wellshivermetimbers
12-01-10, 18:13
Hi guys and girls,
One of my biggest situational fears that makes me suffer from anxiety and panic attacks is travelling in a car. I do not drive so this is a fear of panicking generally whilst in a car, especially on long journeys or what i consider to be long journeys as we all must agree that when panicking, 5 minutes can seem like 15 or 20 minutes. I had a PA during a car journey once and ever since that time, i dread the majority of car journeys and suffer from anxiety and panic during the journey mainly because i have anticipated it beforehand. I think it must be a fear of claustrophobia and not been able to escape that triggers the uncertainty and i build this so massive in my own mind that when it comes to the car journey itself, i experience exactly what i had predicted would happen. I don't know if i am alone with this fear. To me it is just so irrational as it is something people without anxiety don't even consider and here i am making it one of the biggest things in my life. This angers me so much. I just want to go in a car and not have a PA. When i say that to myself it appears so easy but it is a completely different kettle of fish as soon as i sit in that back seat and strap myself in. I fidget, pull at the skin on my leg, constantly take things out of the carrier bag i take with me on car journeys such as books or magazines and then out them back in the bag after realising my anxiety is so intense that i can't even focus on the book which is there to distract my attention. I go through all this whilst my breathing is difficult, my heart races and i start to feel numb in one side of my face. If that wasn't bad enough, i always, when anxious about a car journey, tend to see or be trailing behind an ambulance and this heightens the anxiety even more so. I sound so doom and gloom like so i am sorry about that.
It is especially bad when i know the journey isn't a really short one and i fear being in the middle lane of a 3 lane road as i think of this like "If i thought it was going to be hard enough asking the driver to stop when we are just on a single lane road, how on earth am i going to do this in the middle lane of a 3 lane road" cue anxiety and worried feelings. I do hope someone out there can associate with me re this whole ordeal. Traffic lights and traffic jams are another anticipatory fear.
I have suffered with PAs generally since i was 19 in September 2001 when a friend of the family, who had to my knowledge been well, collapsed and started fitting whilst on holiday in Torremolinos, Spain. I witnessed this and even though she is absolutely fine now, this was how it all started for me. Over time, anxiety became a mainstay in my life and has had an undesirable effect on my life by causing agoraphobia, hypochondria, social anxiety and as mentioned anticipatory anxiety.
I take no meds and don't really wish to start for my own personal reasons. People have to do what they have to do and so if you need to take meds, do whatever you have to to get through this terrible affliction that tends to blight our lives.
What i would like if possible is if anyone can tell me about any tried and tested ways to reduce panic and anxiety during car journeys (as a passenger). If you distract yourself, how can you make sure panic doesn't rear its ugly head again and break that distraction. Are there any rituals you go through prior to a journey which you find aids you and really calms you down when nervous about a car journey?
I fear the lightheaded, passing out sensations the most whilst in a situation such as the one i have highlighted in this post. Fainting is a massive worry and this is because this is what happened to my family friend back in 2001 and so that original problem with her is what has lasted these last 9 years with me. I read in some articles that it is hard, nearly impossible to faint during a panic attack and then i hear something that totally states the opposite. I used to be a right googler but have got better now. But now i just tend to inadvertently come across news reports about people dying young or some other medical problem. So whereas i don't google health concerns anymore, they come to me more now haha. I don't know if anyone else has experienced that. Then there are family members who may know of my afflction but don't know the severity of it. My nan for instance likes to tell us tales about friends she knows who have had angina problems or strokes. Once she even said, whilst i was deep down suffering a panic attack at a meal at a restaurant for my nan's birthday "You don't have to be old to have a stroke you know?!" its like the worst thing to say to me, or i would say any of us panic sufferers when in this situation.
I do despite what i say get on with life as much as i possibly can but as i said, if anyone can offer any advice re the car journey i would so very greatly appreciate it :o)
Sorry for boring the pants off of anyone with this epic post.
God Bless You All
Dave
Birmingham
UK
One of my biggest situational fears that makes me suffer from anxiety and panic attacks is travelling in a car. I do not drive so this is a fear of panicking generally whilst in a car, especially on long journeys or what i consider to be long journeys as we all must agree that when panicking, 5 minutes can seem like 15 or 20 minutes. I had a PA during a car journey once and ever since that time, i dread the majority of car journeys and suffer from anxiety and panic during the journey mainly because i have anticipated it beforehand. I think it must be a fear of claustrophobia and not been able to escape that triggers the uncertainty and i build this so massive in my own mind that when it comes to the car journey itself, i experience exactly what i had predicted would happen. I don't know if i am alone with this fear. To me it is just so irrational as it is something people without anxiety don't even consider and here i am making it one of the biggest things in my life. This angers me so much. I just want to go in a car and not have a PA. When i say that to myself it appears so easy but it is a completely different kettle of fish as soon as i sit in that back seat and strap myself in. I fidget, pull at the skin on my leg, constantly take things out of the carrier bag i take with me on car journeys such as books or magazines and then out them back in the bag after realising my anxiety is so intense that i can't even focus on the book which is there to distract my attention. I go through all this whilst my breathing is difficult, my heart races and i start to feel numb in one side of my face. If that wasn't bad enough, i always, when anxious about a car journey, tend to see or be trailing behind an ambulance and this heightens the anxiety even more so. I sound so doom and gloom like so i am sorry about that.
It is especially bad when i know the journey isn't a really short one and i fear being in the middle lane of a 3 lane road as i think of this like "If i thought it was going to be hard enough asking the driver to stop when we are just on a single lane road, how on earth am i going to do this in the middle lane of a 3 lane road" cue anxiety and worried feelings. I do hope someone out there can associate with me re this whole ordeal. Traffic lights and traffic jams are another anticipatory fear.
I have suffered with PAs generally since i was 19 in September 2001 when a friend of the family, who had to my knowledge been well, collapsed and started fitting whilst on holiday in Torremolinos, Spain. I witnessed this and even though she is absolutely fine now, this was how it all started for me. Over time, anxiety became a mainstay in my life and has had an undesirable effect on my life by causing agoraphobia, hypochondria, social anxiety and as mentioned anticipatory anxiety.
I take no meds and don't really wish to start for my own personal reasons. People have to do what they have to do and so if you need to take meds, do whatever you have to to get through this terrible affliction that tends to blight our lives.
What i would like if possible is if anyone can tell me about any tried and tested ways to reduce panic and anxiety during car journeys (as a passenger). If you distract yourself, how can you make sure panic doesn't rear its ugly head again and break that distraction. Are there any rituals you go through prior to a journey which you find aids you and really calms you down when nervous about a car journey?
I fear the lightheaded, passing out sensations the most whilst in a situation such as the one i have highlighted in this post. Fainting is a massive worry and this is because this is what happened to my family friend back in 2001 and so that original problem with her is what has lasted these last 9 years with me. I read in some articles that it is hard, nearly impossible to faint during a panic attack and then i hear something that totally states the opposite. I used to be a right googler but have got better now. But now i just tend to inadvertently come across news reports about people dying young or some other medical problem. So whereas i don't google health concerns anymore, they come to me more now haha. I don't know if anyone else has experienced that. Then there are family members who may know of my afflction but don't know the severity of it. My nan for instance likes to tell us tales about friends she knows who have had angina problems or strokes. Once she even said, whilst i was deep down suffering a panic attack at a meal at a restaurant for my nan's birthday "You don't have to be old to have a stroke you know?!" its like the worst thing to say to me, or i would say any of us panic sufferers when in this situation.
I do despite what i say get on with life as much as i possibly can but as i said, if anyone can offer any advice re the car journey i would so very greatly appreciate it :o)
Sorry for boring the pants off of anyone with this epic post.
God Bless You All
Dave
Birmingham
UK