Anxiety and driving : Does anyone else have... - Anxiety Support

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Anxiety and driving

hollieedridge profile image
22 Replies

Does anyone else have bad panic attacks while driving. When i drive my eyes start to loos focus i just cant focus on anything. I then feel not real and i get extremely dizzy where everything starts to spin quickly and then stops. I will then have a massive panic attack which lasts for ages. I am now terrified of driving it happens everytime

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hollieedridge
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22 Replies
DeeM3 profile image
DeeM3

That’s my biggest issue.

hollieedridge profile image
hollieedridge in reply to DeeM3

Really ! What happens when you drive

DeeM3 profile image
DeeM3 in reply to hollieedridge

I can’t do left hand turns at intersections I feel trapped. I get dizzy, tighten muscles, eyes loose focus. Feel like I need to open the car door and put my foot on the ground to feel grounded.

DeeM3 profile image
DeeM3 in reply to DeeM3

Every place I’ve panicked I avoided for a long time.

hollieedridge profile image
hollieedridge in reply to DeeM3

Have u overcome it x

DeeM3 profile image
DeeM3 in reply to hollieedridge

Yes and no. Depends on the day and how much stress I’m under. I’m also on a very low dose Lexapro to calm down. I challenge myself to the Rds that bother me and have tackled a few. Trying to retrain my brain. I drive all day for my job so I had to do something. This happened in the past and I overcame it with an online driving program for anxiety.

hollieedridge profile image
hollieedridge in reply to DeeM3

Okay thank you

DeeM3 profile image
DeeM3

Good luck to you!!

Jeff1943 profile image
Jeff1943

I suspect that anxiety when driving is quite widespread but for some reason nobody seems to want to talk about it. There we are hurtling about at up to 70mph in tin boxes and one wrong move or one bad decision and it could be mayhem. I love driving and do about 1000 miles a month but I do feel a bit anxious sometimes like third to fifth exits on a roundabout, like getting in the right lane to exit without pullng in front of a car coming up fast behind. Often found dawdling along at 55mph in the slow lane but then strangely coming back is no problem, the bleepers always going off warning I've exceeded 70mph. But what's really scarey us what happens if my sat nav packs up? How did we find our way around before sat navs? I write down the route on long journies just in case, belt and braces.

Dahl profile image
Dahl

Got to admit I just never overcome my anxiety about driving. I was run over when I was 6 years old, fractured skull and massive head trauma, suffered for most of my childhood. The subconscious trauma from this still lasts to this day just crossing a road, I'm especially cautious. I stopped driving altogether 30 years ago aged 25. I've never missed driving and using buses and trains presents me with different anxiety problems but overall I'm content. I'm not a very comfortable passenger in a car either. Best of luck with this problem and I sincerely hope you do better than me, but if you don't it's not the end of the world.

TrippyMcGuire762 profile image
TrippyMcGuire762

I had my first panic attack wile driving. It was 1am and I had no idea what was going on, I felt like I was dying. I managed to drive home to my apartment, but then took an ambulance ride as I felt I was having a heart attack. After that. I didn't drive for four months. I'm finally back driving now though. Still can't do long distances without a friend, but I'm working on it. Just gotta get a friend, family member, or SO to ride with you to get your confidence back. It's just like riding a bike.

ironmick883 profile image
ironmick883

I had an attack so bad at age 17, and on top of that i had a pretty new Honda Civic and i couldn't drive at least by myself for 3 months... not had a problem since then and have had panic attacks while driving.

TruthSi72 profile image
TruthSi72

Hi

My father had Diabetes and when he was younger he crashed every single car he ever had, once or twice putting himself in hospital for serious injuries. I was always worried that I would be diabetic so I vowed never to learn. I also had a bad experience when I had a cold and blew my nose so hard I blew out my sinus and ear drum...I actually heard it go bang! The room span and it took a quite a few years to fix this problem, I hated getting into a car and still dislike going in cars because I easily spin out, I don’t get anxiety anymore because I have that under control but I do still get severe motion sickness because of my sinus and ear thing. I am 45 and I have never learnt to drive but my partner and I want a family and I don’t want her to be driving herself to hospital while going into Labour so I am wanting to learn very soon. But I do understand the reason why so many of you have anxiety about it.

Finglas-Boy profile image
Finglas-Boy

Is driving essential to you? I thought it was for me until I had the TBI & developed epilepsy. Some work still takes me around the country & we live in a rural area. But now I get to jobs via lane/train/bus/etc. Of course I couldnt do this if my travel fees weren't refunded but by being able to work on my way to meetings, etc. on train, etc. I'm arriving prepared & rested rather than mentally "shagged out" from concentrating on traffic etc.

hollieedridge profile image
hollieedridge in reply to Finglas-Boy

Yeah i have too, its wierd because driving itself doesnt scare me but for some reason i just panic when i drive

levymaria profile image
levymaria

Happens to me allllll the time! Don’t let your anxiety stop you though, once you make it a fear anxiety will always control it. It’s easier said than done but you can get a hold of it.

Amarie37 profile image
Amarie37

This is my problem I'm extremely afraid to drive and haven't driven in months because of anxiety and fear. Its so disappointing because I have children that I need to be able to bring places but have no idea how to get past this, its crippling me and would love to finally get over it and drive on a daily basis.

Skeeble profile image
Skeeble

I often feel dizzy or loose focus when driving..and its down to my anxiety but i just shake my head and blink and realise im being silly..ive been driving 10 years and im fine. Don't let it stop you otherwise you are letting anxiety deplete your quality of life. Hope you feel better soon. :)

Orlando313 profile image
Orlando313

Hi hollie what you explained has surely happened to me when my anxiety disorder was really bad used to hate the feeling of tunnel vision while driving and the feeling i was gonna freak inside the car and crash but you will get better and the trick to it is to not think about it so much since thats what makes it worse (overthinking) and also try breathing calm while driving sure helps.

hollieedridge profile image
hollieedridge in reply to Orlando313

Hi i have tried everything ! It started about 3 years ago for no reason as i am not afraid of driving at all i just panic when i drive randomly! It got soo bad i stopped driving for 6 months ! I have been driving again for over a year as i wont let it beat me but it has been so bad i had to call an ambulance ince as i thought i was having a heart attack

Myhealt profile image
Myhealt

Yes. I have panic attacks and loose focus too. Hate feeling that way. I get lost at parking lots at times.

Lkcox profile image
Lkcox

Me too can't drive freek out

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