Anxiety While Driving

One of the worst times to experience anxiety attack is when you are driving down a busy road or highway. Sudden chills and inability to breathe normally are disturbing. You feel as if you are going to faint or lose control of the car and die right then and there. So, what can you do to stop anxiety attacks while driving?

First of all, you need to prevent the attacks from happening. Listen to music while on the road. If you have a cassette tape, CD, or MP3 that you enjoy listening to, put it on the player. Try to relax while driving. Stop thinking that you are behind steering wheels and another vehicle might crash into you any moment.

Focus on the road and the sceneries around you. Think of the things or events you look forward to later on during the day. Have something ready to eat while driving. This can be a fruit or some crackers. Munching on light snacks will keep you occupied and prevent you from forming negative thoughts in your mind.

It is also a good idea to have an anxiety attack kit in your car. The contents of this kit may come in handy in case you were not able to prevent or stop anxiety attacks while driving. You must prepare an unopened bottle of clean drinking water, ½ Xanex pill or valium, and a brown paper bag. You may also include other medications that your doctor has advised you to take.

Let us say that the worst thing has happened and you are already having attacks. What do you need to do at this moment? First, you need to pull over. Do not stop in the middle of the road. Calm down, close your eyes, and breathe slowly. Realize that the attacks are momentary, and you are going to be alright soon.

If the attacks are intense and you are starting to hyperventilate, reach for your anxiety attack kit. Get the brown paper bag and breathe into it. When you hyperventilate, your body expels too much carbon dioxide; so you need to breathe into the brown paper bag to re-breathe exhaled air and restore that lost gas. Once you are breathing normally again, pop the ½ Xanex pill or Valium into your mouth and swallow it with water. Rest for a while and resume driving.

Another way to stop anxiety while driving is to check for muscle tension and ease it. Let your muscles relax while breathing deeply. Keep your cool and stay calm the whole time. Do not even try to puff on a cigarette. A lot of people have this wrong notion that cigarette smoking can calm the body and relieve tension. Apparently, cigarette smoke contains various elements that can actually worsen anxiety attack symptoms. Studies have also shown that carbon monoxide in cigarette smoke can directly induce panic symptoms.

Experiencing anxiety attacks while driving is truly frightening. However, you should never ever give in to your fear and stop driving. Giving in to your fear will just reinforce your driving anxiety. So, stay strong and believe that you can overcome anxiety and its symptoms.

If you would like to try a treatment to stop anxiety attacks while driving, then we recommend you visit The Driving Fear Program.