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Original poster

To ask if anyone has advice for sudden crippling driving anxiety.

87 replies

InAPickle12345 · 19/10/2023 17:50

Really need some help after the day I’ve had.

I’ve always loved cars, always loved driving. Been driving since 17 with my own car, have driven the length and breadth of the country, a day off always involved jumping in the car, driving and exploring for hours. But the last 6 months I have been developing a serious driving anxiety.

Started with not being comfortable on motorways, then progressed to being really nervous coming into bends and now if I see an open road in front of me my body goes into panic. Roads in my locality that I drive often are completely fine.

The last 2 ‘long’ drives I’ve had to do have been horrendous, and frankly dangerous. Any bend, unevenness, or a wide stretch of road in front of me has pretty much brought on a panic attack. Hands sweating, legs shaking, chest thumping and feeling like my vision is about to go.

The first was after a weekend away, and lots of drinks, so I just put it down to being hungover and fragile. I had to pull in 3 times, once for 40mins, in the space of a 1 hour journey.

Today I had a two hour journey that I had to do for work, I was about 30mins into it and it began. Had to pull in, gathered myself but was on the verge of a panic attack for the whole journey there and back. I’m home now and my heart is still thumping and I have a terrible headache.

I have a certain amount of driving to do for my job and I’m a single Mum so I NEED to tackle this.

So as not to drip feed, I've suffered from general anxiety through the years but with medication and counselling I pretty much overcame it.

I was also in a couple of car accidents, 1 serious when I was 14 and another not so serious when I was about 29. I'm 35 now.

Has anyone overcome this? How do I do this? Counselling, hypnotism, medication?

All advice welcome, I really need to get on top of this.

OP posts:
Original poster
InAPickle12345 · 19/10/2023 18:28

juicelooseabootthishoose · 19/10/2023 18:26

Radio 2 did a feature on this Weds this week on Jeremy Vine. I was listening at about 1240 and it had been going a while so maybe play it from 1225 onwards.

You're a star @juicelooseabootthishoose I'll give it a listen

OP posts:
juicelooseabootthishoose · 19/10/2023 18:26

Radio 2 did a feature on this Weds this week on Jeremy Vine. I was listening at about 1240 and it had been going a while so maybe play it from 1225 onwards.

Original poster
InAPickle12345 · 19/10/2023 18:23

Eyesopenwideawake · 19/10/2023 18:21

Hypnotherapy/remedial hypnosis is often successful at dealing with phobias/anxiety and panic attacks.

Thank you @Eyesopenwideawake I'll have a look for people in my area offering hypnosis... I'll honestly try anything for this not to get worse

OP posts:
Original poster
InAPickle12345 · 19/10/2023 18:22

Coffeepot72 · 19/10/2023 18:02

I should add that once I realised how effective the propranolol was, this gave me a lot more confidence to tackle driving. I think the anxiety “knew” it could be beaten, and it started to recede. Rather like waving garlic at a vampire!

I put the whole situation down to the menopause, there is no other explanation

Edited

This is it, I know it's becoming a problem so I'm thinking about it and it makes it worse and more of a problem. The medication may not be the silver bullet for me but I'm sure it would help just knowing I'm taking something that might combat it.

OP posts:
Eyesopenwideawake · 19/10/2023 18:21

Hypnotherapy/remedial hypnosis is often successful at dealing with phobias/anxiety and panic attacks.

Original poster
InAPickle12345 · 19/10/2023 18:20

Hanlonsamazer · 19/10/2023 18:00

Hi OP, I got this recently for reasons which I do know but don’t understand. Also a sufferer of general anxiety.

Previously loved driving, bought my dream car for my 40th, massive engine with loads of power etc that I absolutely LOVED driving.

Then I couldn’t drive at all!!

Still not back to normal but I upped my medication (escitalopram and propranolol) plus did some driving with DH who’s always said I’m a good driver and it’s coming back.

Huge sympathy from me. You’re not alone. You can get through this.

edited to add, also have history of serious RTA at 16. Would love it if you were in my hood so we could go out together gaining confidence!!

Edited

Ah @Hanlonsamazer, I really wish you were near me as well so we could big each other up. It's such a horrendous feeling and I just feel useless and pathetic.

I too have been shopping for a new dream car in the last couple of months, a coupe with a 2ltr diesel engine, 0-60mph in 7seconds, so gorgeous and I've wanted it so badly... now I'm afraid I won't be able to drive it so it's pointless getting it.

I was on antidepressants until the end of last year, found the withdrawals tough and was so happy I kicked them and was feeling great... but maybe I need to talk to the GP about going back on them.

Thanks so much for sharing and being so understanding everyone, its comforting to know I'm not the only one x

OP posts:
Original poster
InAPickle12345 · 19/10/2023 18:15

OneTC · 19/10/2023 17:56

I went through a period of high stress that really affected how I felt with driving, was suddenly very nervous and hesitant, which is very unlike my driving normally, being out of my usual area made it much worse. I didn't do anything specific to address it, the stressful thing in my life passed by and everything went back to normal.

Not very helpful but I just mean to suggest that maybe it's not something to do with driving directly, and maybe there's something else in your life you could recognise or address

This is the thing @OneTC, my stress and anxiety are not bad at all at the moment. There's been stressful situations for sure with work and family deaths, medical scares... but I was really proud of how I was handling it and genuinely feel happy at the moment, life is good.

But maybe it's subconscious and this is how the stress is manifesting?

OP posts:
Original poster
InAPickle12345 · 19/10/2023 18:13

Coffeepot72 · 19/10/2023 17:59

I had counselling, I expected to lie on a couch and talk about my childhood (!) but the counsellor practiced exposure therapy. In other words, get back behind the wheel. My GP prescribed propranolol, it stops the heart pounding, and once that’s under control you don’t get the ‘next stage’ symptoms of sweating, dizziness and less vision.

I built myself up gradually over a few weeks, it worried me for a while, but the whole episode passed quite quickly and whilst I always have propranolol with me when driving, I can’t remember the last time I took it.

This will pass OP, I promise

Oh @Coffeepot72 thank you so so much for sharing your experience. This has given me hope, I wasn't sure if there was some type of medication you could take to help with this so great to know there might be. So first port of call should be my GP you think?

Did you find a counsellor that specialises in driving anxiety or can most counsellors manage this?

Thank you so much again, I'm actually crying because this has given me so much hope x

OP posts:
Coffeepot72 · 19/10/2023 18:02

I should add that once I realised how effective the propranolol was, this gave me a lot more confidence to tackle driving. I think the anxiety “knew” it could be beaten, and it started to recede. Rather like waving garlic at a vampire!

I put the whole situation down to the menopause, there is no other explanation

Hanlonsamazer · 19/10/2023 18:00

Hi OP, I got this recently for reasons which I do know but don’t understand. Also a sufferer of general anxiety.

Previously loved driving, bought my dream car for my 40th, massive engine with loads of power etc that I absolutely LOVED driving.

Then I couldn’t drive at all!!

Still not back to normal but I upped my medication (escitalopram and propranolol) plus did some driving with DH who’s always said I’m a good driver and it’s coming back.

Huge sympathy from me. You’re not alone. You can get through this.

edited to add, also have history of serious RTA at 16. Would love it if you were in my hood so we could go out together gaining confidence!!

Coffeepot72 · 19/10/2023 17:59

I had counselling, I expected to lie on a couch and talk about my childhood (!) but the counsellor practiced exposure therapy. In other words, get back behind the wheel. My GP prescribed propranolol, it stops the heart pounding, and once that’s under control you don’t get the ‘next stage’ symptoms of sweating, dizziness and less vision.

I built myself up gradually over a few weeks, it worried me for a while, but the whole episode passed quite quickly and whilst I always have propranolol with me when driving, I can’t remember the last time I took it.

This will pass OP, I promise

OneTC · 19/10/2023 17:56

I went through a period of high stress that really affected how I felt with driving, was suddenly very nervous and hesitant, which is very unlike my driving normally, being out of my usual area made it much worse. I didn't do anything specific to address it, the stressful thing in my life passed by and everything went back to normal.

Not very helpful but I just mean to suggest that maybe it's not something to do with driving directly, and maybe there's something else in your life you could recognise or address

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