LittleM
25-07-12, 15:49
In April I had a car accident, involving only me where I lost control of the car in wet weather. I had no injuries apart from whiplash. About a week after when I was in the stress of dealing with car insurance, and a job that I was already planning to resign from, I started getting throat problems.
I've had this throat problem before. In autumn I had an awful argument with my sister (I'm 22 she's 25), it was out of the blue and frankly stressful. The day after I had this tightness in my throat, like a lump rising and rising. I researched it and put it down to stress and anxiety. However, about a month to two months after I began feeling that this lump was phlegm and began coughing some out (it's very difficult to move but occasionally when I woke up I'd be able to get it out). Anyway, when it all got clear I felt a lot better.
However, it came back a week after the car accident as I said. Again, it gives me the choking sensation, and sometimes I feel like the phlegm can be coughed out but it's in such a difficult place to get it out.
On top of this, whenever I get back in my car to drive, I have a panic attack. I manage to drive for about 3 minutes before the choking sensation comes back, I feel faint and almost like I'm going to be sick because my throat is so tight. I only have these panic attacks in the car. I am consciously over the car accident hence wanting to get back into driving but it seems subconsciously I am not over it. Also I have emetophobia which makes everything even more terrifying.
It is not just when I drive, occasionally I get these panic attacks when my mum drives, and I almost feel motion sickness. I have never had that in my life, I have always been able to go in the car, for long coach trips without feeling ill, but now I feel dizzy and unwell. It's really making me unhappy because driving gives me so much freedom yet every single time I go to drive, I start then the physical symptoms take over, when mentally and consciously I am perfectly fine and just wanting to drive.
I also dream about car accidents which makes it seem like subconsciously I am not over it.
What do you suggest? Hypnosis? I am at my wits end. I am also due to see an ENT to ask about my throat, and why trauma manifests itself as phlegm at the back of my throat. I am preparing myself to be told it's all in my head and it's just the anxiety, but when you physically cough out phlegm that's been stuck in your throat for 3 months you know it's not!
I've had this throat problem before. In autumn I had an awful argument with my sister (I'm 22 she's 25), it was out of the blue and frankly stressful. The day after I had this tightness in my throat, like a lump rising and rising. I researched it and put it down to stress and anxiety. However, about a month to two months after I began feeling that this lump was phlegm and began coughing some out (it's very difficult to move but occasionally when I woke up I'd be able to get it out). Anyway, when it all got clear I felt a lot better.
However, it came back a week after the car accident as I said. Again, it gives me the choking sensation, and sometimes I feel like the phlegm can be coughed out but it's in such a difficult place to get it out.
On top of this, whenever I get back in my car to drive, I have a panic attack. I manage to drive for about 3 minutes before the choking sensation comes back, I feel faint and almost like I'm going to be sick because my throat is so tight. I only have these panic attacks in the car. I am consciously over the car accident hence wanting to get back into driving but it seems subconsciously I am not over it. Also I have emetophobia which makes everything even more terrifying.
It is not just when I drive, occasionally I get these panic attacks when my mum drives, and I almost feel motion sickness. I have never had that in my life, I have always been able to go in the car, for long coach trips without feeling ill, but now I feel dizzy and unwell. It's really making me unhappy because driving gives me so much freedom yet every single time I go to drive, I start then the physical symptoms take over, when mentally and consciously I am perfectly fine and just wanting to drive.
I also dream about car accidents which makes it seem like subconsciously I am not over it.
What do you suggest? Hypnosis? I am at my wits end. I am also due to see an ENT to ask about my throat, and why trauma manifests itself as phlegm at the back of my throat. I am preparing myself to be told it's all in my head and it's just the anxiety, but when you physically cough out phlegm that's been stuck in your throat for 3 months you know it's not!