Tunnels

[Sonia_65]

Suffering with Clostrophobia,Agrophobia:

A couple of months ago I went to visit my brother who lives 15 miles away,which I hardly do. We have to drive through a tunnel to get there, but cos I can't go through tunnels as I panick and am clostrophobic we take the ferry which takes us over the other side of the river. The ferry closes at 8pm, so we either need to return back before 8pm or the other alternative is to come back from the motor way and go over the Dartford bridge.

Would you believe that, on this night driving back the bridge was CLOSED!!!! OMG I didn't know what to do, I kept driving, but saw the route was taking me straight into dartford tunnel, I panicked and told my daughter " i can't go through there" so I turnt left and hoped there was a way of going back to the opposite side and drive to Tower bridge, which was going to be one long drive back home. As I turnt left I looked and THANK GOD there were people working at this Bridge (night workers).

I stopped and got out of the car and explained to them that I suffer with clostrophobia and that there was no way I would be able to go through the tunnel.

They were very understanding and very helpful. They told me I had 2 options 1, they direct me back to the other side of the motor way, which would take me around an hour and a half to get back home or 2, they stop the traffic going through the tunnel and they drive in front while I drive behind and get me through it and I would be home in 20 mins to half hour.

I started panicking, but at the same time I felt guilty for my daughter as it was around 2am in the Morning and my daughter had to go to work in a few hours time! I started getting angry with myself thinking how could I not be able to go through a Tunnel. Thought about it for half hour then said Ok i will go through the tunnel on one condition...My daughter will drive the car and I will drink a bottle of wine which I had in the car and get drunk so I don't know whats going on.

I started drinking the wine one glass then 2, but it was not kicking in, out of panick i then got the bottle and started drinking quicker, cos they stopped the traffic. I was sitting in a car as a Passenger which i found hard to do and we were Going to go THROUGH a TUNNEL! something I had not done for over 15 yrs!. OMG help I thought!

I sat there shaking, my daughter started driving, no cars anywhere, I kept lifting that bottle and drinking and in that few mins I finished the whole bottle. It never kicked in fully while driving through the tunnel and within a couple of mins we were out onto the other side. OMG I thought how quick was that saved me driving back the other way for 2 hours, but by now I was DRUNK!!!! I fell asleep in the car for the 20 mins drive back home. Felt terrible, guilty, stupid etc

---------- Post added at 05:58 ---------- Previous post was at 05:36 ----------

Thinking about it, I feel was so lucky I bought a bottle of wine that day to drink with the barbecue while at my brothers ...but, noone wanted any, cos they don't drink. so I brought the wine back home with me.

God was on my side that day

[william wallace]

...noone wanted any so I brought the wine back home with me.

God was on my side that day

Are you a Scottish person?

[Sonia_65]

No, but whats your point?

[nicola1980]

well done to u for getting thro it did u have a hangover the next day?? lol xx

[Sonia_65]

Thankyou both for your replys, but I have to be honest and say I honestly can't laugh at the situatian I was in.

This is a problem I have wondering how others will look at what I suffer with and I now feel as though "it's a laughing matter"

Sonia

[nicola1980]

I didn't mean any offence at all, im so sorry if it sounded like that, u did very well, at the min im struggling to get out my front door and really don't know how i would've got thro what u did with or without wine, i prob would have just crumbled into a panicked state like i keep doing at the min, sorry if i upset u xx

---------- Post added at 13:17 ---------- Previous post was at 13:11 ----------

for instance i braved a trip to a cafe on fri with my husband but had to literally run out after 10 mins and i mean run and didn't stop till i got back to our car, sorry again xx

[william wallace]

Scottish people are noted for their thriftyness and also an ability to quaff a bottle of wine in a very short time. Sorry that you never got the exact replies we were supposed to give

[Sonia_65]

No worrys, I guess I get so upset regarding how I feel that I can't laugh about it. It really does restrict ones ability to live the life they want cos of these fears. It's sounds crazy when I think about it never mind others reading it lol

[nicola1980]

u know what when i told my mum what happened to me in the cafe on fri i actually laughed at myself for it!! its the first time ive ever done it usually im mortified but i was explaining to her how weird i must have looked to others literally running out the cafe and running thro the street to the car and i was laughing while telling her and she said 'well theres progress cause u can actually laugh about it' xx

[william wallace]

Sonia, there is no-one here that would make fun of you. The way you told the story, I thought I was having a giggle with you not at you. Anyway, well done for going through the tunnel, and for almost breaking the world record for polishing of a bottle of plonk!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kB2kgZ6R6PM