Yup, I know lots of people suffer with this and we're supposed to fight it and keep doing it until the panicking stops. But I just find that so hard to fathom right now because it happened again today and fight it as I might, I really think if I hadn't gotten off the highway, there may have been an accident.

Intellectually I know that the highway is probably safer than city streets. And the driving should be MORE relaxing, because there are no kids or dogs darting out between parked cars, there is no chance of someone running a stop sign or red light and side-swiping me, everyone is going in a straight line in the same direction, etc. etc. It should be a MORE relaxing drive, but the friggin' panic sets in so fast and then I freeze and feel like I will faint. Yes, I forced myself to breathe, I tried EFT tapping, I tried doing mental math problems in my head for distraction, but I HAD to get off the next exit. I am trying to analyze what it is about a highway that causes the panic and all I come up with is that I am now conditioned to panic since it's happened so many times.

But here's the other puzzling thing: some days, I can get on the highway singing and whistling as if it's the most pleasant task in the world, and other days, I freeze up as I'm getting on the entrance ramp. My stress levels are pretty much the same every day now that I've stopped working, so why was today such a horrible day for me? Nothing is bothering me mentally or emotionally.

So, I am tempted to just accept that at this ripe old age that I should only take back roads to any destination I need to get to and stop punishing myself by trying the highway all the time. The other part of me thinks it would be so nice to be free of this - I'm thinking maybe a hypnotist could help?

Thoughts / comments?
Sue