Anxiety/Panic While Driving Anyone?

[[tu...]]

I tend to get anxiety/panic that surfaces as a dizzy symptom feeling in certain situations: long intersections, the mall & grocery store, and as of today the library.

 

It all began shortly after beginning Ambien and has the problem has ebbed and flowed since going off 6 weeks ago.

 

Anyone else have this and when does this symptom improve?  How did you cope with it?

[[no...]]

Yes, I get dizziness as a w/d symptom, and it increases when anxiety is higher. What you are experiencing is a normal result of discontinuing. It is not dangerous, remember to breath deeply and evenly, and say to yourself, when it happens, "oh, heres the w/d thing happening, its a sign of my brain healing." I commute 50 miles each way every day, so have had my share of this. I make sure I have music I love to put in, and sing along. I download books to play, I have a hands/free thing for my phone.

It will eventually fade, and i think it is important to just keep doing whatever it is you normally do, not to avoid something that is uncomfortable, it puts the anxiety in the driver's seat, instead of you.

You will heal. Take care- Susan

[[tu...]]

Northofhere, thanks for the reassurance.  This symptom feels so disabling at times.  I commend you on the long commute and finding a way to cope.  I dread certain intersections and have many "tricks" for bidding my time there.  It is torture.  I remember the days when being at an intersection or waiting in line was a mindless, monotanous (sp) thing.  I hope that healing is taking place and that my brain will soon be healed.

[[bl...]]

Yes. It's persisted three months and used to be full-time before I was on benzos. Now I have this on interdose withdrawal. It's really bad. I can barely drive. Not always on the freeway, not through a stoplight, and never in traffic or in the left hand lane. I cannot cope with it, sorry! I avoid those situations like the plague. If I find I am in one, I usually park the car and get out of it until the light turns green. Everyone honks. It's horrible. I don't care. I'd rather them run me over at a light or on the freeway than sit in the car in that state of panic. I've had no luck deep breathing or meditating or talking on my phone. The only thing that helps is to wear strong reading glasses that are the wrong prescription so that I can't SEE the motion. I'm sure that's dangerous though and don't recommend it.

 

I can hobble near my house in a car out of sheer will power as long as I'm in the righthand land with a clear shoulder. I take some crazy routes now to get anywhere.

 

On Monday, I have an appointment for EMDR to try to help this. Wish me luck!

 

It's an extremely common and treatable phobia. My problem is being expected to drive with a child in the car in this state several times a day through lights and traffic. My problem began not after a car wreck but another weird thing that is private.

 

I'll let you know how the EMDR goes! It costs a fortune  But the doctor is world-renowned.

 

After three months of hobbling, I ran over traffic cones to escape a stop light and then parked, sobbing and feeling stupid. Then I called a cab to help my son get to a lesson he needed to go to after school. It was very embarrassing.