What To Do About Panic Attacks While Driving
You may have been driving for decades and never had a problem and then it happens without any advance warning. You begin feeling dizzy, find it difficult to breathe and you're filled with dread which becomes even worse once you think of the possibility of losing control of the vehicle. You may be having a panic attack and after having this happen to you, you might fear driving again.
While some may tell you to overcome this fear by confronting it and driving more frequently, this only works if your panic attack was caused by a fear of driving. The best way to handle this is to learn how to deal with panic attacks while driving so that you can be better prepared and feel calmer while you drive.
If it's never happened to you before, you may not recognize the shakes, clammy palms and increasing dread and fear as a panic attack. You might have been worrying about the driving conditions, a breakdown, traffic or even something unrelated to driving.
If you feel a panic attack setting in, stop driving. Pull over and breathe deeply until you start to relax; you're not going to be able to drive safely while having a panic attack.
A panic attack may last for anywhere from a few seconds to a few minutes, so take all the time you need to calm down. If you have some water handy, have a drink. Dehydration can cause or exacerbate panic attacks. If you've been prescribed medication for your condition, take one of these pills and relax as you wait for the attack to end. It's a good idea to keep a bottle of water in your car and a brown paper bag to breathe in. You'll get over an attack quicker if you ride it out instead of trying to fight it.
With panic attacks as with any other condition, prevention is always better than a cure. You can help to prevent panic attacks by taking daily vitamin B complex supplements; ask your doctor what they recommend as a daily dosage.
Always follow the recommendations of your physician and make sure to attend any one on one or group therapy sessions consistently. The support that being around others who suffer from panic attacks provides can be invaluable.
Never drive alone if you're prone to panic attacks while driving; you may even want to have other people do the driving if you have attacks frequently. Having someone else along in the car can keep you calmer and prevent you from being overtaken by the fears that trigger panic attacks.