Situational Anxiety/Anxiety while driving.

[thomj513]

I don't know if this is even a legitimate problem area, but I'm having problems with anxiety while driving in my car.  It's getting to the point where I'm afraid one day that I won't be able to even get into the thing.  My Dr has had me on Prozac and Celexa but I'm now off of both due to the bad side effects I was having.  I go back again on the 17th of this month to see what else they'll prescribe.  Anyone else have this "phobia"?  Thx, Thom.

[feelncrazy812]

hi, i totally know what you are experiencing, its like you are alone and in a fog somewhere. you ask yourself is this really happening or is it my imagination.  then i start feeling like everything is closing in on me and i hafta call someone or  pull over to get me through it..

[theglasskey]

Yes, I think most people experience this feeling once or twice in their life.
   The problem is that you must not harp or worry that it will happen again.
I also had a strange freeway driving situation where i thought i was having a heart attack and pulled over on the shoulder and caught my breath.  This did traumatize me about driving so much that i used to shake while driving.
The first thing you have to do is get back in that car and start driving, no questions, shakes, scared, whatever it is do it.  I also find taking a high dose of vitamins help also doing hypnosis driving cd tapes, not while driving but do the tapes everyday or few times a week. There is another natural treatment you can do while driving it's EFT tapping, google this and you will  learn more about this. Nevertheless there is nothing wrong with driving slow, and pulling over a few times if you get scared, keep the air on your face and breathe away and tapp away you will be fine.  

[3MANDR]

I've always been a little nervous about driving, but I've also always been able to overcome it ... even driving the Beltway when I lived in the DC area, but now, I keep giving my car psychosommatic illnesses ... spending money to fix a car that isn't broken because I am so anxious that I cry when I am driving, drive so far under the speed limit that I know it's not safe, and literally shake all the way to where I have to go. I am driving less and less, and am afraid soon I won't want to drive at all, and I do have to work for a living. Doesn't taking medication make you drowsy? I've thought about taking something but the thought of being drowsy makes me even more nervous. Does medication help?

[smitty739]

I'm in my early 50's and began experiencing driving anxiety 2-3 years ago.
I used to be one of those drivers doing 130-140km in the fast lane in heavy rush hour traffic.
Now I hold up traffic in the slow lane.
Like many others when the anxiety hits, I feel that my brain is quite disconnected from my body. I'm in a lightheaded state where I don't feel I have control over the vehicle
My wife will notice me begin to get figidy, rubbing my head, rolling the window up and down etc. I also experience a loss of balance. My head begins to move  and jerk to regain a balanced position. I thought it might be an inner ear problem but as soon as she takes over the driving my sense of balance  and calmness returns.
I have lost my confidence in driving on the highways. My next step is to seek anxiety relief through medication (short term I hope) and counselling.

Will check back in to report results in the next month
I

[sankovich]

i have driving anxiety. i cant drive the speed limit no matter what it is im always 5-10 miles under. i take anxiety meds for it and the help for the most part except for when im next to a semi truck.. that still freaks me out.. the bad thing is i use to be a truck driver but had to stop due to the anxiety... o well atleast i dont have to deal with dumb@#$ess as much anymore! lol

[mrsbarnes15]

Has anyone had a panick attack in the car to the point where your whole body gets numb and tingly and your whole body freezes up? To the point where your pretty much paralized? I always loved to drive, then earlier in July I was driving and all of a sudden my body went numb and tingly. I pulled over and my husband started to drive, then my hands cramped up to my chest and my legs were numb I couldnt move. I thought I was having a seizure. My husband called 911 and long story short they said it was hyperventalation syndrome cause by anxiety. To this day Im struggling with this, I have seen a neurologist and been to the er a million times just to make sure nothing else is wrong with me. But I guess I just have really bad anxiety and it ***** big time. Trying to deal with it now, but does anyone else go through this?