For the last twenty years you have been driving your car without trouble but one day and without a warning while you are driving, you feel dizzy, have difficulty breathing, and a feeling of dread takes over you. The terror increases when you feel you are going to lose control at the wheel. You could be having a panic attack, not a heart attack. But after this episode, you might not want to drive your car again for fear of another panic attack.
While some may tell you to overcome this fear by confronting it and driving more frequently, this only works if your panic attack was caused by a fear of driving. The best way to handle this is to learn how to deal with panic attacks while driving so that you can be better prepared and feel calmer while you drive.
If it’s never happened to you before, you may not recognize the shakes, clammy palms and increasing dread and fear as a panic attack. You might have been worrying about the driving conditions, a breakdown, traffic or even something unrelated to driving.
At the onset of a panic attack while you are driving your car, pull over. During a panic attack, it seems that all cars are racing towards you. That is just your imagination or ugly intrusive thoughts going haywire. Sit up straight, take a deep breath, and regulate your breathing until you are relaxed. Breathing in through your noise and exhaling through your mouth can lessen the attack.
Panic attacks can last a couple of seconds or for few minutes. Just try to relax and calm yourself until the attack subsides. If you have some water in the car, take sips of this, since dehydration can trigger panic attacks. Take a pill if you have any prescription medication for your panic disorder and ride your attack out until you’re thoroughly relaxed. You should keep some water and a paper bag to regulate your breathing in the car at all times.
With panic attacks as with any other condition, prevention is always better than a cure. You can help to prevent panic attacks by taking daily vitamin B complex supplements; ask your doctor what they recommend as a daily dosage.
Follow doctor’s orders. If you are signing up for therapeutic counselling, be consistent with your attendance. During those sessions, you can get help and be inspired by the stories of others trying to beat panic attacks.
Never drive alone if you’re prone to panic attacks while driving; you may even want to have other people do the driving if you have attacks frequently. Having someone else along in the car can keep you calmer and prevent you from being overtaken by the fears that trigger panic attacks.
Related posts: