Driving anxiety

[Jed1991]

I never experienced anxiety while driving until I got my tractor trailer license at the age 27 when I first started driving I love it and experience on problems!
I drove team with my husband all over the United States.one day While I was driving I started having sweats, racing heart rate, numbness in my left arm..so I pulled over and let my husband drive..from that day forward ever time I tried to drive I would experience the same symptoms. I went to the Doctors and was given medication didn't help.
I tried to drive of and on for the next year, my anxiety just got worse. I gave up driving the big rigs ( that I truly loved)
I am 49 years old to this day I still have driving anxiety, I try to always have someone with me.
I wish there was a chat room or a site for people with anxiety could join and share there experience on copping with this terrible illness...

[birdie0907]

Do you live in a city where there might be some anx resources? Here is a list of possiblities. http://www.medhelp.org/posts/Anxiety/REPOSTING-LIST-OF-ANXIETY-RESOURCES/show/2076448
If you are on a budget you can get library books on cbt or philosophy - Perhaps something you read will be interesting and help.

[Paxiled]

Have you ever tried CBT therapy?  They try to desensitize you to your phobias.  Worth a try.

[birdie0907]

You have to see doc about the pain if you are worried, because I can't diagnose you.
However if you look at other threads on this forum, you will see lots of people diagnosed with with severe anxiety that provide a list of "symptoms" that docs say are just anxiety related and are not diseases or conditions. In other words, for these people if they can get rid of the anxiety the pains will disappear.
Like many on this forum, I had an EKG in a panic because of pains, numbness cold feeling in various chest areas got to me. The heart was fine and when I got that diagnosis I realized nothing was wrong so stopped worrying. The pains went away instantly. Not everyone can get rid of anxiety though. Read these 2 people's outcomes that are the opposite of each other.
http://www.medhelp.org/user_journals/show/857117/5--CNN-article-about-anxiety-sufferer
http://www.medhelp.org/user_journals/show/1028854/CNN-article-about-someone-who-found-non-med-solution-to-anx-and-dep

[Jed1991]

It not just driving any more it's being alone, always need someone to be with me...Feeling sad for no reason..heart racing, pain in left arm and shoulders tension and the list goes on..just want to feel better!!

[birdie0907]

Perhaps hypnosis will help you stop worrying about driving - I had it for fear of flying and never worried when getting on an airplane since. With this type of problem, a hypnotist doesn't make you lose your mind and cluck like a chicken on stage - It is all about positive thinking and focusing on reality which I wasn't doing before. After I was hypnotized I realized I wasn't an African dictator so no one was interested in blowing up my plane. The same relief from hypnosis may apply to ease your fear that something bad will happen on the road - reality is no one driving out there is after you so nothing will happen. If you do hypnosis, read up on it first because the more you know about it the quicker the hypnotist will finish with you.
Or see a therapist because this fear of driving is not something that can be helped from here.

[Jed1991]

We like to hike and bike...but the winters are so long and cold..when I'm active I do feel better...my anxiety has progressed over the years...not just about driving. I get anxiety about being alone, going places by myself. I just started a new Business last year, so I have to do my own deliveries and also attend a lot of foodie craft shows and markets..my husband was laid off last November so he's been going with me, next Monday he has to go back to work..so I'm terrified to have to do this by myself..when I go by myself I feel so alone and scared....I am feeling so much anxiety about this, I'm considering giving my business up..wish I could wake up one morning and never have anxiety again and be happy like the people around me.
Thanks for taking the time to listen! please share your experience with anxiety.

[birdie0907]

I hate weights but it was my boring routine in the frozen north in the winter that I had anxiety. Perhaps that is why I couldn't get any benefit from exercising, and even had to take the occasional Ativan during some workouts to keep the anx down. I love indoor wall-climbing now and note the mental high that lasts for a while afterwards as you mention - doc said exercise is comparable to 2 Ativans but maybe you have to like the exercise for the chemistry to work, lol.

So I can see why you don't want to treadmill if you find it boring - or am I jumping to the wrong conclusion? You live in ME -  is there any outdoor activity you like that can be done in winter? .

[birdie0907]

I copied your post on another thread to keep it together.

From Jedd
I agree! When I exercise I feel a lot better..but when you feel so depressed who want to walk on a treadmill..I don't want to take medication, I've been fighting anxiety for 20 years. I have given up a lot to this horrible illness but still refuse medication...

[birdie0907]

Were you in a union? Perhaps you can look one up that has a lot of members and see if they have any self help groups for this kind of anxiety.