car journeys causing chest tightness??

[**whenwillthisend**]

hi im wondering if anyone of you has experienced this....
im not scared of driving and do everyday(not far though) but for some reason about half way through my journey i get chest tightness and feel like im going to struggle to breathe..but i dont know why..i can get in the car feel ok then on it comes slowly..
why is this happening? i get chest tightness most days when i start to worry or panic but when im in the car most times i dont feel im worried...im beginning to start thinking now every time i get in the car im gonna get chest tightness at some point in this journey, and im scared i will start panicing in the car one day..
sorry to waffle on can anyone help!?

[jdoody]

Hi, yeh I used to get this a few months ago its passed now but at the time I would stick on my favourite CD and sing like a nutter, seemed to do the trick.

J.Doody

[Shadowwin]

Hiyas,

It sounds like to me (who has had tons of panic or near panic in the car) that you may get anxious when your driving.. Now not all panic attacks are the kind that send you running for a corner to wait it out some can be low level attacks that just make you a wee bit jittery.. Music as mentioned is helpful even if I have someone in the car with me I tend to have the radio up singing like a loon along with it.. I also count the bumps on the steering wheel when I drive or fidget with a necklace or the hair tie I keep around my wrist.. The problem with driving is even though we have to stay alert to the road the motion of the car.. coupled with if we are driving a familiar root that doesn't require a lot of thinking allows us room to drift off into our thoughts. which we do without really realizing we do it..

~Trina

[RunsFromBugs]

I often get this too. Sucks but helps if I always have someting to drink or eat on me. I always keep a water bottel in the car and a pack of crackers or something too.

[missacorah]

I think once it happens at a certain point there is a tendency for yuo to think its gonna happen every time at that place. Its the same with me when I visit my local town centre. I always go and return by taxi as Im not at the buses stage yet and every time without fail at this same area give or take a few feet, I feel faint and nauseous and I think its because I am not close to either of the 2 taxi ranks. There are 2, one at either end of the town centre and I fell jittery cos I am near nither and cannot 'escape ' quickly if I need to!

[nomorepanic]

A lot of this is anticipatory anxiety as you are waiting for the feelings to come and as expected they do.

If you start off the journey each time with some slow breathing in through the nose and out the mouth so you are calming yourself before the panic comes then this will help.

Try and let us know how it goes.

All you are doing is associating a situation with a physical symptom and once you can accept that you are bringing it on it will lessen.

Nicola

[kazzie]

hi i have had frequent panic attacks when driving always in a place where stopping isent an option like motorways roundabouts etc but you will be fine because something makes you stay in cintrol because it would be dangerous if you werent!!! control even!!! just try not to anticipate the panic and in time it will pass im sure good luck kaz