fear of driving cause of symptoms

[pinklace]

does anyone have a fear of driving? iam afraid to drive because the way i feel the lightheadedness and stuff,i use to love to drive, and i want to again soon,iam also afraid to be alone due to my symptoms,i hate this iam afraid something might happen to me and nobody will be there to help if iam alone, any advice.

[Strezzed]

I don't even have my licence. I feel like a "high" when I drive. I shake etc. I never had my licence and have tried drivers ed etc. Nothing works. I never realized that it might be do to anxiety. Hmm

[messuvajess]

I have this fear. My husband has to drive me everywhere. I have never liked to drive. I am so scared that I will pass out or something. I am also afraid of riding in the car on the interstate. It terrifies me.

[arijones1]

hey guys, i feel light headed/high/dizzy all the time, i drive everywere, you will not pass out, that requires a drop in blood pressure, anxiety gives higher pressure, and people with anxiety are more alert because you are scanning for danger, thus better drivers,.
i would take small steps,and drive at night, on empty street for 5 minutes, then progress from there,
Remember its not the driving your scared of, its the symptoms, and the only way to get over anxiety is to get over the symptoms..
good luck

[pinklace]

thank u guys oh i know what u mean about the interstates idont like them either,arijones that sounds like a good ideal i may try that this weekend,i miss driving i bought a brand new car before all this and i ve only drove a few times,i just want to drive again and feeel normal

[tigerpaw]

Is driving the only time your anxiety/fear starts?  I have had bouts of anxiety so bad I couldnt leave the house let alone drive.

Just asking because a lot of anxiety symptoms can be related to emotional trauma.

[pinklace]

idk iam scared to drive because i feel lightheaded alot and like iam not all with it,when?i have physical symptoms it makes my anxiety go up,because then i think something is bad wrong with me,i have had some bad issues in the last 3 years i watched my dad passaway,and went through a divorce,and bad child hood memories.i go to therapy once a month,

[Katie]

Hey i am learning to drive at the moment, ive actually got my test booked, am very anxious about it. I put off learning to drive for a few years because of my anxieties and i worried that i wouldnt have enough concentration to drive because i am away with the fairies quite alot and a bit of a day dreamer. I dont even like driving but all my family kept on at me that i had to learn to drive for some independence. so yeh i kind of have a fear of driving.

[pinklace]

katie,thanks wish you luck iam the same way i use to love to drive n stay home alone now?i cant do none of those things,it makes me sad,but my boyfriend is suppose to go with me and let me drive with him and if i cant he will take over driving.

[arijones1]

linda remember its not the situation that your fear (driving) its the symptoms that it brings on.
try looking at yourself from 3rd party, look inside, ( ok your have high anxiety) then look at your surroundings ( theres no lion attacking you, no threat, no robber) they dont match up, try it.

[forwells]

Hi Linda

 I was like to add to what AJ said

 It has nothing to do with driving , it is infact the fear of your symptoms that you are scared of

 Driving takes alot out of a person , It takes alot of auto thinking to do this and because this auto thinking part of your brain is working in overload and finds it hard to settle.

 First off you need to learn why you are afraid , i am amazed at the amount of people with anxiety that do not understand why they are afraid and have never been told by their counsellor why.

 Once you know why and understand it then you learn to let it pass. It will then start to settle.

 I work as a second hand book and ephemera dealer and i use to drive 1000 klms a day no worries , well then my anxiety hit and that was it . I would freak out just to sit in a car , it wasn't that i was scared of driving it was i was scared of the increase of symptoms i had when i went to the car , it was only the fear of the what ifs , the what would happen if i drove if i feel this bad just sitting in a car .

 So how did i get over it , i just did it , only a little at a time but i moved forward and did not stall . This is what you must do .

cheers kev 

[pinklace]

thanks, yeah iam going to try this weekend,

[pinklace]

forwells thank you,yea i more afraid of my symptoms,lightheaded and the shakyness,so how much aday did u make your self drive until u was okay,thank u

[arijones1]

forwells, thanks for adding to my comment, it sucks that people dont know what they r scared of, did you get that link i sent you for the learned alarm thing? post it if so, i forgot were it was..
But yes driving is the cue, the symptoms r the event, just like a snake is a cue, or being chased by a mugger( thats a real alarm)
people dont wanna feel trapped away from safe place, because they fear the symptoms and the attack that is associated with the symptoms..!!! not the situation,,,
the other day i was driving, it was bumper to bumper, and i thought, oh no, what if i panic? then i thought, how is it different if i pull of the highway, and park, compared to staying in my car???
The only difference is your perception,, thats all, in the car u feel trapped, thus more probability for the attack,,
i think it all comes down to fear of symptoms, thats all, once you can beat that, you will be PA free...

[arijones1]

heres the link , that talks about true/false/learned alarms, IE panic attacks

http://books.google.ca/books?id=AyDG6EEiRQoC&pg=PA30&lpg=PA30&dq=learned+alarms+for+panic&source=bl&ots=c0ISTZpFVY&sig=yVf5sBEzZWRmHetfm3vSVF8fUtA&hl=en&ei=w77XSte7L5COlQfQtNyhAQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CBIQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=learned%20alarms%20for%20panic&f=false

[forwells]

Hi Linda

 Little steps with big hops 

 I sat in my car and freaked out , I was thinking this is crazy I have done this many times and i have nothing to be scared of so i turned the key.

 I drove 20 klms out the road and sat on my bonnet and said "right you want me come and get me if not leave me alone " well it didnt come any harder than sitting at home thinking about it .

 IIt was scary but i was so pourd that i had did it and i knew i was on my way. I still have it a bit but only because i havent had to drive a long way from home offen
The memory is still teir and that what we also have to forget .

 I would recommend not doing it alone to start with , take the BF but just push yourself a little but not to far

chers and good luck kev

[forwells]

Hi AJ

 Thanks for the link I haven't got to read it yet

 I think you are well on your way to getting better 

  The snake ones a good one , How many people are scared of snakes and never seen one. They are only scared of it because they have been conditioned to believe they are dangerest , just the same with sharks and such

cheers kev 

[pinklace]

thanks forwells and aj iam going to try this weeekend i will let you know how it goes.

[learning to cope]

I am the same way. i dont drive often bc of my fears. I have never driven on a freeway, ever. I drive ok when I am alone but my mind races so much it becomes impossible to focus. i keep saying that i am going to start driving on a regular to gain some more independance but so far i havent. 

[pinklace]

thanks learning to cope,this is hard but maybe with all the support we can do it

[liln5k]

Hi Linda... I didn't drive for a 3 year period... I was afraid I would pass out, wreck or kill someone if I had symptoms while driving...  My symptoms include dizzyness, lightheadedness and tunnel vision among others... 

I forced my self to drive but not all at once... I had to start by getting my keys and making myself think I was going to do it... after a couple of times of that I would get my keys and get in the car... then turn it on... then pull out of the parking spot... small trips down the road then before I knew it I was driving again... The period I didn't drive was from1996-1999... 

I have been driving again since 1999 and haven't stopped... i still feel weird from time to time and a little nervous and scared but I DRIVE!!! and anxiety doesn't stop me...  It tries still but it don't succeed...

If you want to drive try baby steps aka desensitization...

If I can do it you can do it!!!  I am rooting for you!!! 

 

[pinklace]

Thank u so much did u drive even when u felt lightheaded?iam going to work on it cause I miss driving and being me.

[arijones1]

0213 liln5k
do you feel light headed constantly, or just when driving?

[arijones1]

remember all, the driving is a learned cue, that you associate with sensations, its conditioned behaviour,
its the sensations we all fear, not the driving, or the snake, or evelator.

[liln5k]

I fell lightheaded a lot... even when i am not driving... but driving can intensifies it... 

and I do force myself to drive thru it... while I am lightheaded...  and everytime I have made it to my destination without incident...