Panic While Driving

I'm a 46 year old male. I have had problems driving for the last 12 years or so. Let me give you a little background on myself. I came down with chronic cervical and facial pain about 22 years ago. I went through a couple of surgeries which were not helpful, and finally I was diagnosed has having neuropathy and put into pain management. I went through pretty much most treatments people with these problems get (trigger point injections, steroid shots, ESIs, anti-seizure meds (tegretol, neurontin, etc.) , SSRIs (zoloft, effexor, etc.), NSAIDs, long acting opioids, muscle relaxers, sleep aids (ambien, restoril), etc. etc. about 10 years into this ordeal I started to become an unconfident driver. I was generally living on about 4 hrs of sleep a night. On a scale of 1 to 10 my pain stayed in the 7 ~ 8 range pretty much 24/7. By this time I was also having a lot of dizziness which was partly due to muscle spasms in my neck and undoubtedly partly due to all the medication I was on.

This all culminated in a couple of events whilst driving on the interstates where I had to pull to the side of the road and let my wife drive. From this point on things went downhill quickly with respect to driving. I became unable/unwilling to drive on the interstates and even had problems on regular surface roads.

about 6 years ago, my chronic pain problem began to slowly improve, to the point where I am relatively pain free at the moment (call it a 2 ~ 3 on a scale of 1 to 10). I still take some pain medication, but a fraction of what I used to take and I still take something to help me sleep, though I am considering titrating that down with the hope of eliminating that entirely. However, the fear of driving remains. I can drive just fine on regular surface streets, and I can even drive pretty well on stretches of interstate which I am familiar with which are fairly flat and offer many opportunities to exit. However, the thought of driving any long distance on an interstate which I am not very familiar with fills me with terror, especially if hills or outside curves are involved and particularly interstates which have long stretches between exists.

I believe I am having panic attacks on these interstates. When I hit a trouble spot my heart races, my hands start to feel all tingly and I fear I will pass out (though I have never actually passed out in my life). I think the fear of passing out is the biggest problem, since obviously becoming unconscious at 70+ MPH is a problem. The funny thing is that I used to drive for relaxation. Now I find myself staying at home more than I'd like because I don't want to drive.

Can anyone offer any advice, or even a bit of hope? I feel like I've really been through the wringer with the pain and this, though I know many people have it much rougher than I. This has been going on so long I feel like I will be stuck with this problem the rest of my life.

Post Edited (Boaks) : 8/22/2011 12:13:51 PM (GMT-6)

Scaredy Cat - Thanks for the reply.

Yes, I have discussed this with my general practitioner. She has offered to write me a prescription for an anti-anxiety drug. She suggested a benzodiazepine, but I am a little reluctant to take such a drug for a couple of reasons:

1.) I'm already taking a benzodiazepine for sleep (Restoril). In fact, I sometimes wonder if the Restoril is actually involved in this whole problem to some extent, in that my morning drives tend to be easier (less stressful) than driving around lunch time, and oddly enough by evening (5~6 pm) my stress levels are down from lunch. I wonder if I'm not having some sort of 'withdrawal' (or maybe 'rebound' might be a better word) from the Restoril I take at bedtime. It definitely seems like mid day is a peak period for my driving stress. Of course, this could all be in my head.

2.) Also, I'm a little afraid of taking benzodiazepines while driving as they can make you somewhat dizzy and drowsy. I guess I've just taken so many drugs over the years that I wonder if they've helped more than they've hurt.

3.) I have taken a few SSRIs (Zoloft) and SNRIs (Effexor) during the time I've have been having the driving problem and they didn't seem to help. I do not think I would ever like to take Effexor again as it was a very hard drug to come off of. Of course, there are other drugs out there and if you can suggest something I could bring it up with my GP. And maybe I should just reconsider benzodiazipine offered.

Thank you so much for your reply. I've posted on a couple of forums and this one seems to be the most active I've seen so far.

Hello Boaks,

This may or may not help but maybe you'll find a single piece to your puzzle that you can use...so to speak.

 

I am deep into the road to recovery, but I get anxiety as well from interstates with long stretches between exit...so I can surely relate to how you feel. There is a twist though....If I am familiar with an interstate and I know about the really long stretches that tends to maybe bother me more than one's I'm not so familiar with....I guess cause I can feel like ok...could be an exit coming up anytime???

 

it is getting much better for me and this was my thought for change.

number one...I began telling myself that I didn't want this to take control of my life and I KNEW if I began avoiding these situations, that it would. I had a panic attack years ago driving my semi, just before daylight on a very familiar 22 mile stretch of road that was completely straight and nothing but a tunnel through solid tree's on both sides....no houses...nothing!....it frighten me so bad, I didn't go down that road again for 3 years.

 

So about the time I decided to face my fears and not let it control me.....I mentally prepared myself that the day was coming and I was going to make that trip....that day came and it was probably the hardest fear I ever had to face, but I kept telling myself I could do this and I had to do this.....I made that turn on to that road and you know I was anxious....I did my best to stay calm and when I reached the 11 mile mark....I started pumping my fist in celebration...knowing I was on the down side and over half way. The whole second half I celebrated...it was such a personal victory after avoiding this road for 3 years. It went a long way toward my confidence to gaining back control....I'm not 100% there, but I just made a trip to SC and I did very well.

 

I think the bottom line is....as impossible as it may seem...we have to face the fear to get over it and if we don't....we won't. I guess it came down to human Will power to get my life back and to get myself back. I hope maybe somehow this helped, but if not...best of luck my friend and best wishes.........Benny

Wingman - thanks for your story and encouragement.

The thing about interstates to me isn't the speed. High speeds do not particularly scare me and in fact since I've had this problem I've had a car up to some very high speeds on a flat deserted freeway to prove that to myself. It is the feeling of being 'trapped'. Surface streets offer the opportunity for exit almost every block. If I were to experience anxiety I could merely pull into a side street, business or driveway and I would be effectively off the road. Consequently I have no fear of driving on normal surface streets and never feel the need to exit them. Interstates are a different matter though. Once you are on an interstate you are committed to driving to at least the next exit, which may be a half hour away. Pulling to the side is possible, but I've never felt comfortable on the side of an interstate with high speed traffic whizzing by. Long bridges are even worse as you really don't want to pull off them as there is very little room to do so. Road with steep inclines or broad outside sweeps are a problem as well.

The only other fear that is comparable that I have experienced is a fear of heights, which I have had since I was a child. The feeling there is that if I'm on a high ledge I have the feeling that I may somehow screw up, stumble, etc. and fall. The feeling I have on these interstates is very similar. In addition to feeling trapped I feel that I might make some mistake resulting in an accident. I still have my fear of heights, but it is not debilitating since it is exceedingly rare that I must climb some high structure. But driving on interstates is something that I need to do right now, in fact I need to make a 200 mile trip due to family obligations.

I really wish I had gotten right back in the saddle when the events that precipitated this whole mess originally occurred. It's now gone on for more than a decade and I feel it will never end.

I hope you continue to improve. It's good to hear that someone has managed to get better. Is there any particular technique or program you've used to get better?

Scaredy Cat said...
If you are reluctant to put another Rx into the mix, then how about therapy alone? There are many people who have found recovery without the use of meds.

I used to suffer daily panic attacks, and through therapy have had successful relief.

It can be a big leap to look into it I know, but I can assure you that it is so very worth it. It is the best gift that you can give yourself:)

I am glad that you find HW active and helpful. This place has been a huge part of my journey to wellness, and I wish the same for you.

Take care,
S.C.

Can you tell me about the therapy that helped you? Would this type of therapy be managed by a psychologist or a psychiatrist? I would assume that the main difference between the two would be that the latter could write prescriptions and the former could not?

I never anticipated having these sorts of problem in my life (but I guess, who does), and the idea of therapy is a bit foreign to me, but at this point I will do whatever is required to get better if it is possible. I'm so tired of living with this fear.

BTW, have you any opinion on the "driving anxiety" programs that appear to be quite numerous on the internet? I tend to get a bit skeptical when someone tries to sell me something that hard.

Hi again Boak:),

To answer your question a licensed therapist could help you quite well I believe. I would think that he/she would use a combination of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and treatment for your specific phobia, such as exposure therapy. As WM correctly stated, these are not quick fixes (CBT can take on average 10-12 weeks for improvement to show) but they are effective and lasting.

You can ask your dr. for a referral (dr.s network) or you can simply look for a licsened therapist who offers this treatment on your own.

I think that you are wise to avoid something that you have seen on the internet, unless you have had it recommended specifically by someone that you trust. Of course therapy will also cost some money (hopefully your insurance will cover some) but the advantage is that you will know if you feel comfortable with your therapist pretty quickly, and can make a change if needed...as opposed to being stuck with a program that turns out to be no good.

I wish you much luck and encouragement. You have already taken the first step in seeking some help, now I hope that you can continue to find your way toward getting better:)

Take care,
Scaredy Cat