Bad anxiety while in cars?

[Jamescrider]

Hey guys been a min.... Well my anxiety keeps acting up while I'm riding passenger in the car I start to sweat alot and hyperventilating especially on the highways I really get scared and nervous I don't how to overcome this one it hurts because I can't even leave the house to have fun because of it I don't what to do 😭 and I also don't take meds for my anxiety maybe I should ?

[Cookie101]

Hi James, I've been going through PTSD Treatment after a motorbike accident so I can relate to the anxiety. Journeys that I take now are as a passengar and I spend them gripping my handbag and wincing everytime we get remotely close to another vehicle. Mine was coming to an end when we went into lockdown but as we are starting to get busy on the roads again, I'm beginning to find that it's creeping back.

I actually came off anti depressants when I started my treatment because I found that I couldn't work out what was PTSD and what was a side affect of the drug so you certainly don't have to be on drugs and I wouldn't consider them unless you were physically self harming or having suicidal thoughts. Sometimes, the drugs are actually worse than the problem and they take ages to come off them so I would consider them only as a last resort.

I would certainly suggest counselling. They can help you figure out how and why this is happening as well as provide methods of learning to overcome your feelings. My counsellor pointed out very quickly that avoidance actually made it worse, something I agree with. I started feeling overwhelmed all the time, but the more I did it, the more I discovered that it was certain things which were making it worse, like I getting too close to the car in front, stopping suddenly, things like that. Once you start to pick it apart, you can start to understand it and deal with. Most importantly, keep trying to go out and do enjoyable things. Teach your brain to look forward to going out and having fun. Anxiety has a way of making us think the world is worse than it is. It's not a quick fix, it's going to take perseverance and maybe a few tears, but you can get through it.

[Jamescrider in reply to Cookie101]

I appreciate that very much 😊