Anxiety And Driving.

[Eleanor]

HOORAY GIZMO! (clapclapclapclapclap!!!!!!)

How awesome you are:tup:

So sorry it is a tragic anniversary. :cry: Shouldn't happen to anyone. (((((((gizmo)))))))

 

[Deleted member 12723]

Smushroom you are the best!!! Thank you
Albatross you are the best!!! Thank you
Eleanor you are the best!!!!Thank you.

I get to do this next Tuesday. It will be the real test, I will be driving for a hour. i have a psych appt. for me and my husband sees a new neurologist. We will get a mocha frappe afterward. Mabe I will find something fun for us to do afterward.

Now I have to diffuse the pre-driving jitters. I get scared before hand, and then it calms down. i can do this.

 

[Smushroom]

You CAN do this! Have you thought about listening to some calming/meditative music while driving? I'm sure there's also some anxiety hypnosis stuff out there, but I'm not researched enough to comment. Anything to lessen the anxiety while you drive must be a good thing.

Good luck! :)

 

[Deleted member 12723]

(((Smushroom)))
I will take soothing music with me on Tuesday. I will take some sweets. I can do this. This writing it down and getting such good help and support has made a profound difference in my life.

I am open to any tips to help me to curb the anxiety. I have been having such success. It is the pre-driving jitters I now have to learn how to conquer. I will write about the pre-driving jitters.

I get scared. I get afraid. It is free floating and not attached to anything. I think I have had such bad times driving and I am afraid it will come back. But it isn't coming back. I need to talk to myself more positively. I need to do visualize the good outcome. I am doing so much better. I want to be like I used to be.

When I did'nt have any problems driving at all. I want that back. I do not want to be stuck with the anxiety before I drive. I will write on this more later.

 

[Seeka]

I haven't really drove since November of 2010 because of how bad my driving anxiety has gotten. I actually started having panic attacks that mimicked a seizure causing me to black out....while driving. Luckily I was never hurt or never hurt anyone else but it really could have been bad. I would get a feeling of vertigo when driving between cars or down steep hills that have guard rails. The dizziness would consume me, I'd start to sweat and then the panic would set it, I felt powerless. My boyfriend has been trying to get me to drive again, he'll let me do small things like once we get into our neighborhood he'll pull over and let me drive the rest of the way. I've found that music is a huge deal, I have to listen to feel good music when driving and I always try to find ways to get to places that avoid highways or having to do turn-a rounds. I also try to plan around traffic and always make sure that my phone is turned off. Best of luck to you.

 

[Deleted member 12723]

Hi Seeka-
Driving anxiety is insidious. I really feel for you. I wish I could not take the freeway but it is the only way to get to where I want to go.

I am so very sad how this has affected you. I am proud of you for continuing to try on a smaller scale. Thank you for sharing your experiences with me. I sure hope you have some real success with your driving too. Cyber hug.

 

[melody]

If you practicing thinking like this, does it reduce the anxiety?

Gizmo, I'm not sure if this helped you to the extent it has me, but I hope so.

We got another dog (puppy) almost two weeks ago and it's been a little overwhelming. I haven't been able to go out (even if I wanted too), because she seems to think the crate is for pooping and I can't trust her outside of the crate (when I go out), because she's teething. Anyway, my husband and I needed some stuff from the grocery store and my husband suggested I do it because he figured I needed a break. It was last minute, I was having a particularly bad day and the thought stopped me in my tracks. I immediately started crying at the though, but he held me as he encouraged me and then out of nowhere, I heard Eleanor's words. As I got ready, I repeated her words and kept telling myself I was lucky to be able to go out and that I COULD drive. And even though it was difficult, I changed my thinking into being grateful, instead of being terrified and I did it.

Hope this is working just as well for you as it is for me, Gizmo. Thank you Eleanor, for your advice! (((Hugs)))

 

[Eleanor]

Go Melody, Oh yeah! Go Melody! WOOO HOOO!!!! Way to go! How awesome is THAT?!?!? Happy Dance!!!!

I may have handed you the tool box - but you build the shed!:tup: And what super support from your husband! Hurray!

@Seeka - I am sorry you are having such a rough time with this too:(. Kudos to you and your boyfriend for working a good desensitization plan! Very wise of him and brave of you. Keep going, it will get better!

And GOSH GIZMO! How brilliant of you to start this thread:tup::tup::tup: Who knew?

 

[melody]

Thank you for the happy dance Eleanor! I think we should do one for Gizmo too for starting this thread!

As for my husband - he honestly is the best!

 

[Deleted member 12723]

Thanks guys. I get to drive to different places on Tues. I am not suffering pre-driving jitters so far.
Melody, I will try to practice gratitude on these things and hopefully turn these things around.

Theplaces I will be driving are places I am familiar with. I haven't driven to the hospital for a very long time. I do not park in the parking garage, it is triggering for me. Mabe because it is in an enclosed space.

Then it will take me an hour to drive home.

But I have had some successes, and I look forward to having more successes. Mabe I will get back what I lost. I sure hope so. Thank you all for all of your help, support, advise, validation and celebrations. I'm sure I couldn't have done this without you. Happy Dance on the success.

 

[The Albatross]

Gizmo,

You can use rational thought now to dispute the pre-driving jitters based on your driving experiences. Keep practicing ... it can happen.:tup:

 

[Deleted member 12723]

Well tommorow is the test, I have to go to my psychiatrist appointment, and then get in the car and drive farther to the hospital for my husband to have a neurology appointment. Albatross I am using rational thought on the pre-driving jitters with some success.

I visualize coming home. I will be done.

Having said that I also know my linits. We have to go far away for some tests for my husband for his disability with the insurance company. I will take a cab. It will be a 2 day test, both tests will be 8 hours long besides the drive. I know my limits. I do not know where this place is and I don't dare drive us.Luckily the insurance company will pay for the cabs.

I hate doing it, but the tests are so long, and I do not know how long the drive will be yet. It does seem like a step back. We did this last year, he only had 1 test to do, it was a functional capacity test. MY husband is permenetly disabled but they have to test him every year to make sure. It sure makes me angry, because we are dealing with so much and we need that disablilty check.

Anyway I got off topic. I will report back on Tuesday after I drive. It will be a litmus test. I feel bad because I am too afraid to try to drive to the tests on the 16th and 18th of May. But it will be a relief to get some help, so I consider myself fortunate that they are taking care of it. i am grateful for the help. I will enjoy getting a break. Oh well thanks for all of the help and support. It has made a profound difference in my driving. I just feel like a failure for getting the cabs for the test. I feel like a failure.