Best way to cope with driving anxiety?

[alvaa]

I never thought I would get anxiety driving but poof, there it is. It started back in March, when I had to wean off of cymbalta. All of a sudden, I never have it driving to work, but at work I travel some, maybe 50-100 miles in a given week, plus it is about a 15 minute drive to work. Even when I go get my daughter from her mom, anxiety. When I drive to the mall about 30 minutes away, anxiety. It usually cripples me to the point that I have to take a 7.5 mg of clorazepate, and I hate taking them.

[nursegirl6572]

That's awesome!!!!!  It's accomplishments like these that are worth celebrating BIG time!!!  Give yourself a HUGE pat on the back.  Now do it again...the 2nd one was from me!  :0)

These "victories" are crucial in chaging the cycle of anxiety.  It sends a message to your brain that you are not going to let anxiety stop you.  The more you succeed, the more your anxiety will start getting better.

HAPPY HAPPY DAY!  WAY TO GO!!  I'm super proud of you!!  BIG HUGS!

[alvaa]

Hip!Hip!Hooray!

I made it all the way to our business trip and back with very little anxiety. Wheew!

[JGF25]

I took Prozac many many years ago and actually it did work well for me.  So hopefully this will be the one for you.

[alvaa]

My medical doctor put me on cymbalta around 4 years ago. I was on it until March of this year. I started seeing a psychiatrist in March and he determined that the cymbalta was not working anymore according to what I told him. He weaned me off of the cymbalta, which was pure hell!!!! I guess there is a site for cymbalta withdrawal for a reason (www.cymbaltawithdrawal.com). I have been on nortriptyline since then and it is not working either. My psychiatrist has me weaning off of nortriptyline and starting prozac later this week with another drug called deplin.

[kickanxietysbutt]

Can I ask why you stopped taking the Cymbalta?  Perhaps you felt like you were over your anxiety so this is why you stopped, but if you noticed panick after stopping the drug, maybe you should consider taking it again.  I also have driving anxiety; I'm not afraid of bridges or freeways or anything, mostly worried I am not going to feel well enough to get back from wherever I am.  I agree with alvaa, the best thing to do is to try to push through it and just do it if you can.  Start out with short trips, even around the block if you need to.  Also, I found that language CD's helped me a little.  It focused my mind on something else while I was driving.  

[alvaa]

I hear you! small bridges and winding roads up and down mountains just make mine even worse. I have anxiety right now because My boss and I are having to drive tomorrow morning to another location.

[JGF25]

Hi Alvaa....I have seen you on here frequently.  What I do when I have anxiety and panic while driving is I breathe.  I do my controlled breathing  to bring my heart rate back down and then I self-coach myself through it.  I use phrases like "I have been driving my whole life and haven't had a problem so there is no reason to be having one now."  I also try to fall back on past experiences.  I had to drive over a bridge in MD called the Nice Bridge and it is just two lanes.  I was already setting myself up for a fall during lunch because I knew I was going to have to do it.  I started breathing immediately and self-coaching when I started driving the van.  I made it over the Nice bridge even with semi's coming at me.  I now have that positive experience to fall back on.  If I could do it then, I can do it now.  Do you see what I mean?  You have to go into it with the mindset that the anxiety and panic will go away eventually.  I NEVER pull over.  I just try to talk to myself, sing to the music, breathe...anything to get through it.  I have also had "out of the blue" panic and you deal with it the same way...after the initial "WTH" you start breathing.