How To Overcome Panic Attacks

For many people, operating a motor vehicle can be a source of anxiety and tension. This stands to reason, as traffic accidents are a leading cause of injury and death across all demographics. Unfortunately for those who experience difficulty while driving, it is an unavoidable task in most regions.
People who suffer from driving anxiety often experience symptoms similar to those of a panic attack: difficulty breathing, elevated heart rate, and overwhelming feelings of apprehension or fear. There are often no justifiable reasons for these feelings, but they are very real and extremely difficult to overcome for the driver.
In order to deal with these feelings, it is first necessary to identify when the panic begins. Is there an apprehension of highway driving? Traffic? Or is it most severe before even setting foot in the car? The proper way to cure these panic attacks is through gradual exposure. This means identifying the cause, and slowly, but consistently, exposing yourself to them in a controlled manner. For instance, people with fear of highway driving will often find themselves avoiding highway routes, choosing instead to take slower backgrounds. The first step for someone with this fear would be to gradually introduce more and more highway driving. On the first week, take your regular route, but simple add a short distance of freeway, possibly just from one exit to the next. When this becomes comfortable, lengthen the distance. Attempt to go 2 exits until that becomes comfortable, then 3, and so on. The result will be a gradual decrease in the level of anxiety. This method is usually effective for any form of unreasonable fear. Most importantly, try to stay relaxed and make a schedule for exposure. Following this strategy will most certainly result in a reduced symptoms and a higher quality of life.

Technorati Tags: overcoming panic

This entry was posted on Thursday, October 15th, 2009 at 7:25 am and is filed under overcoming panic. You can subscribe via RSS 2.0 feed to this post's comments. You can comment below, or link to this permanent URL from your own site. Your comments will be moderated but will appear as soon as humanly possible.