Handling Panic While Driving - Panic Disorders Message Board

fm5 · 10-18-2003, 09:38 AM

A lot of people with panic disorder are prone to getting attacks in their cars. (I used to get them all the time in my car.)

When you start getting those "anxious feelings" while driving and find yourself beginning to focus on your physical symptoms IMMEDIATELY focus on the license plate(s) in front of you. Look at the letters on the license plate. Make up a category such as people's names or fruits. Then think of names or fruits beginning with the letters on the license plate. If you mind goes back to your physical symptoms FORCE IT BACK onto thinking up fruits or names beginning with the letters.

Carry "find a word" puzzles with you in your glove compartment. (The kind where you have to find words out of letters in a box.) These tend to work better than regular crossword puzzles, probably because they involve more concentration to do them.

If you find yourself really panicking, pull over to a SAFE parking area and concentrate on doing the "find a word" puzzle. Try not to focus on your physical symptoms.

BE PATIENT WITH YOURSELF! It takes a while to get out of this illness.

KEEP DRIVING! NO MATTER HOW BAD YOU FEEL! It is by constantly doing these things NO MATTER HOW BAD YOU FEEL, that you will find yourself recovering because you will begin to have confidence in yourself that "no, I am not going to die or have a heart attack. If I were to have a heart attack or die, it would have already happened in previous attacks.

Panic attacks are just like being on a beach and having a huge wave come at you. The more you run from them, the more they will knock you down, and pound you over and over. TRY TO JUST DIVE RIGHT THROUGH THEM!

[This message has been edited by fm5 (edited 10-18-2003).]

chrislvj · 10-20-2003, 09:49 PM

fm5
i have to say that i like you're input,have you gone threw anxiety and overcame it??? i have,and not very many people can understand the importants of these coping skills. it is like a wave comming at you,and it will last as long as a wave, if you just float threw it.in order to overcome this dissorder you have to go threw them (float)to know that they won't hurt you.and distacting yourself is the key, quit focusing on you're symptons,because the more you focuse the worse they become. and vise-versa. If everyone here could really grasp this and believe, their would be no-one suffering from this dissorter.so everyone reading this go and get out of you're safe zone!!! and put these coping skills to work,tell yourself it's ok,it's just anxiety, breath deep for 60 seconds calm yourself down, then distract yourself. you will soon realize that you are in control, and they will eventual do away! good luck

fm5 · 10-21-2003, 02:51 PM

Thanks chrislvj for your input.

Yes, I did suffer very badly with panic disorder for about a year, and have overcome it. I haven't had a full blown attack in about 10 years. I come on this Board to give back what I have learned about this illness.

And your statements are true also.