Panic attacks in and of themselves are terrible experiences. Panic attacks driving can be a entirely new degree of scary though. The racing heartbeat, the cold sweats, chest pains and blurred vision all while you need to stay in control of your vehicle and be aware of your surroundings. It is far from a pleasant feeling, but there are precautions you can take to make the ordeal easier, should you run into it.
First, you should be aware of your general thoughts patterns and anxiety levels. Also take note of things or thoughts that often raise your anxiety level or lead to panic attacks driving. Simply becoming informed of such factors can give you the heads up required to get off the road safely before the worst of the attack comes.
Next, obviously, is getting off the road or stopping. If things get bad enough, don’t be scared to use your emergency blinkers. Keep in mind that you aren’t going to die from a panic attack or from embarrassment, but you may from a car crash if you lose control.
Once you’re off the road, it’s no different from a regular anxiety attack. That probably doesn’t make you feel any better, but the dangerous part is done with. Try to break the cycle in your head if possible. Generally you end up going over the same frightening thought or idea over and over, faster and faster, revving up. If you break the thought loop while it’s gaining momentum, you’ll find yourself surprised at the amount of control you have compared to what you expected.
Music is sometimes recommended to calm you down. The world seems to tune out throughout the actual panic attack, so it may or may not help then, but afterwords it can do wonders to help you fall back into your normal rhythm.
If you have panic attacks driving, you may also want to keep a cell phone available as a sort of “safety blanket.” It helps knowing you can have someone talk you down, let them know what’s going on, or get them to come rescue you if absolutely necessary. Whether or not you actually do it, it will make a world of difference just knowing you have that option.
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categories: panic attacks driving,panic attacks,anxiety attacks,anxiety,anxiousness,fear,health,mental wellness