How to Cure Panic Attacks While Driving - 8 Simple Tips To Stop Panic Attacks In The Car
By: John Cielo
Submitted: 2011-08-29 08:34:01 | Word Count: 594
A panic attack while driving is absolutely terrifying, I know. Not only have you the terror of the attack, you've the added fear that you'll lose control and crash. Unfortunately, once having suffered an attack, you're now much more likely to have more. So you need to know how to react in the future. Here are 8 steps you can take to stop panic attacks while driving...
Probably the key thing to help you overcome a panic attack while driving, or in any other situation, is to truly believe that it cannot harm you. This is a medical fact. A panic / anxiety attack is only a collection of symptoms in your body arising from high anxiety / stress levels that have tricked your body into believing you're in danger.
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You see, you have an in-built safety mechanism that sets your body up to its fullest potential when you're in danger so that you have the best chance to survive. But because you aren't in danger, you don't use the increased capacity and so this gives rise to the symptoms we call a panic attack. That's why we can say that a panic attack cannot harm you.
Nevertheless, it is a terrifying experience. But it can be addressed. Here are 8 steps you can take to cure panic attacks while driving:-
1. First, understand and believe that a panic attack will not cause you any harm. Even repeat that in your head or aloud. This will help you to stay calmer.
2. Don't try to analyze the symptoms you are experiencing, this will just make things even worse because you'll start to worry even more.
3. Concentrate externally on the traffic and environment outside the car. Remember you're still driving in traffic, so don't do anything sudden such as breaking sharply.
4. Stay calm and look for a safe spot you can move into and park up. You aren't in any danger so you will have time.
5. Park and switch the engine off. Roll down the windows to get fresh air. Start getting your breathing under control. Use a paper bag or similar to re-breath into to help any hyperventilation you may have.
6. Keep repeating in your head or out loud that you know what this is and that it will pass. And that it cannot harm you.
7. Concentrate on physical things outside to keep your mind off the symptoms.
8. Now get out of the car and secure it. Walk up and down, all the while controlling your breathing, concentrating on things around you, and remembering that you'll not come to any harm and things will soon be back to normal.
I know from experience that a panic attack whilst driving is truly terrifying. But if you follow the above tips then you'll soon bring it to an end. And the better you do them and especially 'believe' that a panic attack cannot harm you, then the faster you'll stop it. But you are best to prevent these attacks from being triggered in the first place. And one of the key issues to overcome is your very 'fear' of having another attack...
