Panic Attacks

[Liviguy]

Hi there.

I thought I'd come on and share my problems as I know that I can speak to people who share the symptoms and its useless trying to get someone who doesnt know what its like to understand.

Advice such as "get over it" and "pull yourself together" dont help one bit.

I seem to be taking panic attaks just now quite frequently. I've suffered from them in the past (10 years now) and over the past 10 weeks they have started up big time again. Usually only when driving. I seem to have developed a major fear of being stuck in traffic and even when stopping at a red light.

This is getting so bad now, that I am taking panic attacks before I even get in the car as I am dreading whats coming up.

I have suffered from lightheadedness and giddiness for what seems like forever and now I am beginning to wonder if its ever going to go away.

Its now affecting my daily life. I seem to have developed a skill in making myself panic. Looking at the traffic webcams in the morning before I leave for work makes me panic, and I have resorted to going a detour through country roads to stay away from the traffic on the main motorways.

[nomorepanic]

Hi there and welcome.

I am the driving queen on here! I am famous for my driving problems lol

Here is my Story ...

Nicola's Personal Story (http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/NMPcms.php?nmppage=mystory)

My CBT post is here..
CBT therapy for driving problems - my diary (http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=7162)

How to cope is here....

How to cope with Panic Attacks, Anxiety, Phobias and OCD (http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/NMPcms.php?nmppage=coping)

Other driving posts are here ...

driving
Hi new member mom w/ panic and dp/dr (http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=1239)
Driving (http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=6038)
driving phobia (http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=5105)
Hi, I am new and need re-assurance (http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=6527)
Panic - When driving (http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=6631)
Panic attacks while driving (http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=7291)
CBT therapy for driving problems - my diary (http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=7162)

I have continued to drive throughout my 12 years of suffering and panic.

I have never passed out and I am perfectly safe to drive - it just doesn't feel like it at times

Hope all that lot helps!


Nicola

People will forget what you said
People will forget what you did
But people will never forget how you made them feel

[Insomniac]

Hi there

Its interesting that driving is an issue for so many of us. Its the feeling that you can't escape. When of course you can really, I mean if you really had to you are not trapped in the car. And its the anxiety that causes the symptoms. I know what you mean about


<b id="quote">quote:</b id="quote"><table border="0" id="quote"><tr id="quote"><td class="quote" id="quote">I seem to have developed a skill in making myself panic</td id="quote"></tr id="quote"></table id="quote">

I have often felt like that myself. I am looking over my shoulder almost waiting for it to pounce. But that only makes me more nervous. I have now learned the art of distracting myself. I was determined that the panic would not shrink my circle of safety. I chat (constantly) to whoever is with me if I feel bad, or I sing (badly) with some music in the car. The chat distracts me, the singing also makes me breathe properly which helps with the anxiety symptoms. Also Nicola's advice and her story of driving really inspired me. (Thanks Nic.)


Lisa.

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.

[domino]

HI THERE,r u me can so relate to this. I do everything that you do, i work nights yet still cannot go on the bypass by my house, to get to work. motorways [forget them] but i find ,if i start to get panicky is, wind down the window, breath deeply,and those traffic lights, well i tend to glance away from them for a few minutes,then it kind of passes.Anyway welcome to you ,you will make loads of new friends hereand get lots of advice, hope mine helped. lorraine.:D

[Liviguy]

Thanks for the replies. Its nice to be able to speak to people who actually know what it feels like. You cant make someone who has never experienced it understand. They make you feel like some sort of nutjob.

Nicola, I actually laughed out loud when I read your story. Not out of disrespect, but as it was like a mirror image of my life just now. The feeling of utter dread and panic as I watch the brake lights coming on of the row of cars in front makes me feel like I am dying. I look for the nearest escape route which at times makes me drive an extra 10 miles and takes me an extra 30 mins to get to work than if I just sat for 5 mins in a queue to get through the lights.

I sometimes pull over and shout at myself for being so bloody stupid, but it only gets me frustrated and upset.

I dread the drive to and from work and now I leave the house at 6.30 am getting me to work at 7am sometimes just to miss the initial rush. I dont actually start until 8am, so the colleagues think I am dedicated............................little do they know :D

[keef737]

I started to have panic attacks 3-5 a day nearly always the same times and I found i was suffering from 2 things one the obvious was panic attacks, in the begining I ddint realise that my minds system was also effected I also learned that the second thing that was effecting me was the way I was reacting to these moments that is in the begining I became very sensititve and nervous of any slight change I became a person taking part in the panic process, being swept along by events. The wonderfull thing about no more panic is that it tells you no one has ever died from these situations the more i read the forums and found answers asked questions and gained knowledge the more peace of mind I found, and when you have that peace of mind you are your nearly back to normal ! so read on it helps !!!! and its wonderfull !!!
keith