Driving Anxiety

[sunshinefly]

I just had one of the worst anxiety/panic attacks driving today.  Was trying to drive north to see my boyfriend not even three hours away and got on the highway made it 15min before I got off in full panic.  I have always had highway panic but could usually deal with it if I was in a good mood and excited about where I was going.  In the past I have avoided it and taken back roads and this is what I eventually tried to do but it was all a mess.  If I had taken the highway it would have taken me 2.5hrs and instead I drove one big circle that took me 3.5hrs right back home...I tried.
Does anyone have any suggestions of dealing with highway anxiety... I really need help getting over it.  I have been living this way for years and have adjusted my life to accomodate the fear!

[Sean3x]

I live in California I've been driving my whole life.  A great driver, better than average.  I've jumped out of a plane.  I've driven to Lake Tahoe several times and through mountain roads my whole life.  Recently, I'm in my mid 40's, I had a panic attack driving out of Lake Isabella on the mountain roads.  I couldn't help feeling like I might drive off the edge, even though there was a guardraid there.  I determined that I was having a panic attack.  (Never experienced that before then.)  Now a few years later, I had it again.  I had to slow way down and drive on the inside lane (opposite the guardrail) probably to the annoyance of all the other drivers.  It seriously p'd me off that I became so incapacitated.  It lasted even though I got out and let my wife drive.  I had to just surf tik tok and take my mind off the motion.  My only solution will be to bring CBD gummies with me next time I'm out.  BUt I have a feeling because I had it once, i'm more suseptable to having it again.  :(  - Mid-40s

[Paxiled]

Don't know if you have a question, but anxiety attacks can just be episodic or they can be chronic.  They are common if you're on marijuana.  I grew up in California and although I would never jump out of an airplane just on basic principles, I drove everywhere and flew everywhere until one day it changed from episodic panic attacks when I was stoned to chronic agoraphobia.  So while you never know, take some solace that chronic anxiety problems usually begin when you're younger than you are now.  If you think you're more susceptible, that's what the psychologists tell us makes it more likely.  CBD oil can work.  I have a friend who has a sleep disorder, and when he doesn't sleep well, he has to drive a lot on the coast near the Bay Area where the roads are difficult and CBD helped him at those times.  What's hard to learn is an appropriate dosage, and I'd probably tell you to skip the candy and get the tincture, but it's up to you.  But you might want to engage a psychologist who specializes in anxiety and probably CBD if this continues and head it off at the pass.  In the meantime, is anything going on in your life that have caused you to become insecure?  How's your diet?  How's your drug use?  Had a thorough physical lately to check you thyroid, blood sugar, hormones, etc.?  Because again, it is uncommon, though not impossible obviously, to get this problem in your forties.  Mostly it happens from late teens to late twenties.  For others, something has usually happened and it comes out this way.  But again, don't confuse episodic problems with chronic problems.  Don't talk yourself into it, but if it's happening, the sooner you get on top of it the easier it is to fix.  Peace.

[Paxiled]

Sorry, got hung up on your CBD mention.  I meant to say the latter time CBT, a very practical form of therapy for phobias that when it works is a lot quicker than sitting and chatting for years.  Peace again.

[barfer]

Oh Boy, have I been where you are! My suggestion to you is get right back on that horse!  About five years ago, I had a dramatic car accident and stopped driving for about six months to a year.  I started driving again and I won't go into how I did that but the highway driving, just isn't in the cards for me right now...but, I was determined to drive to my daughter's place that would take about 30 minutes by car and about one hour on back roads.  Naturally, I took the back roads and the first time, I only made it about 10 minutes from my home before I had to turn back...I just couldn't go any further.  Determine, the next day I tried again and made it about 20 minutes on the back roads and, yes, I couldn't go any further and again turn back for home.  OK, now this was really starting to annoy me, I was going to get there come H*ll or high water and I finally did it.  I was a little shaky by the time I got there, but I made it and the secret to this is, driving back is a lot easier than driving there because you know you are going home to your comfort zone.  So, to make a very long story short,  keep trying, even if you only go a few blocks, eventually you will be able to do it and don't forget to reward yourself for your success.  I'm a big believer in the reward.  It also gives you an incentive.  I know that the drive you have to do is a lot further than the drive I did, but the objective is the same and you can use the same basic principals.

[CaliGirl48]

I have had this same thing for almost 2 years. It is truly the worst part of my anxiety. I hate it. I am a mom of 3 VERY active kids and driving is just something I HAVE to do.

Go to my profile. In my journals I have listed a few different breathing techniques that have REALLY worked for me. I have used them at home, at work, at my kids games, the grocery store, and even while driving!!

Please check them out, I really hope you can find them helpful like I did =)

Crystal