, but the effect seems to have lasted 6 months.
I've driven some 30-35 000 km since the first panic attack. I still can't drive fast at night, only some 60km/h. And never with much traffic.
Only side effect seems to be some fatigue, so I drink a cup of coffee before driving home. It can't help the anxiety, but at least keeps me awake.
It was a bout a month into the problem I decided it was a phobia. I have no other phobias, I can travel by air. Maybe a touch of obsessive compulsive control freak as well.
I know phobias are hard to cure by therapy so I dismissed that after reading a book on the methods.
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