driving problems

[mazz]

Hi there just wanted to know how many people suffer from not driving because of anxiety. Ive always been fine no problems at all until the past 3 weeks .I get in the car fine but as soon as iam off the drive i start to panic , living on the what ifs!!! My legs go to jelly and the heart pounds badly.Its stopping me going out and i dont and cant let that happen.Ive just put myself back on escitalopram and the anxiety is through the roof at the moment which isnt helping i know. I also start cbt this month so iam hoping that will help.Do any of you get this and did you beat it .Thanks for listening.Mazz.

[tara]

Hi Mazz, I know there is a post on here from nicola (nomorepanic) who suffered/sufferes with anxiety/panic attacks whilst driving. She is having CBT for it and keeps a diary of her progress...tips and how to cope on here. I'm useless at finding things on here but i'm sure someone else will kindly put a link on here for you. Tara x

Smile...it confuses people.

[Coral]

Hi Mazz

I do a lot of driving but I find that my obsessive thoughts are always bad when I'm driving because my mind is able to start over-thinking. I try to focus on what is in front of me, being aware of my surroundings and not let my mind wander. this helps when i am able to do this.

Hope the CBT is helpful x

[tracyp584]

Mazzarooni,

I'm totally the same as you know, and find music a great distraction. Find a good cd and whack it up loud and sing to your hearts content! That or have a hands free for your mobile, as that sometines helps too.

Right with ya mate,

tracy x x



Every time you avoid your fears they become stronger,every time you face your fears they become weaker.

[honeybee3939]

HI Mazz,

Im sorry to hear you are not too good at the moment, i too have a problem driving but it is getting easier, i have learnt alot of good techniques thanks to this site, Nics CBT diary as been a great help for me too, like tara i am unsure how to put the weblink on also, i hope someone who is more pc literate will do it for you !!.
I find what works well for me while driving especially at road holdups and traffic lights etc is to make words out of car number plates, it seems to distract me from the anxiety.

Hope that helps

Love

Andrea
xxx

[eeyorelover]

Hi Mazz -
here's the link to Nic's CBT diary....
[Link removed invalid url]

Hope it helps
xxx
Sandy

[nomorepanic]

Hi Mazz

Well my driving post is here. It is long so you may want to skip through the replies I get and just read my posts lol!

CBT therapy for driving problems - my diary

There are these other posts as well....

Hi new member mom w/ panic and dp/dr
Driving
driving phobia
Hi, I am new and need re-assurance
Panic - When driving
Panic attacks while driving

My tips for coping whilst driving on this page.....

How to cope with Panic Attacks, Anxiety, Phobias and OCD

Nicola

[mazz]

HI thanks for the replys iam reading Nics post now .Thanks to Trac too i know you are the same and we can always help each other when shes not bidding on my e bay items lol.

[Lonely Lu]

Hi Mazz,

I had my first panic attack whilst driving, and thought I was having a heart attack. I just about managed to drive the car (very slowly) home, but for months I relied on buses, which I hated going on. The doc gave me diazapam for the panic attacks, and eventually I decided to take my car for a very short drive - just up the road and back. I was dreading driving the road where I'd first ahd an attack, so I chose a different route and eventually managed to drive to the nearest town, 11 miles away. I felt such a sense of achievement.

Where I am now is that this was 10 years ago, and I still can't drive on Motorways because the sheer width of them scares me and makes me feel spaced out and heady. I can manage our local by-pass as it's only 2 lanes, but still sometimes I reach a certain part of it and feel the spaced out feeling coming on, so I wind the window down (whatever the weather!) and, like Tracy, turn my music up and sing loudly. This helps a great deal, although if you heard my singing you'd realise that anyone passing by at the time certainly wouldn't be benefitting!

Lu x

[kate]

Well, I don't do motorways, fog, snow, ice, apart from that, no prob's with driving at all!! [8D]

Kate

"Everybody's changing and I don't feel the same"