Driving

Hey there, i have had trouble driving and still have some too. Altough, i was not in an accident. And im glad everyone is okay, thank The Lord for that! Accidents happen and im sure your parents are more happy about you being safe than the insurance money. If you still feel bad about that, ask them to sit down and explain the guilt you feel for the money, im sure they will reassure you that everything is fine and that accidents happen. I do realize what panic feels like behind the wheel. I had my first panic attack while in a movie threater. After the movie ended, my friend who was driving, took us back to his house. I had 2 or 3 moments of panic on the 10 minute drive. In addtion after leaving his house to drive myself back home, i also had several moments of panic attacks there. I did not know what was wrong or what was happening. I was just super scared and afraid. I had to drive to my college where i have an apartment the next day since the school week was starting and thats when i first noticed heart palpitations and where i started to notice my physical symptoms and that itself caused panic. I went to the doctors and he said my heart was healthy. So i was all flustered as to why i felt sensations of fear and fear of something being wrong with me when i was told everything was healthy. My mind is and was playing a trick on me and your brain is playing a trick on you. Thats what panic is, a trick. You and I let the panic in and let it cause fear, which causes panic, which leads to a panic attack! After that incident i was scared beyond belief to drive on a highway/interstate. I avoided certain roads and driving when i knew it was gonna be heavy traffic. I know what you are going through. Best advice i  have (and this is tough advice) is you have to forgive yourself for the accident. Next you have to start challening yourself to take the routes that you have been avoiding, i have started to get more and more comfortablly the more times i drive on the highway. I started to drive at night again and its hard and its gonna feel bad and you are going to panic the first few times, dont be scared. a panic attack will not kill you and its only discomfort, not danger. During panic try to belly breathe ( youtube it or find how to do it on this website under the education tab) and let the panic flow through you and accept it for what it is, which is a discomfort not danger. IF you panic, try not to leave that situation because that only feeds the panic more. Try to stay there and let it pass, which will help you in the long run to overcome panic disorder, and yes i do mean overcome. You can do this! Read the "Panic Attacks Workbook by Dr. Dave Carbonell" and "Hope and Help For Your Nerves by Dr. Alice Weekes."

Panic/Anxiety Questions

Very possible that it is caused from panic. Wouldn't be a bad thing to go see your primary doctor and let them take some blood work and tell them your symptoms. I was recently told that i had a high thyroid level and that has been causing my anxiety and panic. Ive been put on medicine to help normalize my thryoid levels. 

Introducing myself and my anxious thoughts

Hey man, hope everything is well. The website is amazing for actual learning about panic and anxiety. However, a lot of people do not use the online support groups or at least do not check the boards reguarly. supportgroups.com is a great site for all types of categories like panic, depression, money problems, health issues, etc. Its great!

Constant Anxiety that doesn´t go away!

Hey, hope all is well. How have you overcome in the past? :) 

Constant Anxiety that doesn´t go away!

This was great advice. Yeah i tend to have days when i feel amazing and days when i feel bad. I am 21 and it all started for me in March, so about 4 months and its been a battle where i have made great improvement. but panic and anxiety still creep in. So what did you do in the past to overcome speficially and since you did those things to overcome, why do you think you were succeptible to fall back into the pit of panic again later in life?

Constant Anxiety that doesn´t go away!

First happened in March when i watched a movie at the theaters. Never had anxiety or panic before. ANways, had a panic attack,a ctually several that night at the movies, and then a couple as i drove home. So for a few weeks i associated panic attacks with driving and being a passenger. I had worked through the driving, but havent worked through being a passenger again just yet. I have bad physical symptoms : naseau, headaches, chest tightness, fast heart rate, shallow breathing, noticing my breathing. And all these symptoms heighten the panic even more. Ive gotten better than i first was, but have yet to overcome it yet. Going to go see a phychologist soon. 

Constant Anxiety that doesn´t go away!

Yes, red lights and anytime where i was forced to stopped be stuck use to trigger a lot of y for panic for me too. I wouldn't like driving for a while because of it. i had a lot of avoidance techniques which only make the panic worse of course. So i hope and pray that my panic attacks and my worry over them will dissapear someday too.