Panic Attacks While Driving - Tips For Dealing With Them

It's not a nice experience to have to go through at any time, but panic attacks while driving can be an especially terrifying ordeal. That's because the symptoms of panic are amplified by the very fact you are driving and therefore, at risk of crashing or causing an accident. Panic attacks while driving are caused by a variety of things. It might be that you don't have much experience of driving, or it might be because you have recently had a worrisome experience while on the road. Still, regardless of the reason, there is no doubt that it can be a truly horrifying ordeal for anyone to have to go through. This terrifying panic might simply stem from the belief that your driving is going to cause an accident, or it may be that you fear someone is going to crash into you. You might just believe that you aren't good enough as a driver to really be on the road.

There are also cases of people only being frightened in certain situations while driving their cars. Panic attacks while driving only occur for some people while crossing a large bridge or using a ferry crossing. The result of this is that these drivers usually just avoid going on ferries or crossing bridges, even if it means driving several hours out of their way.

Such instances of panic attacks while driving can therefore cause massive disruption, wasting hours of time or simply having the effect of putting people off driving at all, which consequently has a huge impact on their lives and their ability to get around. So what can be done to stop panic attacks while driving?

There are a few things you can do to lessen panic attacks while driving. The first thing you can do is to make sure you have some relaxing music playing on the car stereo while you are motoring along. This will help you to put your mind at ease. Relaxing music has the added advantage of being familiar to you - very useful in calming anyone suffering from an anxiety attack. You can also do some little things in order to keep your mind off driving and therefore not worry about it. Simple things like snacking on some fruit or biscuits can help, as can looking at the scenery as you drive around. Whatever you do, don't think too much about driving itself, though please do pay attention to the road.

If you do feel the signs of increased anxiety rising to the surface, don't panic! You can control it so long as you know how. First of all, you should pull over as soon as you can. The last thing you should do is try to keep on driving if you think you are about to experience and episode of panic. Signs of panic attacks while driving include an increased heart beat and rapid breathing. This is the time to pull over. If you can, get out and slowly walk around for a while, taking slow, deep breaths. Make sure you control your breathing and don't start hyperventilating. If you can control your breathing you will be able to calm yourself relatively quickly.

Just make sure that you don't get back into the car and start driving again until you are completely settled and calm again.

By: Oliver Tambo

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