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Weird feeling when driving

I have delt with anxiety my entire life. When I was a young child, I broke out in a terrible rash due to stress. When I was a teen I had 2 stress induced siezures (grand mal). I even began having severe anxiety attacks. I even have a fear of talking to people I don't know well. It's hard for me to talk or be myself when I'm in a big crowd unless I have my "safe person" with me. My safe people are the select few in my life that I am closest to. Although, by far, my worst symptom of anxiety has been (what I believe is) agoraphobia.
One day, when I was very young  I remember a strange feeling coming over me. I was in a car, sitting in the back seat with my friend. The feeling came over me all of a sudden like a rush of butterflies through my body. I couldn't look out the window or talk to my friend. It was like I had no control over my body. Though, it only lasted a few seconds before I was okay again. Although that one time changed my entire life! Ever since, when I am in a car, I think "is that feeling going to come back?" and then naturally I get worried and it comes back. Although, like I said...it's very quick. I'll be fine afterword, but a few moments later, if I think about it again, the feeling comes back. It's constantly on and off, unless I'm not thinking about it/afraid. Therefore, naturally, I can't drive because the first thing I think about as I get into the drivers seat is that feeling. I'm instantly afraid it'll come back. If I am driving when the feeling comes, I lose control. I try fighting it by looking off the road or slowing down. Slowing down does help. They're actually worse/more frequent when I'm driving. I think it's because i know what it does to me, so I know i'm more likey to get into an accident, which in turn scares me! I have also had it while playing driving video games, walking, or even while talking. Those times, it's only bad when I am thinking of what people may think if I have the attack. I can have a small attack on my own, but not bad enough to make me lose control. I think it's because the fear of "what will people think?" is gone when I'm alone. I've had the feeling when walking into an open store by myself. I can't handle it! My legs go stiff and I just look at the ground. I have to leave the store to feel better, and yet I just end up feeling stupid.
I have a strong feeling this is agoraphobia because it's a fear of the fear. I don't have the attack unless I'm thinking if it! The only thing that makes me think it may not be an anxiety symptom is because of how quick the feeling flushes through my body. When I have a full fledged anxiety attack, the heart pounding, sweating, and shaking can last for hours or even carry over to the next day.
Does anyone have any advice for me? Have any of you experienced anything like this?
I need help! I'm becoming housebound because of my fear of driving. I just got on my husbands insurance and am thinking of going to the doctor. Though, I'm afraid it's not anxiety and it will not be diagnosed easily. I just want this to be over. I want to be normal!
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Avatar universal
my boyfriend is experiencing this exact thing and i literally don’t know what to do i’m so worried about him and i just want him to feel okay. i know this is a reach because of how long ago this was posted but anybody who sees this and knows any answers what to do about this please comment back to me or something...please even if it’s been a long time since i’ve posted this comment. he doesn’t have insurance so he can’t go see a dr right now. i’m so worried and it’s the only thing i can think about. please help.
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2 Comments
You may want to consider Medicaid if insurance is not an option and you financially qualify. Severe anxiety may require the assistance of a psychiatrist. In the mean time, it is important to do for him to do everything he can to make himself feel better. Even small things like having hot tea, getting sleep at night as much as possible, going on walks, and reading. The idea is to keep your mind focused. Anxiety is a day by day thing. It’s important to stay occupied. Your worry is understandable but he must also make the decision to see someone when he can if he is willing to.
Please excuse typos from talk to text.
Avatar universal
You sound EXACTLY like I did for 4 - 5 years.  I would consider myself 90% recovered now.

The causes:
1. Felt unloved and unprotected by my parents
2. Felt I didn't deserve better when almost everyone in school bullied me (see point 1)
3. Didn't love myself and respect who I am
4. Didn't believe in myself and my talents
5. Worked jobs that were well below the salary I SHOULD be making (refer to point 4)
6. Stayed in a terrible job for 8 years allowing myself to be taken advantage of
7. Was always telling myself I couldn't do it

Solution:
1. Understand my parents did their best. They're only human not all knowing super hero's
2. Quit that job.
3. Learned what my anxiety was trying to tell me.

I was also afraid to go out, talk on the phone for fear my anxiety would kick in an people would notice. I also had a similar episode in my car driving to that job of 8 years. I now understand that I wasn't addressing my true needs (self confidence, pride, belief in myself,  happiness) so my body tried to do it for me. I had become so unconscious and accustomed to living like a failure that my body was trying to shock me and say WAKE THE HELL UP!!!

It's not that I needed to fear driving because that's an unconscious act. I needed to fear continuing on as a failure.

I bet somewhere in here are parallels in your life. A stress you know exists but are failing to confront. Deal with it now or it will crush you like it did me.

The fix is much easier than you think and frankly, who cares what other people think. Ultimately their opinions are meaningless so its ok if something happens because its only temporary.
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Avatar universal
I absolutely DISagree with you on this point.  "As for what happened during your childhood.......anxiety won't cause seizures, there was definitely more to this".

I suffered seizures throughout my childhood and partial teenage years. Each seizure can be associated to an instance when I felt I was being ignored, unloved or treated unfairly. The seizure was my minds way of getting attention. Every exam my whole life has always said I was perfectly healthy & normal even after a 3 week stay at Sick Kids Hospital as a child.

Anxiety was the cause and continues to impact me but I no longer seizure after coming to grips with family deaths and understanding my parents tried their best.

Now I just need to break the cycle of feeling great for a week but always anticipating the next event because inevitably it comes.
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Avatar universal
I really feel for you; I have the same problem, though mine is dissociation in my head, versus the butterfly feeling and driving was often one of the worst triggers.  

Up until last week, I was not leaving my house unless I absolutely had to.  I had such a weird feeling in my head that all I wanted to do was lie down.  However, giving in to it just made it worse.  My best advice to you is to continue driving and going places as often as you can.  If it makes you feel more comfortable to have someone with you, ask a parent or friend to go with you.  Engage in conversation, listen to music, get a book on CD, whatever you have to do to try to relax.  Even if you start out just driving around the block, it will build your confidence that you can begin driving and doing so without the butterfly feelings.  I've never worried about what others would think about me if I was having a panic attack (in all honesty, nobody would even know because my symptoms are all inside), but if you have butterflies in your stomach, nobody is going to know.  And if they see you looking at the ground, who cares?  Chances are you won't see them again anyway.  The more you have these feelings at a particular place (mine is Wal-Mart and Kohl's) and leave because of the feelings, the more your mind starts to believe that these places are bad for your anxiety.  My therapist told me to go to Wal-Mart once per day for a week.  She said to read labels on products if I had to distract my mind, but to go once a day and stay there for a half hour or until the anxiety passed.  She said that doing this will begin to make your mind think, "OK, I made it here today and I felt fine, so tomorrow I can do the same."  She did say I'd have setbacks, but that's OK, but the more you go out and face your fear, the more your anxiety will start to dissipate.  

I really encourage you to try to get out of the house, and as the previous poster said, seek therapy.  I believe a lot of anxiety is mind over matter and I finally just made up my mind last week that I'm tired of never leaving my place or having a life, forced myself to go places, and I feel so much better already in just a week's time!  I've been driving out of town again, and last night I went shopping for five hours.  A week ago, I never thought I'd be able to do that.  My fear is that if you avoid situations, your agoraphobia will just get worse and worse, and I know from personal experience how horrible that is.

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Avatar universal
Hi.....Agoraphobia is very common and it's a fear of open places.  When we have anxiety and panic happens while driving then we associate the panic attack with that action.  This creates our fear of driving which increases our anxiety which makes our anxiety worse....a vicious cycle.  Learning how to break this cycle is key and that's where therapy can help and medication may be needed as well.  Anxiety can be just like any other medical condition requiring medication to control the symptoms.  I think you have a very good understanding of "why" this is happening and what triggers your panic, and being embarrassed plays a big role when we're out in public.  But now you need to seek help....I would see a psychiatrist for an evaluation and referral to the proper therapist and psychiatrists are most knowledgeable when it comes to medications to treat our symptoms. You sound like a typical Agoraphobic, and the doctor will see this, so please don't be afraid.  Getting help is how to get your life back and to no longer be held hostage by this.  Don't be so hard on yourself for leaving the store, you have no control over the panic so your actions are warranted and it's what anyone who has suffered with Agoraphobia has done many times. As for what happened during your childhood.......anxiety won't cause seizures, there was definitely more to this, maybe a high fever.  Either way it created a fear in you that caused panic and you've had to deal with this for a long time.  With therapy people can overcome this fear but for many only medication helps...and that's okay!  Many of us have been where you are so know you're not alone and with help you can feel so much better.  We're always here for you!
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