Panic Attack and Driving.

[tabbycap]

Hey yall! I am Tabby! I am 23 years old, married with two baby girls (1&3)! I started suffering from anxiety attacks after my oldest was born! However, at the time I didn't know what they were and literally thought I was dying from some crazy heart disease! In the past almost 4 years I've basically been struggling through attacks on my own because I was too scared to tell anyone or see a doctor! I've been to the ER twice with chest pains and finally was diagnosed with GAD.
The whole time I have had increased anxiety in a vehicle and especially when I'm driving! However, a few months ago it got very bad! I was driving my girls home from Arkansas on a very curvy road. I all of the sudden felt like I was going to pass out! It was so overwhelming and there was nowhere for me to pull over! I finally swerved off of the side of the road and jumped out of my car and was able to get ahold of my husband to tell him where I was and whAt was going on! It was terrifying! I just knew I was going to pass out in the middle of nowhere and my children be kidnapped or something else!! However, I never passed out and my mother in law was able to come meet me and drive us home! Since then.. Even driving a minute up the road causes me such overwhelming fear!
Sometimes I have panic attacks out of the vehicle but never as bad! I suffer with anxiety all day every day! I can usually talk myself down out of a severe attack but sometimes i just lose control and have one! This terrifies me bc im a work from home mom. So I'm always here alone with my girls and my biggest fear is passing out while they're here with me alone! I've never passed out from an attack but the feeling gets so overwhelming sometimes I just wish I would!!
I am on 20 MG of Citalopram which worked wonders for me for a few weeks and then I missed one dose 3 weeks ago and haven't been the same since! Anyway! Thanks for reading! This is me! And my background with anxiety in a nutshell im basically wondering if anyone else suffers from severe panic attacks while driving thT could give me some advice??? It's ruining my life!! Thank you!!

[sl1nky]

I can't drive, but sitting in a car is enough to make me feel really woozy and sick, even if it hasn't set off yet sorta like a motion sickness feeling.

Maybe try distracting yourself when you get in the car by putting on some music and singing along, mumble if you don't know the lyrics, it might help you distract yourself from thinking about having a panic attack while driving

[tabbycap]

It's gotten so bad that I have them when I'm a passenger too!! I find singing actually makes it harder! Because then I feel like I'm not getting any air! It's so weird! I've tried blasting the air in my face and everything and nothing really works 😩

[Pepperpot]

Awww. Because you've had such a bad experience of a panic attack whilst in the car, I think you're now associating being in the car with having an attack, so it's like you're always waiting/expecting to have one. CBT should help you I reckon. X

[tabbycap]

You're exactly right!! The #1 reason I have an attack is from fear of having another attack!! Whenever they were really bad before I would just wait up at night after everyone fell asleep waiting for my next attack! 😞😞

[Jenny_wren]

After I had a massive panic attack whilst driving my car almost 2 years ago I now can't drive by myself. I'm Okish if I have my 'safe person' with me. I really want to get over this fear as I can't do anything with my children.

[tabbycap]

After I had a massive panic attack whilst driving my car almost 2 years ago I now can't drive by myself. I'm Okish if I have my 'safe person' with me. I really want to get over this fear as I can't do anything with my children.

I'm the same way!! Somedays I can drive miles if I have someone with me and other days I have to pull over and let them drive 😩! I can't leave the house with my girls and go do something just the three of us! Not even to the grocery store! It's terrible!! I've driven for YEARS with no problems! No accidents or tickets and now all of the sudden in the past 3 years I've developed this!

[catsandnaps]

Hi Tabbycap! Driving is a scary thing for me, too, and I used to LOVE to drive. I don't always have full blown panic attacks when I drive, but I usually get my thinking going, and I end up lightheaded with tunnel vision and always fearful I'm going to lose control. I'm not afraid of driving itself, but I'm afraid of having a panic attack while driving. So I'm afraid of something that may or may not happen.
I've started the process of relearning to drive, with some tips from my therapist. When I drive alone, I have someone on standby knowing I am driving and if I need to talk, I could call them, and they will encourage me. Music doesn't help, and I think music makes me worse. Instead, I like listening to standup comedians or stories of some sort (This American Life from NPR is my favorite). Also, eating a snack and driving seems to help -- not sure if it helps raise my blood sugar or just gives me something to think about. I also give myself extra extra time to get somewhere so if I need to pull over and breathe, I don't feel guilty for doing that. Also, taking another person who understands my condition and will encourage me is helpful.
I've canceled so many plans because I didn't want to drive, so for me, relearning how to drive is a priority. And from what I've been told and what I've experienced, the only way I'll ever drive normally again is to do it.
Don't be so hard on yourself, you will OVERCOME this, it will just take time and patience.

[tabbycap]

Hi Tabbycap! Driving is a scary thing for me, too, and I used to LOVE to drive. I don't always have full blown panic attacks when I drive, but I usually get my thinking going, and I end up lightheaded with tunnel vision and always fearful I'm going to lose control. I'm not afraid of driving itself, but I'm afraid of having a panic attack while driving. So I'm afraid of something that may or may not happen.
I've started the process of relearning to drive, with some tips from my therapist. When I drive alone, I have someone on standby knowing I am driving and if I need to talk, I could call them, and they will encourage me. Music doesn't help, and I think music makes me worse. Instead, I like listening to standup comedians or stories of some sort (This American Life from NPR is my favorite). Also, eating a snack and driving seems to help -- not sure if it helps raise my blood sugar or just gives me something to think about. I also give myself extra extra time to get somewhere so if I need to pull over and breathe, I don't feel guilty for doing that. Also, taking another person who understands my condition and will encourage me is helpful.
I've canceled so many plans because I didn't want to drive, so for me, relearning how to drive is a priority. And from what I've been told and what I've experienced, the only way I'll ever drive normally again is to do it.
Don't be so hard on yourself, you will OVERCOME this, it will just take time and patience.

This sounds like me to a T! I used to love to drive! Literally, I would drive 100s of miles without a care in the world! I'm not afraid of driving either, but I am so overwhelmed with fear of having an attack while driving that I let it keep me from doing so many things!! I love that "make it a priority!" Its something im going to donate ALOT of time to instead of being afraid! I can't even go a block down the road anymore without fearing losing control! And even though I know I can pull over I don't want to. I feel almost defeated when I pull over! Plus I don't know how long each particular attack will last or how long I will be on the side of the road! I am so honored to hear everyone's stories!! It helps me SO much to know I am not alone and not going crazy!!