Attack while driving :(

[nrenz123]

I had a horrible experience while attempting to drive back to work this evening :(

I have been having panic attacks for about 4 years now, I tend to worry about my health, I always think the worst whenever I get Ill which just seems to stress me out further.

The symptoms I have generally are chest pain, numbness and pins and needles in my body, heart palpitations and diarrhea. Whenever I'm out of the house or not in surroundings I know there is a toilet by I nearly always need to rush to the toilet, I have to carry immodium in my wallet just to get me by :(

I have been to see a doctor about the heart palpulations, after several tests I was told I have a heart murmur which I have been told is nothing to worry about, still it only adds fuel to the fire knowing I have the murmur.

I have had a bad chest now for about two weeks and this evening while driving back to work I noticed it was getting painfull while breathing, I said to myself I have probably just pulled a muscle from all the coughing but it started a slippery slope to one of my worst panic attacks for a long time.

It was dark and wet outside (I'm not a fan of night driving as it is after a big crash several years ago) I started feeling short if breath and very light headed, with the chest pain and pins and needles, followed by an immediate urge to go to the toilet. I couldn't pull over as there was roadworks on the motorway so I was stuck. I was getting quite anxious by this point and I felt like I was going to pass out.

Fortunately I was able to pull over at the next junction and got out if the car and just tried to calm myself down, I really didn't feel up to driving the rest if the way. I was about 30 miles into a 110 mile trip and had no choice but to go back to my parents where I started.

I had to stop another two times on the way back to my mums due to feeling light headed it was not a nice trip at all!

I've had to call in sick at work and I'm going to the doctors first thing tomorrow!

[nrenz123]

Ps sorry for going on a bit!

[kallie0509]

i used to have panic attacks everytime i was driving on the interstate(scary!) and one time it was so i bad, i was driving my daughter on a trip that took over an hour and i had to pull off 4 different times and i was crying and really freaking her out and she was only 4 years old. poor little thing, she didn't know what in the world i was going through!

[Angelai]

I just don't drive the car more than about 8 miles, generally. I can go further, but have to wear sea bands and take anti-sickness pills, and do deep breathing and distraction activities.

Motorways are the worse. The first time I had an attack on the motorway I was in the outside lane, I was straight across the other 2 lanes and stopped on the hard shoulder so fast (I did check first, and there weren't any squealing tyres or horns or fist shakes...)

I find it's usually worse when there is someone in the car with me. I think it started about 15 years ago, and I have no idea where it came from :shrug:

[sue681]

Hello
I know exactly how you felt , i also had a massive panic attack while driving It was awful it stopped me from driving for months , even now i panic like mad if i have to go on a long drive and if i have to go on the road where it happened i feel my heart going again and i need to breath into a bag.It is gettin easier but that fear is still there all the time...we cant let it rule our lives !

sue xx

[1978spn]

90% of all my attacks happen while driving, and i drive a 40 tonne articulated lorry for a living ! so you can imagine the problems it causes.

Luckily or maybe un-lucky for me it has only just started so the doctors are still doing tests, and i'm praying that i can get it under control. Its already cost me my job a few weeks before Christmas.

as someone else said it cant rule your life but as i'm finding out somtimes its just not that easy.

[Granny Primark]

I had my first panic attack whilst I was working as a community carer. I was running late for a call and got stuck in a traffic jam.
It took my hubby 1 hour and 20 mins to come and get me.
Unfortunately it scared me so much I had to pack in my job.
I do still drive but darent go too far away home in case it happens again.

[leigh08]

i'm taking driving lessons at the moment and before the instructor even turns up i am slightly panicky, it gets worse when i start messing up in the lesson and it becomes a snowball effect.

[valleybear]

I have had several severe panic attacks while driving. As I am on my own and all the family I have are 300 miles away I have had to try to master this over the years. Once I was stuck in a motorway services for hours , just saying, on the phone " I can't do it!!" Now, I am much better but start out every journey by saying, " I will just go to XXX and if I don't feel good, I will turn back" Then I say the same thing, naming the next place etc etc. About halfway I usually feel much better and, reminding myself that I can stop anywhere if I need to, I generally make it to destination OK.
I know it is not as simple as that for many of you and for years I was the same, just want to offer hope that, someday, it may get better. Best wishes anyway. XXXXX

[buffybot]

Hi

I get attacks while driving especially in an area I don't know and I am having to use a map to find somewhere and then my mind goes blank the last thing you need when trying to concerntrate!

[nomorepanic]

Hi there

Have a read of my story...

http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/articles/mystory/

[vinnie69]

I had a horrible experience while attempting to drive back to work this evening :(

I have been having panic attacks for about 4 years now, I tend to worry about my health, I always think the worst whenever I get Ill which just seems to stress me out further.

The symptoms I have generally are chest pain, numbness and pins and needles in my body, heart palpitations and diarrhea. Whenever I'm out of the house or not in surroundings I know there is a toilet by I nearly always need to rush to the toilet, I have to carry immodium in my wallet just to get me by :(

I have been to see a doctor about the heart palpulations, after several tests I was told I have a heart murmur which I have been told is nothing to worry about, still it only adds fuel to the fire knowing I have the murmur.

I have had a bad chest now for about two weeks and this evening while driving back to work I noticed it was getting painfull while breathing, I said to myself I have probably just pulled a muscle from all the coughing but it started a slippery slope to one of my worst panic attacks for a long time.

It was dark and wet outside (I'm not a fan of night driving as it is after a big crash several years ago) I started feeling short if breath and very light headed, with the chest pain and pins and needles, followed by an immediate urge to go to the toilet. I couldn't pull over as there was roadworks on the motorway so I was stuck. I was getting quite anxious by this point and I felt like I was going to pass out.

Fortunately I was able to pull over at the next junction and got out if the car and just tried to calm myself down, I really didn't feel up to driving the rest if the way. I was about 30 miles into a 110 mile trip and had no choice but to go back to my parents where I started.

I had to stop another two times on the way back to my mums due to feeling light headed it was not a nice trip at all!

I've had to call in sick at work and I'm going to the doctors first thing tomorrow! from vinnie69 just to say i have been suffering with panic attacks for the last 20 years,have been driving for 10 years, at first i was freaking over the panic but after getting the hang of driving i convinced myself that when im out in my car that im ok and my car is my saftey net, i can drive for miles and panic wont even come into my mind but i could be walking down the street and an attck could occur, so i think if u could say to urself like i did,its all about u ,u have to learn urself some comfort zones ie ur car, ur home, and hopefully u cuold be back out driving again, ps dont give-up