Anxiety Support Group

I went a few months where i did not drive at all but right now i can drive and i feel so proud (as sillly as that sounds) but its a scary thing for me most every time that i do and i just have to breath and take it a step and one moment at a time.

It took me a while to try. I first practiced with my husband...then ventured out on my own. I was doing well, today not so much. But each day is different. My problems are the stoplights. Having to wait there...gets to me.

I used to have the most anxiety from driving..whether I was behind the wheel or just in the passenger seat. I have since learned that facing my fear and just doing it has helped me overcome it. It takes time though...it doesn't go away with one trip. I still will not drive in big cities. I never have been able to handle that and prolly never will. But hey that's ok, I'm a small town girl and drive where I need to go. Just keep on pressing in and you will succeed!

I had a bad panic attack in the car on the highway on the way home from work. That just ruined me for a long time. I stopped driving for a couple months. My husband took me to work which was way out of his way. I, too, had problems at stop lights. When I first started driving again my husband would go with me and try to talk to me to distract from the anxiety but that really didn't help. I just need quite and I felt I had to whisper back to him so I didn't add tension in my body. After a couple months I could drive to work which is 30 minutes on the highway, and about 45 to an hour on non-highway which is how I started back in. Not sure if being in the car longer and having more stop lights was better than being on the highway, but the slower speeds and more places to pull off just in case seemed better. Eventually I tried the highway again having researched places I could get off and proceed on regular roads and many months later I was ok. Still don't like driving, but I do it and everyday getes better with the occassional set back.

After getting into an accident a couple of years back I think I may have had PTSD or something but driving of the highway with anyone used to really freak me out. I have worked through this a lot But I still get extremely anxious when there is a lot of traffic.

Highway driving is one of the times I have most of my anxiety attacks. I had seizures as a teenager and whenever I have an attack, it feels like a seizure coming on and scares me while driving b/c I am afraid that I am going to hurt someone. I stopped highway driving for a while, then started back but got off onto sidestreets whenever I didn't feel good. I keep just trying to remind myself that although I have been having panic attacks for 2 years, I've not had a seizure in 9years. I wish there was more info/support out there for people with seizure disorder and anxiety attacks b/c this is a real problem. Not that someone who thinks they are going to have a heart attack etc. isn't scary, but when you have had grand maul seizures in the past, it is really scary. I've been to the neuro for checkups, but no seizure problem going on (luckily), just anxiety attacks (unlucky). Any help would be appreciated. Thank you.

It KEEPS me from going ANYwhere that I don't know exACTly how to get to.
(Which is just about everywhere I want to go. :(

Your stories guys are so inspiring for me :-) ...I went to thesame problem...

keeps me homebound..I feel ashamed:(

i had a massive panic attack today while driving on a main road i have been fine for ages but out of the blue it hit me i had to pull over because i worry that i am going to faint or pass out or lose control of the car and that fear fuels the anxiety even more i know what im doing to myself but i cant stop i have had such a bad day today...