Anxiety And Driving.

[Deleted member 12723]

I get to drive again today. I do not feel anxiety at all. I am very happy about this. I am so grateful to be feeling like this. This journal has been awesome.

Oh thank you so much Eleanot. I so appreciate your support. It means so much to me. Thanks for being so kind and helpful and encouraging to me.

i hope this helps you nimkekaa as much as it has helped me. I still have a fear that it will come back but so far it has not. I have been very blessed.

 

[Tessa]

I can appreciate the anxiety. I have been afraid of driving since my aunt was killed when I was 4. I grew up and learnt to drive and,despite being a very careful driver,had a nasty roll over out in the desert. I crawled out of the car with a fractured pelvis and waited while the crows circled above.

Now I fluctuate between not being too bad to major anxiety. At the end on August I have to drive for 2 hours on a dirt track to attend a meeting. Yesterday I treated and evacuated a man who was in a serious roll over on the same road and it has increased my anxiety.

 

[Deleted member 12723]

Hi Tessa, I am sorry you were so traumatized. You have alot to overcome. I hope you read through this thread because there are so many people who deal with this problem and there are alot of tips and helpful advise. I am sorry you were traumatized yesterday. I can understand why your anxiety has increased. I feel for you having to drive 2 hours on a dirt road. My heart goes out to you. I hope you find something that works to help you out before you have to make that drive.

I had another good day. It was alittle shaky on the way there. I had a bit of anxiety. But the ride home was a breeze. I am thankful for this thread. it sure has helped me so much. I take some sweets and a glass of water and some cds and I am good to go. It is my little ritual. It helps me to remain calm.

 

[Namaste]

The driving-related anxiety has been something new for me that has started within the past two years or so. I never had a problem driving, and all of a sudden after a minor accident with my mother in her car (which was not our fault) I have been terrified of getting behind the wheel. It's a shame, too, because I love classic cars/hot rods and driving.

I'd say this accident was about 3 years after I was diagnosed, and I hadn't had any troubles up until then.

I am okay with local driving to an extent - I'm in NJ and it's pretty congested in certain areas. When I have to even THINK about getting on the highway (Turnpike, Parkway), I immediately break down and go into panic attacks.

Silly things like I can't wear sunglasses while I drive because I'm nervous I'll miss something and have an accident, or irrational fears that every car that drives past me is going to lose a tire and kill us in the car. I have touched on some of this with my T. but I don't know....

I am feeling for those of you stuck in the grip of this, it truly is awful. Big hugs to everyone.

 

[Deleted member 12723]

(((Namaste))) I am so sorry you have to deal with this. It is a horrible thing. I hope it gets easier for you. I hope you find the way to overcome this. Big hugs.

 

[souljah]

Drove to a course one hour away early morning, already had aniexty about going, nothing like hundreds of cyclists on a windey road to make your knuckles that little bit whiter!!! I personally blame the tour de france and Cadel Evans for the ever multiplying, highly vunerable healthy people on the road !!! Lol!! Drive back much more easier due to complete de- sensetization by the unaware cyclists ( unawares to the panic each one was giving me !) an the great radio station that was celebrating Jamacia' s 50 years of Independence and playing classic regaee old skool. Music is an amazing healer in it's own right whether you are listening or playing. My personal instrutment of choice is drumming african and conga's mainly fantastic for getting into medative state and releasing lots of energetic build up.

 

[Deleted member 12723]

I had to drive on the freeway today. For the very first time I felt like the old me before anxiety and the driving phobia. I was just driving. Like I used to. Not thinking about it. I am so happy. Today was the best driving day I have had in a year. This thread has helped me so much.

I am so happy and so relieved. I have come along way. Thanks to all of you who responded with all of your help, support, and encouragement and tips and advise.

 

[a3a2]

So happy for you, gizmo!!!!!!!!!!! Keep up the good work!!!!!!!

 

[youbetsya]

I am enchanted with this place- so much good advice. I have been unable to drive in years and have trouble being a passenger- everything flies by too fast and makes me sick. I am very blessed to have a supportive, safe spouse. I find I can do things like a Dr. appt. with a safe person. Wish they would legitimize dogs for safe escorts to help folks with anxiety. Like guide dogs that could go with you anywhere. That would be wonderful No telling what I could do.

 

[Deleted member 12723]

Well I am not feeling so good and I get to drive tommorow. I am writing here to get out some of my anxiety. I will not have anxiety medication because I ran out. I will do the best I can. I am going to pick up prescriptions. I wish I could do something fun afterward besides getting a mocha frappe. I love to be able to drive now. It goes too fast. I am doing so much better than I was. I guess it was exposure therapy. I just kept on doing it. I take the things that help make the drive more pleasurable. I do not know if I will go by myself or not. It depends on whethor or not my husband is sick.

I come back here because this thread has become a security blanket. I do not have pre driving jitters. I will be ok. I am just afraid that it will come back. I hope it does not. I have overcome so much. In thanks to the support of others here. I am feeling depressed, a side affect of the emdr. It will pass. I wish I could not fear at all. I want to be the kind of driver i was before. I am glad we moved out of the mountains and everything is flat. It is a straight shot. It will be on a Friday. I hope it is not windy tommorow. I am just writing out my fears. I will be ok.

 

[EricaBritt]

I have major anxiety when I drive. I have this fear every time I go through a traffic light that it's gonna change before I get through it and I am not gonna be able to stop in time. I absolutely hate driving! I love going on road trips...As the passenger.. I can drive to familiar places no problem, but new places or places I don't drive to often scare the hell out of me. Unlike you though, I never enjoyed driving. I never had this anxiety associated with it before though. I don't know where it came from. I hope you can over come yours since it was something you enjoyed so much : )

 

[Shellbell]

I get anxiety when I drive and it's increasing. I get quite jumpy and it's worse when my anxiety levels are already high. I also have anxiety as a passenger too.

I don't drive to new places at the moment. If I need to go somewhere new, I get my husband to drive there first so I know the way.

I am just writing out my fears. I will be ok.

I hope you're okay Gizmo. Bug hugs ((((gizmo)))).