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kirsty53010
kirsty53010

Hi how do I overcome the fear of getting in my car and driving I need to take my children to school and I'm getting all anxious thinking about it because I kno I have to get in the car and do it I have been put of driving since I had a bad panick attack behind the wheel I'm so scared of driving any help would be appreciated x

0 likes, 9 replies

9 Replies

  • lisalisa67
    lisalisa67 kirsty53010

    Posted

    Its agoraphobia creeping in from unmanaged anxiety. It is common as the anxiety disorder progresses. Im guessing if you were to walk by yourself to a store a similiar reaction would occur.  Try bringing ice with you. The school is probably near by so it can work long enough. Hold piece of ice or put ice under your tongue. Keep the car cold.Sidetrack it for a little bit.you need some kind of therapy and possibly meds at this time to get it under control. You really do not want this to take hold. Everyday whether you are scared or not get in your car and drive around the block a few times. You can even walk the route. But you will have to desentize yourself now.  Its agressive in the therapy because you have to undo the connection and memoery of the panic attack. Instead of feeding into the anticipatory anxiety see yourself happily driving to the school many times a day in your mind. 
    • kirsty53010
      kirsty53010 lisalisa67

      Posted

      Thank you for the reply Lisa I'm so bad at the minute I don't ever want to go out or anything anymore do you think I can do this without medication??? I get in the car and start feeling panick it's awful have u ever had this??

    • lisalisa67
      lisalisa67 kirsty53010

      Posted

      It depends on you. You can get ones you can use on an as needed basis. And play with that like two trips on my own then in day three i take meds to help..like tha. Xanax kind of stuff. You cant let it win. Draw the the line with anger or whatever you need to do you can not let this rule you. I had spans with that but had to do it. Kids have to go to school and back. I thought i was going to drop off at first but i didnt and after a while i was ok. Absolutely thrilled those years have passed. I have eye issues now so i can no longer drive but i got thru it so will you. It didnt even last all that long the anticipation part was horrid, worse then the driving sometimes. Took maybe a month or to to knock it out and then it wasnt regular but when it occurred  i made the car cold and chomped ice chips . Keep the car cold that helos so much. And ice chips. Im assuming this is maybe a five minute trip each way. You be okay. You will. You have to make some rules here yourself..you cant allow this anxiety into certain areas of you life. Oddly yiu can make the rules. You just dont realize it yet.
    • lisalisa67
      lisalisa67 kirsty53010

      Posted

       I got through it by making the car really cold and using a lot of ice chips. I didn't care about anyone complained about the coldness. I also used Xanax as needed. I didn't really last long because it made me so sick I developed terrible stomach problems and from there realized it was not worth it. Oddly you are able to control this you just have to believe you can.

    • lisalisa67
      lisalisa67

      Posted

      not I I meant it didn't really last long. I would say maybe two months best. Because I would not give into it I guess I desensitized it

    • lisalisa67
      lisalisa67

      Posted

      By the way if you could find a really good hypnotist or hypnotherapy absolutely can go ahead it takes about two sessions maybe three they could hypnotize you to be calm in the car its very specific phobia even if it relates in links to the anxiety that specific phobia can be handled with hypnosis as well
    • kirsty53010
      kirsty53010 lisalisa67

      Posted

      Thank you so much for the advice I will try the coldness and the ice cubes I have never heArd of that so maybe it might work are u suppose to chomp on the ice cubes?? I really don't want to rely on medication I want to do it without I don't even go out anymore sad

    • lisalisa67
      lisalisa67 kirsty53010

      Posted

      It worked for me. You out the ice under your tingue. The bisy has to regukate the body temperature. Its a machine that's always trying to keeo the body steady. So it works. And keeo the car cold. I liked have the option of having xanax if i needed it. Works for a lot of people. Its as needed. Sometimes that enough comfort knowing it is there. And hypnosis is very worth a try. Good luck. believe me it really did work for me. And i used to be in a forum on this tooic and so many figured out the same thing which is funny. Stop the whole relying on medication fear you never have too, you use it to help you you can wean off at any time. That fear is illogical. But thats what anxiety does it thinks illogically and negative. 

    • kirsty53010
      kirsty53010 lisalisa67

      Posted

      Thank you I'm going to try ille let you know how it works thank you again xx

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