Panic Attacks Behind The Wheel

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October 27, 2009

Sarah’s panic attacks started a few months ago after she was involved in a minor accident while driving her car. She chooses to walk to work which is 2 miles from her home. Sarah gets anxious and apprehensive simply thinking about sitting in her car.

Sarah finds that her life has changed. Sometimes when she crosses the road she feels a fear deep inside her and feels her heart pound. Sarah was a careful and self-assured driver before but now she has zero confidence. She is afraid of a having another accident.

Panic attacks start occurring even when she is not driving. Sarah finds life difficult and frustrating to cope with since the incident. Everyday, she encounters excessive and irrational worrying thoughts. This inevitably impairs her work and social relationships.

People who experience a traumatic event may develop Post traumatic stress disorder. Experiences that cause serious emotional or physical distress are common triggers. A sufferer might experience terrifying flashbacks of a traumatic event.

Those that know a PTSD sufferer might find that they’re not the person they used to be. Often the family of the sufferer experiences immense strain and are at a loss. Sufferers may even avoid social interaction. There is a possibility that sufferers may develop a phobia of people more commonly recognized as social anxiety.

Insomnia affects a high proportion of people with anxiety disorders. They are likely to feel stressed and anxious and overly cautious. For Sarah, getting into a car or any vehicle for her is virtually impossible.

A traumatic driving experience isn’t the only cause of panic attacks while driving however. Panic attacks may occur because of irrational fear and anxiety itself. Often we create our own fears through negative thinking. When the mind becomes fixed on a particular fear it can make it seem a lot worse than it really is.

Fear can feed itself and make one’s fear completely irrational. Our minds constantly produce thoughts and imagery that further shape our behaviors. A driver might experience panic attacks for a number of reasons. Fears such as;

* Driving at high speeds such as on the freeway.
* Driving on a busy road.
* Getting cut in front of.
* Being honked at.
* Driving long distances.
* Driving in the dark.

Experiences that create apprehension and anxiety also create feelings of fear and panic that can increase. It’s possible however to regain confidence and change beliefs and patterns of behavior. Click here; anxiety and depression to discover a simple technique to stop anxiety attacks.

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