Afraid to drive

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Wed Oct 08, 2008 1:56 pm

CindyLou,
Thank you so much for the information and the encouragement especially about driving. God bless you too!

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Thu Oct 09, 2008 3:09 am

Hey everyone,
I have had severe panic attacks for the last few years. Have only had help with them over the last year or so. This program does help. Still have bad ones especially when not able to handle a situation well.

Anyways, Cindylou thanks for your information on the CD. I have not driven since July. Was driving on road until had major panic attack in March after an illness and was unable to pull over on rural road as no shoulder so made it worse. You seem like you have overcome your fears. How did you stick with the program? I do it mostly every day. I'm on session 7 and am not really feeling that great about getting back out there to try driving again. I've used the assertive behavior training the last two weeks with a situation I have been having at work. The breathing thing is an issue. I have to remeber to breath so I don't go into a full blownn attack. But I'm wondering how to incorporate that into driving again. I'm at a stage in life where I feel hindered by the inability to drive. I just want to get in and go sometimes and can't. It's very dibilitating. I have even changed my work hours to reflect my husbands so he drops me off when he goes to work and then picks me up when my office closes. It's a very long day for both of us. 10+ hours/5 days week. Any suggestions.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Thu Oct 09, 2008 4:25 am

i have the same feelings as well with driving i drive but i hate it it scares me to death im ok in the daytime but was out the other night and had to drive by myself in the dark that was sooo awful but i put on the session 3 cd and that helped some start small and work from there good luck

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Thu Oct 09, 2008 1:26 pm

I think I will purchase the driving tape. I have been using the program for almost 2 weeks now, but I tried to drive yesterday and I was terrified. Driving is my biggest problem.

Traveler,
I can relate to your long days. I too ride with my husband to work. I get to work 1 1/2 hours early so I do not have to drive. He has to wait on me an hour after he leaves work. I feel so bad about myself for having to waste all of this time because I am to afraid to drive. I tell everyone at work that we ride together to save on gas money, but it is so embarrasing not being independant enough to drive myself.

Hopefully if we all keep working on the program and helping each other we will be back to driving soon!

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Thu Oct 09, 2008 3:05 pm

I'm also afraid to drive alone. If I drive with someone else, it has to be someone who could drive back just incase i have a panic attack.I never had a panic attack when Im driving with a "safe person" but just the thought of knowing that, that person is there in the car with me makes me feel good.Last year,thanks to God I was able to drive ALONE even long distances! I felt great! I felt so free!!!It didn't matter to me how far I had to drive.
But last December, I was on the freeway to pick up my boyfriend, and my 9year old step-son was really mad for some reason, and he wouldn't stop yelling, and then.. I started to have a panic attack!!!!!! I had forgotten what a panic attack felt like!! I even had to tell him to hold on to my cell just incase he had to call 911. That happened 9 months ago. I suffer from anxiety and panic attacks since the day my doughter was born almost 18 years ago. They come and go. And I know that if I was able to drive for a year without any fears, I can do it again!!!!( I repeat this to myself every day.."I can do anything with the help of Jesus Christ who keeps me strong")

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Fri Oct 10, 2008 1:58 am

Hi, I just signed up for this program,I'm still waiting for it in the mail. I have suffered from panic disorder for 23yrs. I love to drive but since the panick attacks,it is one of my biggest anxieties.If it's a nice day, no snow, no storms,no fog, I know the roads I'm driving on, and it's not dark, I'm O.K. But if any of these factors are added in, I'm freakin out. I am so excited to talk to people who actually understand me after all these years.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Tue Oct 14, 2008 1:51 am

Thanks to everyone for your responses. I'm finding that I have better days than others. On the good days I can take on the world. On the bad days (1 week every month or so) everything is an issue. I try to work out, I try to relax, I try to find things that I used to enjoy. One thing I can't seem to get back to is driving. It used to be my form of relaxation. I am currently on lesson 8, I usually take a little longer on each session than the week allotment, but when I heard Lucinda say it was time to get back out there and attend to our fears. I just about froze where I was sitting. Than started having obssessive thoughts about how and when I was to drive again. I want so bad to go back to a time when I never had to think about it and just do.. It is definitely nice to know that other people go through this as well. I'm in hopes that someday it will all disappear. Anyone ever tried hypnosis?

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Tue Oct 14, 2008 2:54 am

I also used to have a fear of driving. The CD that was mentioned did help a lot. I still have my moments when driving is hard but I do it. I know I felt very trapped by not be able to drive. It is not a nice feeling. With work it will get better. I know at one time I felt I would never drive again. At times I am out driving and I think to myself,'I am actually driving without anxiety.' I also could not sit in the driver seat without a panic attack.