Driving Anxiety

[Leopard45]

I guess driving is a trigger for my anxiety. Every single time I drive, especially if I have to get in the freeway, I feel extremely spaced out, lightheaded/dizzy, not real, and I guess just really nervous. I don’t know why, but it’s severly impacting my ability to do daily tasks. It doesn’t go away right after I stop driving either, I feel weird for hours after. How can I feel this terrible and it’s just anxiety? I feel like I’m going to faint most of the day. I’ve gotten blood work and EKG all came back good, and I just had a 48 holter montiof for my palpitations and I’ll get those results in a week. It’s driving me crazy that this feeling happens every time I drive. It doesn’t seem like it can just be anxiety.

[Traveller85]

I’m sorry you’re suffering, this sounds rough. I know it doesn’t feel like it is just your anxiety. The fact that it mostly involves driving signals that you were having an anxiety reaction to driving. Have you tried cognitive behavioral therapy, he can work really well for a specific phobia. There are some other types of therapies that can help as well. Have you talk to a therapist? Have you had any traumatic incidents related to driving or cars? Anything specific that happens to you when you get in the car?

[Agora1]

Hi Leopard45, I have found that doing "deep breathing" properly while driving

can reduce as well as take away that fear and adrenaline. Practicing deep breathing

each day until it becomes an automatic response can allow you to merge without

fear as well as reduce anxiousness while being stuck at a railroad crossing or stop light.

Once I found how well it worked for me, I continued to use it when in a big box store,

standing in a checkout line and any other place where adrenaline might rise because

of our anxiety disorder. I hope you will give it a try and that it proves to relieve your

driving anxiety and more. x

[ECRG]

The same things happens to me but when I was 9 years old I was hit by a car so I believe I developed anxiety from that. It’s sucks 😢

[kkat37]

I get like that too so sorry you are having to go through this. Traffic makes mine worse and so I have been having to take different routes with less traffic. Do you have anyone that maybe you can ride with for a few days to lessen the anxiety? Hope you feel better soon.

[Leopard45 in reply to kkat37]

That’s the thing, it happens when I’m in the car w other people too. And sometimes worse because since I’m not in control of the car, I can’t pull over and I don’t want them to know I’m freaking out/about to pass out

[Agora1 in reply to Leopard45]

leopard, I do not like to ride with anyone else. More recently,

I was forced into being the passenger which I hadn't been for

years. Once again, deep breathing put me in a calm position

so I could handle not being in control. x