Do You Drive with DP DR?

[[...]]

Hi all. For those of you who are able to go out in the community. Do you drive and experience dp dr? This happened to me once and I was afraid for my safety and the safety of others. However, my psychologist wants me to drive. She doesn't acknowledge my dp dr and thinks I am non complient with her direction that I should go out and drive every day. I don't want to get hurt or hurt anyone. Should I drive with these symptoms? What do you do?

Thanks,

Bear

[[...]]

Hi all. I would also like to add brain fog to the above. I am afraid to drive with brain fog too. When my husband drives me, I get disoriented to where I am, and I get really scared. Does this happen to anyone? What would happen if I were driving alone and the brain fog starts? Would I be able to find my way home safely? Would I be able to drive safely with brain fog? What do you do?

Thanks,

Bear

[[su...]]

You aren't alone, I have to drive myself almost every morning with it. Sometimes I feel like I'm somewhere I've never seen before or some place I JUST was, like I am going backwards or not going anywhere at all. I have to keep reminding myself, "you drive this route every day, you're mind is just messing with you". Some days are worse than others. Sometimes I talk on the phone and it distracts me, I also turn on talk radio to distract me too. What if you start small? Like drive around your block with your husband a few times a day, then when you are comfortable go a little further? That's the only advice I can think of. Hang in there!

[[el...]]

I have been able to drive throughout this whole ordeal, but I prefer not to. I drive fairly short distances (less than 10 miles), and I stay off major highways. There is something about higher speeds that almost cripples me right now. I start to feel spaced out like I can’t connect myself to all the things that seem to be flying by so quickly. It’s like my brain doesn’t have time to process all the movement.

 

I had been seeing a therapist for a year or so. It was strange. She acknowledged that benzo w/d often takes about two years or so for the healing to be complete, yet she wanted me to address what the “real problems” are that are making this so difficult. She really was clueless that I just could not do all the things that she kept trying to push me into. I would leave there feeling completely defeated and wondering why I was doing this to myself. It was doing me more harm than good. It would be awesome to get through benzo w/d and also have a degree in psychology where one could then be a therapist capable of understanding and helping others facing this monster. There don’t seem to be any therapists in this area who have any idea what w/d is like.

 

Anyway, I wouldn’t force myself to drive in situations that you don’t feel as though you can handle. I drive just enough that, when this does end, I won’t have to relearn the art of driving. Your psychologist has probably never experienced dp/dr so her advice, though well-meaning, is not particularly relevant. We can only do what we can do.

 

eli

 

[Guest [la...]]

Bear, I agree w/ eli. I drive, but ONLY short distances. Not far at all. I am really "out of it" for the entire drive, but I force myself to do it, regardless. It's prob not safe, but it's only a short ways. I won't go on any major highways or anything like that. NO WAY. Just do what you can do. The rest will come back to you w/ time...

 

"pushing" or "forcing" yourself in w/d or w/ DP/DR just DOESN'T work. You can't MAKE yourself get out of the DP/DR or the cogfog w/ "effort". Just doesn't work like that or we'd ALL be fine...b/c we'd ALL be pushing ourselves to do stuff. It's a chemical imbalance in the brain that's keeping us like this for however long it takes and once the brain starts working properly, it will correct itself.

 

hang in there, Bear. I KNOW how bad the DP/DR is. I HATE IT. It's my worst symptom and I want it GONE. We'll get through this. One horrible, senseless day or suffering at a time.

 

((HUGS)), love and healing, Nicole

[[...]]

Thanks lamberfn

Bear 

 

[[1a...]]

Hi all. For those of you who are able to go out in the community. Do you drive and experience dp dr? This happened to me once and I was afraid for my safety and the safety of others. However, my psychologist wants me to drive. She doesn't acknowledge my dp dr and thinks I am non complient with her direction that I should go out and drive every day. I don't want to get hurt or hurt anyone. Should I drive with these symptoms? What do you do?

Thanks,

Bear

probably best to avoid driving if the dp/dr is too severe..... i have to commute to work and sometimes it strikes and is unavoidable... but i'm able to do it...it's like driving in an altered state of consciouness.. like if you smoke pot...the biggest problems i have had with driving has been when i get in a traffic jam... then my anxiety ramps up

 

[[Fl...]]

I know that most doctors aren't up to speed with these medications, but your psychologist is an idiot if she recommends you get behind the wheel of a 3000 pound projectile when you feel like you might do harm to yourself or others.

 

I personally was able to drive throughout my entire wd but there were a few moments that I questioned myself and if it had been any worse I would not have been able to drive. My mom is an RN and one of the first things she said to me when I told her about the DR and the fact that moving objects freaked me out was "you better be careful driving".

 

Seriously, is this not common sense? This is a prime example of why everyone needs to realize that ultimately there is no one responsible for your health and well being but YOU.

[[...]]

Hi all. So, what I get is that some people are driving with dp dr? Ok, I have not been driving since the first experience of dp dr when driving. I stopped at the gas station and I couldn't find the gas cap release to put gas in my car.    That was when I was not benzo wise and the Psychologist said I had PTSD, not medication issues. I spent many weeks (50) having her tell me I was noncomplient, before I quit seeing her. She said that I am noncompliant and threatened me with ect treatments to my brain!!! I ran from her and never went back.  The doctors wanted me to take topamax, neurontin, remeron for my "PTSD" symptoms.  I refused. I didn't want to add more dp dr and brain fog. Ok, while I have dp dr brain fog, no driving for me.

Bear

[Guest [Tu...]]

I used to drive up to the grocery store, about half a mile or so, when I was having bad dp and dr. I didn't like doing it, but I needed food, otherwise I wouldn't have done it. I'd have walked but this is Arizona and it's kind of hard to go for a walk during the day when the heat of the sidewalk melts the soles of your shoes! (Not really, but it seems that way...)

 

Maybe I'm just lucky, but for me the dp and dr began to fade at about 45-46 days off and it's now almost two weeks later and neither has returned. Cross my fingers! I'm still dealing with anxiety, and sitting at a stoplight sometimes I'll get so jittery and antsy that I will put my Corolla in "park" and just let the engine idle until the light changes. I don't want to have a panic attack or something and hit the gas and rear-end the car in front of me.

 

I couldn't drive on a highway for the life of me. Fortunately, even though I-10 goes through Tucson, we don't have any freeways, so nearly everyone in this metro area of 1 million people has to use surface streets, which makes driving across town a long, slow process. I just get in the slow lane and putter along and if I get antsy I'll pull into a side street or shopping center and just chill out until I'm good to drive again.

 

I have to take my son to the doctor's this afternoon and it's about a 10 mile drive. You know how we Buddies can be about "anticipatory anxiety," right? Sure enough, I've been stressing about it all morning. I'm sure I'll be fine, it's just I tend to mind-"f" things too much...

 

Hang in there. Just take is slow and most of all BE SAFE OUT THERE!

 

Best wishes from the guy ahead of you who is going way too slow...

 

Tucson

 

Me on Day 57 of my final c/t: 

 

[[...]]

Hi all. Tucsondeadhead, I am the gal in front of you who is going too slow! Ha ha ha!

Bear

[[st...]]

Hi Bear,

 

I drove a couple of times (short distance) but it was so mechanical.....turn a little left, turn a little right.  IMO, it is extremely dangerous to drive with extreme dr/dp but then again, my husband did all the driving.  As a matter of fact, at my worst, I wouldn't have given it a thought to even get in a car.  Just use good judgment so you don't kill yourself or somebody else.

 

Patty  xo

[[...]]

Hi all. Stonyco, yes, Best to You, thank you,

Bear