DRIVING and panic attacks

Hello! I also have panic attacks and it doesn’t stop me from driving my car when I’m going to work. Most people probably think that this is irresponsible behavior, but I don’t have a choice. I have to earn some money because I have three kids to feed at home. Fortunately, I never had a panic attack on the road, but I am a little scared when I drive through the fast-moving highway traffic, or when someone is cutting me out. If it ever happens to me, I really hope that I will be able to function and control the car, for my sake, and for the sake of others. The good thing is that I usually know when I’m going to have an attack, so I can be prepared to slow down or to stop a vehicle. I start feeling dizzy, and I’m trembling, sweating and shaking. I never use medicines that have strong sedative effect and I never drink coffee before driving.

I had a panic attack in my car about a year and a half ago and now I can't drive on my own. It sucks and I feel like my life is going down hill, because I went off of Zoloft and paxil. I'm now taking 200 mg of Zoloft and I still can't drive on my own. I hadn't had a panic attack for a year and then I happened to have the worst panic attack of my life while driving in my car alone. Now I can't leave my boyfriends side and I'm scared to be without him, because I was hyperventialting in my car for and hour and a half alone. I thought I was dying and I layed in bed for days with agoraphobia. I didn't want to go upstairs to talk to anyone or leave the house. I just want someone to help me get rid of these panic attacks. Don't be afraid to drive, but you never know when a panic attack will hit you. I wish I knew someone who knew what I was going through, so maybe I could help them or they could help me. My boyfriend is leaving for the first time in a year and a half to go to Colorado and see his family and I'm not going. I am so scared to be alone, and I'm afraid I will freak out while he is gone. I am so scared. He is leaving in about 14 days and it is the only thing I can think about. I'm even scared to stay at my moms house which is about 20 miles from my house. I'm so scared. I'm so scared!

I WOULD LOVE TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT YOUR PROBLEM. EVEN IF IT'S JUST KNOWING THERE ARE OTHERS OUT THERE WHO EXPERIENCE THE SAME. AND......WE DON'T EVEN KNOW WHY THESE THINGS HAPPEN. WOULD LOVE TO SHARE MY STORY. WRITE BACK.

TONER

I started getting panic attacks about 3 and a half years ago. I am 23 years old it started one night at a friends house. I ended up going to the hospital and they couldnt find anything wrong. Well over the last 3 years my panic is so bad I cant drive. I get to the end of the road in our development and my chest tightens up and I cant talk my brain is like frozen. My friends have kind of left me hanging and dont understand it. I just feel like my life is going down hill it seems like it is getting worse. I am constantly nervous I can never think right it literally feels like something is eating my brain. My house use to be my safety zone now it seems like that isnt even working. I have been on every medicine in the book and nothing seems to work. Everything scares me I mean everything! My girlfriend has stuck by me and I couldnt imagine life without her. I just need some help or advice from someone with the similar problems. I feel like I am alone, but am
I?

In response to your experience with this awful condition, you definitely are not alone. My first panic attack was back in 2005. It happened while I was at work. I had a full blown panic attack.I was so scared,I didn't know what was happening to me. I left work that day never to return after working there for 5 years.It was so sudden. The attack was so bad I almost immediatly developed agoraphobia. For weeks I could barely leave my bedroom. Then eventually i was able to venture into my living room. I couldn't go outside at all or even ride in the car as a passenger.After months with some therapy I was able to get out a little not wanting to go alone though. Then i found it very difficult to drive because i feared an attack while driving. Here it is 3 years later and i am doing better,but i still get panic attack in certain situations in public or while driving.I have to be with a safe person.this is a very dibilitating condition, but i found from my own experience with the right therapist who specializes in this condition and the right medication helps alot!!! not only just talking about it but, a therapist who is willing to help desensatize you from situations that make u panic.it can get better,it takes baby steps. it may go away completely or u can definetley learn to manage them better.

You are not alone.

This condition is manageable.

My panic attacks started in 2003, at age 23. They started while I was driving to work one day, with numbness in my face and limbs and continued unexplained and undiagnosed until I had a full blown panic attack on my way to work. In this panic attack my heart palpated uncontrollably and I blacked out alongside having hot and cold flashes throughout my body. Like sweetytina I had to discontinue my second (fun) job because even the thought of going there would send me into a panic attack. This was followed by a descent into extreme agoraphobia that would send me into panic once I came within 10 ft of my front door.

I tackled my agoraphobia via systematic desensitization. 4 steps outside -> sit for a panic attack -> another 4 steps outside -> another panic attack. The whole ordeal was very confusing to my poor dog but she was more supportive than most of the humans in my life.

Like sweetytina I had to find a safe person to escort me everywhere while trying to get my medications right. The whole mess caused me to descend into a horrible depression.

Don't let yourself descend into depression. You are a valuable person and you can get through this.

The medical combination that eventually worked for me was 300 mg of Effexor XR, an anti-anxiety anti-depressant; 60 mg of Inderal LA, a beta-blocker; and 0.5mg of Clonazepam.

I hope this will help you and all who read this posting. I will monitor this thread if you would like to ask me any further questions.

Hi everyone, I would like to say I developed panic/anxiety attacks after a near death experience. It's one of the most frightening things I've every had to deal with but, I have been making baby steps to recover. Medication, self talk, and exposure therapy has been a good combination. Having a safe place or safe person helps, but ultimately you are your safe person, you have to get to where you feel safe with yourself. When you expose yourself to these events that cause the attack to come on, just remember its part of your therapy and medicine to get better. The more you do it, the more you will see nothing happens and your mind will register this. I wish all of you the best, and I hope we can continue to get well! :-)

Hi, well i have been having panic attacks for about 2 and a half years. I am only 17 years old and i hate getting these attacks. I mostly get them when I'm out somewhere in public, like at first i guess i just got the attacks and i didn't know why. I also didn't know they were panic attacks at first. I haven't lived my life for those 2 and a half years and it sucks. For some reason i don't really get these attacks at school. I can't go anywhere without stressing out and feeling like i'm going to get a panic attack. Also i started driving at about 14 years of age and after the panic attacks i cannot drive because i start getting nervous and panic a lot. please tell me if you've had problems like this and what helped you out.

I think one thing i need to do is tell some of my friends about this. but since all of my friends have known me for the normal guy i was 2 and a half years ago, i make up excuses about why i don't go out with them. I just for some reason can't share with them.

help wanted: I first had my panic attack 4 years ago on my way home from work and I've been living with panic disorder ever since. I tried different medications that never worked so i always took myself off them. It's comforting to know i'm not alone but since most of the comments are from a few years ago, i hope all of you are feeling better or at least managing somehow to keep it under control. I have 3 children and it breaks my heart to decline their requests to visit the mall, go to the movies etc. I depend on my husband for grocery shopping, dr.'s appointment etc.  initially i would drive on the highway but i would blackout and emotionally loose control so I decided to avoid the highways for my children's safety and that of others. I have tried different techniques to manage panic attacks such as playing music in my car, thinking happy thoughts, eating lots of sweets to put me in a happy mood. unfortunately all efforts did not help. there were times I was afraid of my car. the thought of getting out in my car was crippling. I do not associate my car with panic anymore but i have new adaptations. unfortunately i continue to drive to and from work because I don't have a choice, i have to earn a living somehow. I drive with my hazard light on or signal on and drive very slow. When i experience a panic attack, I tend to slam on the brakes very hard and this is very unsafe. I continue to pray for relief and hope one day I will find the right treatment. this has affected my relationships. my children have to stay home always. My carrear choices are limited. i want to work within a mile or less of my home and this has proven almost impossible. It is a very embarrasing situation and I feel helpless. i feel like life is passing me by. any ideas are welcomed.

Hi there I would like to write to everybody regarding this paragraph.

I have many ways to control the stress and make life feel easier.

1 Drink less tea and coffee and drink more water.

2 Exercise this really helps more than people think.

I was really bad a few years ago and couldn't walk down the street I was so ill and was going to the doctors so many times. Now I can travel in the car, go out alone and i'm even back at work.

I started running 5 mins then 10 mins every 2 days and the running reduced my body's stress combined with other things.

Now I can go Swimming, Boxing ect.

I know its really hard sometimes but you can do different things to control your minds thoughts like drinking water for example.

Changing the way you think can really help too.

If anybody has any questions I will help anyway I can..

7 Years no Medication

UK

 

Thank you very helpful, the exercise thing has helped with me alot. I have almost stopped driving I have severe attacks when I get stuck in traffic jams, there is no way out of them I just want to hop out of the car and walk away it takes everything i've got just to hold in there and I am so exhausted for a day after them.

hello i always start to panic when i get in my car i think i am going to crash. i have had panic attacks while driving.. i am now so scared of getting in my car.

I've been having panic attacks since I was 12 but maybe that's because I started smoking blunts everyday

Im sorry to hear about your attacks, I started having them about two months ago. Its the weirdest thing. I have been driving the same car for about 15 months now but my attack comes when I feel like I cant get my foot in the right position on the brake pedal. Now matter how I try I never brake the same way, I find myself panic breaking and Im so afraid one day I wont hit the peda; right or only my toes will be on the brake and that I will have an accident. The past 6 months I drive further to work, about 1 hr, it used to take me 20 min. I miss that that. I don't know what I can do to. So I understand fully how you feel. It is a bad feeling. Everyday Im so glad when I make it home, the afternoons rush hour are the worst for me, but today it happended it the morning to. It sucks