fear of driving to new places

You are not actually fearful of driving or travelling itself, but rather the fear of losing control if you have another panic attack. This is because when we have a panic attack, the first thing we want to do is to retreat to our "safe place", which for most people is our home. The further away from our comfort zone, the more uncomfortable we feel.

It not just driving any more it's being alone, always need someone to be with me...Feeling sad for no reason..heart racing, pain in left arm and shoulders tension and the list goes on..just want to feel better!!

t much better during rush hour due to a lack of good places to pull over and stop in downtown. I have no experiences with anxiety before this intense, so this is kind of a new and scary feeling for me. I'm also a very experienced driver and over the last 5 years have driven all over the Southeast U.S. for work and not had any previous issues with driving or being stuck in traffic.

It is an extreme fear of many different things and not knowing why. Mine started in a dept. store- cold sweat, arms tingling, couldn't breath, weak and lightheaded. Thought I was coming down with something so went home laid down and started getting worse. My heart was pounding and I was terrified I was having a heart attack. Called my Dr. and he knew right away-was having a panic attack. That was the beginning of therapy and tranquilizers.

m becoming housebound because of my fear of driving. I just got on my husbands insurance and am thinking of going to the doctor. Though, I'm afraid it's not anxiety and it will not be diagnosed easily. I just want this to be over. I want to be normal!

I highly recommend the follwing resources to help you over-come this fear of driving. In my opinion they are priceless and well worth the money. If you can afford them, I would order them today so you can get your recovery on the road. They have been instrumental in my recovery and I actually keep them in the car with me, just in case. 1) The Driving Fear Program - www.drivingfear.

m so tired of feeling scared of going to new places for a fear of feeling trapped; like I need to escape. If I'm going in my own car to meet someone, I'm ok, but MOSTLY if its someone I already know. New people, and new places, make me feel quite nervous, panicked, and I avoid it almost always now. I don't travel because of it, and It's making my life really small. I cry because I don't even date too.

Hi. Unfortunately this all evolves around your anxiety and you're developing Agoraphobia which will hold you prisoner in your home (safe place). Driving is a big trigger for many with panic attacks it goes along with Agoraphobia, fear of open places and fear you'll have a panic attack, the feeling of being "trapped" wherever you are.

m going to go into labor while driving! Is there a certain time to stop driving? Has it happened to anyone?

Of course there is always a what if, but we also take a risk by walking down the street, driving our cars, etc. Have you ever thought of talking to a therapist about this? Health anxiety is quite common in this forum and can really take a toll on us unless we get to the bottom of it. Keep us posted!

Hi.....no this doesn't sound like a broken record. Have you tried therapy? This can be very beneficial in helping with our anxiety, especially your fear of flying, and driving. With anxiety many of us have "triggers" that set un in panic mode and it sounds like your's is driving and the occassional flying. None of us ever want to take medication, but anxiety can be like any other medical condtion that requires daily medication to control the symptoms.

Little over a year I'd say. Well one day I was driving home and for no reason it felt like I was going to throw my heart rite up it started pounding and things started going black I was like this is the end I didn't no what to do went threw a bunch of tests they found nsvt. Then I thought I had cad and did for a long timed despite having an angio I still think I do. I read all the time about and how it can go from 0 plugged to 100 percent in less then a month.

I turned 16 years old in Febuary. I always had to take different road to get to places because it seems like when i drive over 60 mph, i start having breathing problems, every thing turns bright and i get these small sharp pains in my feet, "like if you feet fall asleep" but worst.. I am to afraid to drive on the interstate because that is 75 mph and at 60 i can barly drive. What should i do??

WOW u lasted 6 weeks i cannot even last 2 weeks without going crazy. Please put it behind you no nurse will infect you! next time ask her to open a new one in front of you as your allowed to do this they don't mind : ) its there job and have rules and regulations in places.

Well I called the county mental health center and they are going to see if I qualify, I just picture those places like a group of the people that talk to them selfs in front of the 7-11. I know that sounds bad Thanks for the advice!

m with Tabitha- if I cross a bridge over water I will get a game plan in my head of how to get ALL three of my kids out if the bridge were to crash into the water. We have high speed chases here all the time. One of the more recent ones someone was going the opposite way on the Interstate. It is everywhere and I just make sure I'm really conscious about EVERYTHING around me when driving. We can't control what other people around us are doing.

Hi All, back at the end of November I met a girl in a club and subsequently went home with her. I was quite drunk so my memory of the night wasn't perfect. I believe the first time we were going to have sex I had a condom but don't think I could manage an erection due to being drunk but I did perform oral on her. In the morning we had fully protected sex with a condom and I fingered her a fair bit.

Alright so my job has started back up. I have to drive kids places. Im needing prayers that I DO NOT go into labor while driving. Im 36+4 weeks right now and this is absolutely my biggest fear.

Hi there again! I think in a lot of respects, your fear is pretty normal, only your level of anxiety causes you to miss out on experiences, so it's definitely affecting your life. Your apprehension about driving to unfamiliar places is normal, it's your anticipatory anxiety and reactions to the anxiety that are severe. There ARE ways you could address this. It would be super if you could find a CBT therapist who does hands on "in the field" type work.

I've had anxiety while driving for years now. I'm also very agoraphobic. At this point in my life, I am unable to drive and very rarely leave the house. Problem right now is that I am moving about 1/2 hour away by the end of the month. Luckily, I have the best boyfriend in the world and he will be doing pretty much all of the moving by himself. Packing and unpacking will be my job, but I don't mind it at all.

Also. When I talk about open spaces I'm talking about this feeling of not being grounded. This never happened before my panic attack and change in perception. It's not a fear of being outside. It's a fear of the derealization. I don't need a therapist. I have every answer in the book. It's grief, or it's Post trauma symptoms. I just want an answer. That's really it. Because without that the I can't ever get to the bottom of this.

Your symptoms have nothing to do with HIV.

I too struggle with panic attacks and the fear of them returning. Have you talked to your dr about this? You might want to consider talking with a therapist. I do know that if you let the fear take over your mind it is only going to get worse. The best advice I can give you is to talk to someone and try to face the fear. Get back in your car and go for a drive even if it is only around the block. Each time you do it it will get easier. You have to take your control back.

I agree with you that it is the fear of the unknown. I try very hard not to give into the fear because if I do it will rob me of my life. I am trying a new outlook on life....Positive thinking leads to positive living. Honestly this is not always easy but if I constantly obsess over my fear of death then I am not living. I just imagine that when we die we go to a place of peace and happiness with our friends and family that have passed on before us.

Were you in a car accident of this nature in the past, this would cause your fear? Anxiety causes most of us to develop fears like this, some have a root cause and others don't. Therapy will help you determine why you have this fear, and how to get over it. If therapy doesn't help (I think it will) there are medications to ease your fear. Know you're not alone and there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

He prescribed Plaquenil for me. I am scared to death to take it because of the side effects. I am already loosing my vision in my left eye. He told me that I would have to see an opthamologist every 6 months to check for plaque buildups and ulcers that can form in the back of the eyes leading to vision problems or blindness. I need it because my Sjogren's Syndrome and Fibromyalgia have been out of control.

No ladies it isn't that kind of arrival. :) I actually made a decision - one of my mental type problems - and bought my new vehicle. I ended up buying a Toyota Tacoma 4x4 pickup. Color WHITE - need to keep it cooler in the summer. Besides the lower MPG I'll also have to get use to an analog speedometer, Larger turn radius, and controls in different places than my car.

Fear of driving to new places

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