Driving me crazy issues

[Rb0311]

Has anyone suffered from difficulty driving on highways? I can drive back roads, in town, crazy city traffic all day.. highway and interstate no way. Actually have passed out before. Any help with this..

[Sunrise321]

I have dealt with this exact issue for many years. I can drive all day, comfortably, in the city, country roads, etc --- but I get on a highway and my mind starts going into panic mode. It makes no sense. Now, if I just get onto a highway for a short, predetermined distance (in other words, I'm getting off an exit in like 10 minutes) -- I can generally do that, no problem. But if it's an extended distance, I'm in trouble. This makes life difficult, because anytime I travel anywhere, I have to figure out a back-road route that takes like DOUBLE the amount of drive time. MY FEAR on the highway, is that my mind will start to go into panic, and I will lose control of myself and the car. On most back roads or city streets, there's not much pressure -- that is, I could pretty easily pull off to the side of the road if I wanted to (not that I ever would need to). BUT -- on many highways, there might not BE a place to pull over on the side. Or, it would be very stressful trying to pull off.. and then getting back on. Here's an interesting irony -- I often drive REALLY fast on those back roads.. maybe even faster than I would be going on the highway.. but that doesn't matter to me. So I don't think its necessarily about speed.

[Rb0311 in reply to Sunrise321]

I use to be able to do the short stents on the highway and now I can’t. Sometimes even crossing over the highways I can feel the panic starting. I don’t get why though. I have had one accident as a child with my family and after that I drove without any issues for years and years.

[Sunrise321 in reply to Rb0311]

I have not been in any major accidents, and have never passed out. For many many years, I drove FEAR FREE on the highways. Then, at some point, and I can't pinpoint exactly when, it started happening. I'm driving along.. and my mind starts going into bad, panicky places... my head starts to feel weird / light or whatever, and I feel like I'm slowly separating from my body.. In a total panic, I try distracting myself by opening the car window, fiddling with the radio... but it's just getting worse... and, as I slowly lose control, I fear I could soon end up in a TERRIBLE accident. Absolutely crazy.

[Rb0311 in reply to Sunrise321]

This is exactly what happens to me.. windows down, windows up, ac on then off, take a drink, radio on switch stations you name it... I use to be able to distract myself enough and make it now I can’t.

[FearIsALiar]

I drove today and had super bad brain fog! Almost like a drunk feeling :(( it was so scary. I thought I was gonna go into a panic attack! I hope you find relief soon. I know how scary it can be driving with anxiety

[Sunrise321 in reply to FearIsALiar]

To be honest, I just avoid long drives on the highway now. I don't know that it will ever go away.. (Someday, I may try hypnosis. That's the one thing I have not tried yet.)

[Rb0311 in reply to Sunrise321]

I have thought about hypnosis as well but what else could be unleashed.. 🙄 I just want to get in my car and drive on vacation with my boys. They are 16 & 20 and I have never been able to.

[Sunrise321 in reply to Rb0311]

It's all about focus. Other people are focused on the music, the scenery, their own little day dreams or a million other things. WE are thinking about what COULD happen if we lost control of ourselves (and the car). But I have NO idea how to completely escape that pattern of thought and just think like other people. The harder you try to change it, the stronger the thoughts come on. We would almost have to completely ERASE the existence of that thought from our heads, so that we never, ever think about it again. But I don't know how to do that.