Panic attack on motorway

[Paulettamcgee]

I'm not sure what's happened to me but I've had panic attacks on the motorway.

First one was early last year. Was driving down the A1M back to London, it was dark and raining heavily and I felt I couldn't see. I became really panicky and pulled into the next services. I got a coffee, gave myself a pep talk and set off again slowly. I didn't lose the shaky feeling until the rain eased off and the motorway had some lights.

It happened again this week. Driving back down the M1, but in the day this time, it started raining heavily and I started panicking that I couldn't see the road properly. Fortunately it was one mile to services so I came off the rd and waited for a bit. I was still 2hrs from home so gave myself a pep talk again and set off. I was driving relatively slowly at just over 50mph but still felt like I couldn't see and now affecting the flow of traffic. My breathing all over place, hands and legs shaking so pulled over into an emergency area. Checked my phone and it estimated rain would stop in 15 mins. 10 mins later it eased off and I restarted journey.

What's happened to me? I've been driving for 25 years, have a sturdy car that feels very safe and used to be a regional manager zipping up and down the country. I've never liked night driving as I feel I cannot see properly but pushed myself to keep doing it and I became very confident. Now I'm really worried about going back on motorway drives (which are my only drives as I don't generally drive in London) in case it starts raining and I cannot pull over.

Do I need to take extra driving lessons or CBT or something else? It's just so weird and annoying.

How old are you?
I had these and they’ve gone from now being on HRT.
i know it’s not a solution for everyone but it has been life changing as I drive for work

I'm 47. Hmm, I do wonder as periods are haywire and I'm losing confidence in other areas of my life but not to the extent of panic attacks

I have completely lost confidence driving with the menopause. HRT hasn’t helped (although has been amazing for physical symptoms and brain fog). I think perhaps as much get older I am more aware of accidents, whereas when I was younger I felt invincible.

I wonder if it's physical or psychological or a mixture of both.

Have you had your eyes tested regularly and are your windscreen wipers working properly?

An eye test and a new set of wiper blades might either be the answer, or rule out those factors.

Have you had your eyesight tested lately? I'd be terrified if I took my glasses off in that kind of weather and I'm not massively short sighted.

It was only driving causing panic attacks for me, kept thinking I was going to die. Funnily enough better with other people in the car, not good alone.

I still have some problems - can’t do giant bridges with no escape route! But I can now go on a motorway with 4 years ago wasn’t possible.

i do it combined with CBT. I guess I have been lucky that HRT works for me. I started HRt at 45….

The same thing has been happening to me recently, I've now had to start avoiding motorways and it's so frustrating because I feel so limited with where I can go! My problem is with smart motorways and when I'm driving at high speed I start panicking about what if something happens to the car and there's no where to stop, then I panic more because I start feeling dizzy, then I worry what if I pass out and I'm driving so fast and there's no where to pull over. Irrational and intrusive thoughts can be crippling, I'd love to have therapy to help overcome it but it's so expensive and the nhs waiting lists are so long

Sorry this happened to you OP. I had a panic attack driving with my daughter in the back and it absolutely terrified me. I’ve since started antidepressants for anxiety and also have glasses now. It’s never happened since.

Definitely get your eyes tested. I haven't had panic attacks but started realising in my early 50s that my vision in contact lenses which is fine for driving during the day and at night on well lit or well known roads was not good enough for unlit or unfamiliar routes. This was causing me some anxiety. I now have top-up glasses which I only wear for these types of journey and it has helped massively. I could have had my contact lens prescription made slightly stronger but then I wouldn't have been able to read in them without reading glasses so this is the better option for me.

I was also going to ask whether you've had an eye test recently? I started absolutely hating driving at night and suddenly felt I couldn't see the road properly. I booked an eye test and it turned out I was short sighted and needed glasses, despite always having had great eyesight. It might be worth ruling out?

The glasses with the anti glare coating also really help with reducing the dazzling of oncoming headlights at night.

Thanks. Some good suggestions. Had an eye test last year. I don't wear glasses fir driving only reading but another eye test feels sensible.

It felt like the clouds, rain and road were merging and I had no ability to distinguish between them. It sounds so utterly stupid.

Also the M1 is a stupid smart motorway so think I had extra anxiety about not having a hard shoulder if I needed to pull over quickly.

Eye test, GP and explore CBT.

Totally agree, this happened to me and coincided with peri. Especially at height or on unlit roads, so I sympathise with you so much. It’s overwhelming and debilitating. Also they start if I’m in traffic jams on motorways and can’t see a way out. CBT and HRT have been helpful. 💐

I wish someone would bring this up about smart motorways - mine stemmed purely from not being able to escape, being trapped between fast moving Lorrie’s, the claustrophobia of it all at speed.

Good luck OP, interestingly I was also offered Anti depressants but I did point out to the GP my fear was of dying and not being around for my children/family! Not wanting to cause harm to myself in anyway ( which is why CBT didn’t feel right for me)

some other things that helped:

• opening the window and holding my hand int the gap whilst wiggling my fingers (this helped with the dizziness)
• making a phone call to my dh/significant friend who were aware of the issue
• sharing the problem
• audio books - concentrating that way
• breathing techniques
• Stopping at next available rest stop - so next junction coming off and settling down
• calling it a name - giving the creeping anxiety a human name, making it something unscary or something you really hate (mine was Pamela from G&S!)

hopefully some of these might help? They did for a time for me x

• to clarify I took NHS CBT as offered but everyone on my course had self harming issues so it didn’t feel right for me - I think an anxiety one would have been a better fit

I'm a man who had a similar problem for years. Like you, used to drive all over the UK with no issues.

Out of nowhere motorways filled me with anxiety, driving over bridges and being high up (there's a southbound stretch on the M5 after Bristol which set me off), reduced visibility in rain, at night with no street lighting etc.

I was suffering extreme stress over years which built up. Eventually I went on a low dose of sertraline and after 6 months or so am now almost back to normal. I've reduced to a maintenance dose of 25mg daily and it is still doing the trick.

I feel for you, it's horrible!

I'd go to your optician and tell them. They might be able to prescribe glasses for driving. And yes - menopause won't help.

I'm sorry to hear so many people people have experienced this, although it's made me feel less slightly weird. It's horrible isn't it