How to deal with anxiety while driving

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A lot of times when I drive I have really bad anxiety. It’s bad enough that I stay off of the main highways and stick to smaller roads. When I absolutely have to get on a highway I stay in either the right or left lanes in case I start hyperventilating and have to pull over. Does anyone know something I could do to make this stop?

Category: Tags: asked October 1, 2014

2 Answers

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Tommy,I was diagnosed with panic disorder about a year ago. One thing that may assist you in your driving is to plan for the worst-case scenario. Write down the worst-case scenario of what you might experience if your anxiety were triggered while driving. Be detailed about the situation. Next, develop a plan for what you are going to do when that scenario comes into play. By doing this, you are able to be prepared for the worst. This can relieve a lot of the anxiety by itself. This is something that I did, in combination with deep breathing techniques to deal with driving anxiety.
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I know it sounds like a cliché, but seek medical help. It is more common that you may think, and a lot of people need to drive but get anxious while doing it, just like you. However, the answer from Heretic is an "easier" solution, more personal, and will probably work given time.