Got Pulled Over By A Cop :(

[EveHarrington]

Personally..... I think everyone is getting upset over nothing. Nothing happened. He took his hands o...

Hi She Cat,

I was responding to the OP who did indeed mention having dents/scratches on the car and not knowing where most of them came from. She mentioned this in a follow up reply. It's not about nothing happening. Again the OP has mentioned that she feels her attention wandering when she drives. She mentions veering into other lanes and having other drivers honk at her. We are not getting riled up over a one time incident. This shows a pattern of not being alert/non-dissociative and fully grounded while driving-----a pattern over time.

People are not hypothesizing. We are responding to things actually stated. I ask you to re-read what the OP has stated in her original post AND in follow up replies.

I encourage you to read entire threads before making such critical and pointed remarks toward others as its apparent that you skipped over much of what the OP has said.

 

[Deleted member 541]

The biggest issue I can see is that nothing did happen. The OP has the choice to drive or not drive... I have dings and dents in my car too. I have swayed while driving, I've had people honk at me. Hell I just pulled out of a parking place and someone didn't look while backing out and almost hit me.... If the cop felt it was an issue, he would have given a ticket.

Everyone at one time or another is unattentive while driving. Even people without PTSD do this. To me.... This was a LEARNING experience for the OP.

 

[BuckarooBanzai]

Smile, you got off easy. Thank G-d for small favors, LOL. :)

It sounds like your car - and driving privileges - are especially important to you, as the car allows you to 'take flight', to run away, at least temporarily, when the anxiety gets bad. That's the classic 'flight or fight' response. When I need to run, there is nothing like getting in the car and driving far away - anywhere at all . Anyhow, driving is an ability you want to keep, for obvious reasons.

That said, you've just got to buckle down and do whatever you need to do to keep yourself safe in the car. Pull over and get out of the car to smoke. Keep your cigarettes, alcohol, whatever, in the trunk. Whatever you can think of. Keep yourself safe.

Ben

 

[Ka-9]

Bumping was caused by poor driving habit (no offence, we've all done it), so I hope you don't overreact too much, as you said, realize the mistake- move on, that's really what the officer was saying.

However as to the condition effecting things, I agree. I'd consider my driving abilities to be far above the regular individual through experience and training, and I do have focus issues- like at a 4 way stop, intersection, lots of motion, I can almost get overwhelmed- so I hear you with an effect on driving.

I do have to force myself to focus hard sometimes, stop a bit of panic..or maybe getting overwhelmed a bit.

 

[Freedomfighter]

So I was driving on a quiet street and took my hands off the steering wheel for a second to light a cigar...

What happened to you could happen to anyone. There are tons of people that text and drive, are high, are drunk, and they drive on our streets every day, endangering our lives.
So why would someone with PTSD be singled out, do you know what I mean? Anyone can miss a second or two and bump a curb, that is very common in traffic. Tons of things can happen when driving.
I would never ever tell a cop that I have PTSD, because I have had cops who have harassed me because they knew that. Nope, would never tell a cop anything about that.
Cops, if on the wrong side of the law, are the most dangerous predators out there.

 

[BuckarooBanzai]

I would never ever tell a cop that I have PTSD....

I don't ever tell unless absolutely necessary. It's too easy for people to misunderstand; perhaps all they know of PTSD is whatever they see on TV or in the movies - not good.

Many police officers tend to be authoritarian, and I won't put my personal psychiatric history into the hands of an authoritarian individual with the power to lock me up.

Ben

 

[Neverthesame]

all they know of PTSD is whatever they see on TV or in the movies - not good.

If I find myself in a situation where I feel it necessary to disclose anything. I will just say I have an anxiety disorder.

This I find gets a better reaction, than ptsd does. While still being truthful. I think most people hear anxiety and think "person with an irrational fear of things" as opposed to "looney looking for a bell tower".

 

[Smile]

@Smile I think that the ones that worry about you hitting a child are doing the "wha...

I know. And ur right. I'm not angry at the post... I was just in an extremely sensitive place at the time

 

[Smile]

Maybe working on some mindfulness skills will help the attention issues? Mindfulness is all about be...

Are u my T? JK Yes, my T is very much into mindfulness and I've been working hard on it. When I mentioned the accident to her, that's exactly what she said... To practice mindfulness while driving :) although I find it hard bc I'm so used to driving "mindlessly"

 

[Smile]

When they put me on SSRI's I was a totally idiot in a car. I have always been a great driver. The dr...

Right. But I don't live in an area where a person needs a car to get around

 

[Smile]

From this sentence in your OP, I never would have known that you are having other problems with driv...

You're 100% right. The taking aloud is a good idea. I will try it. Thanks

Also, my OP had a typo. Was supposed to say "I LIVE (not love) in my car..."

 

[Smile]

Personally..... I think everyone is getting upset over nothing. Nothing happened. He took his hands o...

Haha, ur right :) it was just my bad luck that a cop was right behind me... Thanks :)