Redbridge For Mental Health

If you’re feeling anxious at just the thought of driving, chances are getting on the freeway is enough to tip you into a full blown panic attack.  You’re not alone and there IS help, so listen up.  Anxiety while driving is way more common than you might realize.  If you’re suffering with this debilitating condition, this article will give you strategies you can start implementing immediately to overcome your problem once and for all.

 

So, let’s get started with some tips that will alleviate the anxiety while driving one step at time.

 

Rationalize your Behavior and Set a Goal

Recognizing the root cause of your fear is really the first step to overcoming your problem.  Driving anxiety can originate from a multitude of places.

 

Have you ever been in a bad car accident or experienced a traumatic experience in the car?  Is your generalized anxiety giving you an overwhelming fear of death?  Do you have claustrophobic tendencies and feel trapped in the confined space of a car?  Have you ever known someone close to you who also suffered from this debilitating condition?  Were you deeply affected by someone who died in a car accident?

 

These are just some of the questions you should be asking yourself when you get into the car and that terrible fear takes hold.  Rationalize your feelings by recognizing their origin.  Although this tactic won’t stop your driving anxiety, it will poise you to start treating it.  That’s because understanding the root cause of your fear puts the problem in perspective.  You recognize that it’s an irrational anxiety that can be stopped with treatment.  The anxiety while driving is just an illusion that you’ve created for yourself with preconceived notions based on superstition and habitual behavior.

 

That’s the theory, anyway.  The fear as you know is much more tangible.

 

After taking note of your fear and the feelings that overwhelm you, make a pact with yourself that you won’t let fear steer the direction of your behavior. 

 

Choose to run TOWARDS what you want in life.  Don’t run AWAY from what scares you.

 

Do you recognize the primary difference between those two scenarios?  When you move TOWARDS your desires, you’re taking action.  When you run AWAY from what scares you, you’re reacting (and irrationally as well).  Take control and make the decision to overcome your driving anxiety.  Making this commitment is the first step towards realistically attaining this goal. 

 

Overcome the Panic

When you get in that car and the panic hits, it’s going to strike fast and furious.  Have a plan and learn anxiety tactics that work.  The very first sensation that will hit you is a feeling of not being able to breathe comfortably.

 

You’ll probably have trouble swallowing normally and taking natural breaths. You’ll feel claustrophobic. You’ll feel like you’re dying and trapped in your car.  The list of symptoms goes on and on.

 

Learning to breathe the RIGHT way will be your best ally at plowing through the panic and building up a tolerance to the driving anxiety.

 

Start by inhaling deeply through your nose for 4 seconds and exhaling out your mouth for the next 4 seconds.  Feel your diaphragm pushing your stomach outward as you breathe in and pushing inward as you exhale through your mouth.

 

Be methodical with your breaths.  Don’t rush them.  Hyperventilation is a common symptom when driving anxiety hits, so this exercise will take control of your physical symptoms and allow you to calm your panic away.

 

The other idea of breathing is to change your focus.  If you feel like you can’t swallow, it’ll only feel more uncomfortable by thinking about it.  Swallowing is an involuntary muscle reflex.  Of course it’ll be harder to do if you’re actually concentrating on the muscles in your throat.  Focus on what you can control, your breath.  Let this exercise calm you and give you the satisfaction of knowing you’re doing something to actively stop your panic.

 

Getting Out of your Comfort Zone

When it comes to overcoming your anxiety while driving, don’t think of it as turning off a light switch to make the anxiety effectively disappear.  Instead, think of the process as wearing down your sensitivity to the fear until you are numb to the experience altogether and driving becomes a mundane activity.

 

There are a couple of factors that come into play here.  Firstly, when you’re driving, you’re usually moving away from you home – a place of comfort.  This activity alone is something that may give you anxiety. 

 

Try to make your car as comfortable as possible. 

 

Make the temperature perfect with climate control.  Have relaxing fragrances in the car if that makes the experience more enjoyable for you.  Car fragrances help you take advantage of another anxiety fighting tactic – Aromatherapy. 

 

Also, music is a great way to take attention off your fear.  Play your favorite CD or ipod playlist.  Enjoy yourself.  Who knows – if you pamper yourself enough in your car, you may start looking forward to the longer trips.

 

The most common complaint about anxiety while driving is driving on the freeway.  The higher speeds and increased traffic can be a huge hurdle for panic sufferers.

 

 

Don’t Stop Here. Engage in a Proven Step by Step Program

It’s easy to learn a few tips, casually practice them and then pretend your anxiety is gone for good.  The truth is, long-term success is determined by your persistence to continuously learn new ways to treat your driving anxiety and adapt to new fears that may arise.

 

When it comes to ending driving anxiety for good – and I mean PERMANENTLY, there’s no program out there that compares to “Driving Fear”.  Driving Fear is a program I discovered about a year ago while surfing through the internet, looking for ways to end my driving anxiety naturally.

 

I was pleasantly surprised to discover the program helped me completely eliminate driving anxiety by transforming my fear on the road.  What was REALLY cool was that the program went beyond eliminating driving fear.  Using the easily transferable techniques, I was able to overcome OTHER fears even when I wasn’t in the car.

 

If you suffer from driving anxiety and you’re ready to finally do something about it, start with the Driving Fear Program.  

 

Check it out here —–> The Driving Fear Program

 

Try it out today and learn the lifesaving techniques that will stop your driving anxiety in just minutes!

 

 

 

Anxiety attacks too much fear, worry or stress. It is during this crucial period that a person may be reduced to a nervous wreck or come out of it still whole and live a normal life.

In order to avoid the onset of an attack it is important that you must understand what an anxiety attack is and what are its symptoms. Of course, an average person must have experienced the symptoms at some point in their life but it is unlikely to have reached a certain level to cause panic. In other words it is manageable and within the range of our capacity to overcome the attack.

Do you remember giving a speech for the first time and you feel your heart pounding wildly or a relationship of a loved one at the brink of disaster? The possible loss of a job and a confrontation with your boss can cause you untold tension and misery. They are elements of disaster and if not handled correctly, an anxiety attack may set in.

What happens when a person has an anxiety attack? The attack may take different forms; uncontrollable shaking, vomiting, diarrhea, pissing with your pants, profuse perspiration and difficulty in breathing.

There are recommended ways to control or overcome anxiety attack. But in the end the issue boils down to the person affected. No matter what the doctor says, if you are unwilling to recognize the problem and do something about it then your efforts to treat it will most likely fail.

As always the mind plays a vital role in the prevention of anxiety attack. The subconscious mind will tell you how to manage difficult situations and overcome them. It is willpower that will make you fight difficult situations. Your mind will tell you not to indulge in self-pity and that feeling of hopelessness and helplessness. And once your mind works you will be able to know what to do and control anxiety attacks.

Constant and continuous anxiety attacks will have debilitating effects on a person. But with proper handling like seeing a doctor or listening and learning from other people who have the same problem will give you a good chance to stop anxiety disorder in its tracks.

You have finally decided you want to consult a psychologist, psychiatrist or other mental health professional, but how do you go about choosing which one will meet your unique needs? There are at least 5 different types of mental health treatment providers from which to choose.

Do not just consider the professional degree when picking a counselor or therapist. Do you want a male or female?

Do you want one who is an expert in marriage counseling? Individual counseling? Substance abuse treatment? Do you want a therapist who prescribes drugs?

How about one who can X Ray your personality by using tests? One who can administer hypnosis? Electroshock?

A good first step would be to consult with a healthcare professional who knows the answers to these questions. Call the psychology or psychiatry department at a university.

Talk to a psychology instructor at a local community college or contact the behavioral health unit in your local hospital or your community crisis line.

It is important to be familiar with the training, skills and treatment philosophy of the various types of professionals, and then match what you prefer with what a particular treatment provider has to offer.

Also, talk to the representative of an organization which is concerned with issues like yours i.e. marriage, anxiety, depression etc. Their opinions are invaluable, as they are in contact with many different patients and treatment providers who are concerned with the very same issues as you and they have first hand knowledge of the characteristics and qualities of different types of counselors and therapists.

Your 5 main choices of mental health treatment providers are: The marriage and family counselor, the psychologist, the psychiatrist, the professional mental health counselor and the clinical social worker.

The marriage and family counselor has one to two years of graduate training in counseling those with troubled marriages and family problems. He or she will have a masters degree and will likely have done an internship.

The advantage of using these professionals is that you are working with someone who has intense training in this one area of counseling. The disadvantage is that some insurance companies may not cover their services.

The psychologist holds a doctoral degree in psychology. Some consider him or her to be the most highly trained of mental health professionals. The psychologist has approximately 6 years of college training in the psychological sciences; 2 years of upper division in college and 3 to 4 years of post-graduate school.

A psychologist is trained to do counseling, psychotherapy, research and mental X Rays, better known as psychological testing. They practice marriage and family counseling and therapy to eliminate anxiety, depression as well as the entire range of psychological disorders.

The advantages of using a psychologist are that he is the most highly trained in psychological practice, is an expert in providing cutting edge treatment for diverse problems and uses psychological testing to provide revealing information about how your mind works.

Also, in many cases, he or she is a trained mental health researcher, meaning, in this case, the psychologist is trained not to just practice psychology, but also to contribute to it through research.

Another advantage is that their services are covered by almost all insurance companies who provide mental health coverage.

The clinical social worker and professional counselor provide counseling to eliminate family problems and troubles arising from depression, anxiety, agitation and other emotional disorders. They have from one to two years of post-college level training in counseling and mental health.

The social worker holds a masters degree in social work while the professional counselor holds one in counseling. They both must do an internship and pass a comprehensive examination to practice independently.

Psychiatrists have most of their training in medicine, chemistry and the biological sciences. Their central training in psychiatry and mental health is usually received in the 3 year residency in psychiatry.

They hold a doctoral degree in medicine or osteopathy and receive no substantive training in counseling, family therapy, marital therapy or psychological testing.

They are mainly used to prescribe medication and administer occasional electroshock treatments. Their services are covered by all health insurance companies.

As you can see, there is a wide variety of professionals available to treat emotional problems. The one crucial ingredient, however, is the quality of the rapport you have with your provider.

It is important to check educational credentials, experience and any history of disciplinary action by your state Board. But even after all these check-out, be sure you trust and have an excellent rapport with your therapist, or you might have to start all over again!