Fast Panic Attacks Help When Driving

By habits in Smoking on February 18th, 2010

Panic Attacks Help is essential for those that have had attacks on the road and continue to drive in fear. Getting nervous about driving is common, however fear of driving may prevent some people from driving at all. Causes of such dread depends on each individual. Having been in an accident or knowing someone close who’s been in one can trigger fear and anxiety about driving.

Having an anxiety attack is just the body’s way of responding to a threat or fear. Simply having feelings, thoughts and images of fear can trigger the ‘fight or flight’ response. Way back when man hunted for food, the stress response gave man the strength, focus and energy to fight off dangerous animals. However, in the modern world this response has become more redundant. Our biggest enemy today is stress, and this alone can trigger the response unnecessarily.

Stress affects everyone and particularly people with stress related illnesses. Anxious or depressed people have a higher sensitivity to stress and find that they become easily nervous and stressed. Fear of driving can develop gradually and is not always linked to a traumatic experience. Several small incidences of panic can build up and cause an attack.

People who fear driving may have specific reasons that cause them anxiety such as; being held up in traffic, driving through bad weather, driving down a hill and getting lost. A panic attack can come on extremely quickly. All of a sudden your heartbeat is racing, you begin to sweat profusely and you feel like your losing control. This kind of event can be very damaging and traumatic to the human psyche.

It’s not surprising that some people refuse of dread getting back into a vehicle. Some people may be happy to not drive again while others may seek Panic attacks treatment to cure their fear. For some people it may be impractical to not drive.

Common panic attacks help comes in the form of therapy or medication. While medication can reduce the risk of attacks and symptoms, it is essential to seek advice from a doctor. Some medications may cause drowsiness and impair driving. Non-medicated ways of treatment such as CBT and exposure therapy are much more suited.

Less known methods of Panic attacks help such as hypnotherapy and Emotional Freedom Technique can also be effective at talking this fear. If you’re a nervous driver it’s important to be prepared before driving. Avoid driving if you feel extremely anxious. Before driving get yourself in a relaxed state through breathing exercises. Some helpful things to take are; a cell phone, a CD and a paper bag in case you hyperventilate.

Ensure that you plan your route carefully and you know exactly where you’re going. Don’t drive when the roads are really busy. Put on the radio or a CD to calm you and pay attention to any tension that you have. As you drive, keep a relaxed and steady breath, and relax you body. Remind yourself that you will arrive safe and sound, and use positive affirmations.

At the beginning of an attack you might feel a little panicky but keep breathing steadily and recognize these sensations as no more than excess adrenaline. If you think that you’re about to have a panic attack, get safely to an area you can stop and recover. You may find breathing into a paper bag helpful for controlling your breath. Wait until you calm down before getting back on the road, or if it’s possible, call somebody to pick you up.