How To Stop Panic Attacks While Driving

One of the scariest feelings in the world is having panic attacks while driving. You get scared shitless just having one anywhere, but it’s double trouble while you’re driving. So, how do you stop panic attacks while driving? Therefore, it can be helpful to know what to do if this happens and what you can do to help prevent the occurrence of further panic attacks while driving.

While you might experience panic attacks more often if you have an anxiety disorder or panic disorder, they can occur even if you don’t.

But there’s hope. Panic attacks are treatable, and there are steps you can take to help relieve a panic attack that strikes while you’re behind the wheel.

What Could Cause a Panic Attack While Driving?

Panic Disorder
Panic disorder is a type of anxiety disorder in which individuals experience regular panic attacks that occur suddenly and with no apparent trigger. Above all, this means that someone with panic disorder could experience a panic attack at any time, including while driving.

People with a diagnosis of panic disorder also commonly experience ongoing anxiety and fear of another panic attack occurring, which could actually cause the occurrence of a panic attack. For example, someone who has experienced a panic attack while driving may be afraid of this happening again, thus causing increased stress and anxiety which may lead to another panic attack.

Phobias
Panic attacks can also occur in the context of specific phobias. For example, someone may experience driving phobia or a phobia of bridges or tunnels. This could cause the occurrence of a panic attack while driving and facing a feared stimulus.

Anxiety about driving
Many people experience some level of anxiety about driving, which can increase the chance of having a panic attack. At the same time, anxious drivers might worry about going above a certain speed, driving long distances or unknown routes. Also driving in bad weather, or being beeped or shouted at by other drivers. All of which may increase their level of anxiety while driving and potentially cause a panic attack.

Previous car accident
A person might be more likely to experience a panic attack while driving if they have been involved in a car accident previously, particularly if the accident caused severe damage or harm to the vehicle or person involved. At length, this could cause symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Also a fear of being involved in another accident, which could increase the risk of a panic attack occurring.

Stressful situations prior to driving
As panic attacks can be brought on or worsened by high stress levels. Therefore, the risk of having a panic attack while driving may be increased if the individual encounters a stressful situation prior to beginning their journey in the car. All things considered, stressors could be related to work, relationships, or personal situations.

Historical life stressors
Similarly, a history of trauma, abuse, severe life stressors, or other anxiety disorders can cause ongoing or chronic stress and anxiety. Thus in turn potentially increasing the likelihood of a sudden panic attack occurring at any time or in any situation.

Symptoms of a Panic Attack

How to stop panic attacks while driving is knowing the symptoms. Panic attacks often involve primarily physical symptoms that can completely disrupt what you’re doing for a short period of time. In any case, they might make you feel detached or separate from yourself or the world around you.

Unlike anxiety, panic attacks often seem to happen for no apparent reason.

SYMPTOMS OF A PANIC ATTACK

firstly, a sudden feeling of extreme fear
pounding heart or very rapid heartbeat
tingling and dizziness
Fourthly, feeling like you might faint
trouble breathing or feeling as if you’re choking
nausea
in addition, sweating and chills
head, chest, or stomach pain
feeling like you might lose control
lastly, feeling like you’re going to die

Vertigo and Panic Attacks While Driving

Have you ever encountered any of the following while driving?

Firstly, feelings of extreme anxiety, perhaps even needing to pull over.
Sensation of a panic attack, particularly when driving on a wide-open highway toward the horizon.
Persisting motion sensation even after stopping at a red light.
Additionally, sudden blurriness or difficulty focusing on the road.
Feeling detached from your body or having a floating sensation while driving.
Fear of driving over a bridge due to a perceived inability to drive straight across it.
Lastly, sensation of other cars drifting into your lane, even when they’re not.

How to Stop Panic Attacks While Driving on Highway

Highway driving involves faster speeds, more cars, more lanes of traffic, more distractions, and more danger. Given these points, people who are not used to this experience may feel overwhelmed and overstimulated by the action on the expressway which may trigger driving anxiety.

Notice how you behave when you feel anxious.

When you are anxious about driving, do you do certain things in an attempt to alleviate how you feel? Some of the things that people do when they feel anxious about driving include:

Firstly, avoiding driving at certain times or on certain roads
Avoiding driving to new places
Heavily researching and mapping out new routes
Excessively searching the internet for traffic information
Lastly, stopping driving altogether

Tips for Coping With Panic Attacks

Panic attacks can cause fear and physical symptoms. Therefore, it’s not uncommon to feel like you could die, along with other unpleasant sensations.

You might have a hard time staying calm when you feel dizzy, lightheaded, or can’t catch your breath. Hence, you may need to pull over and get out of your car right away.

If you’re in a safe place, getting out of the car may help you feel less panicked in the moment, but it won’t help you address what’s causing your panic.

But what do you do if it’s not safe or possible to pull over and get out of your car? Here are several tips to help you cope with panic attacks while driving:

Use safe distractions
Obviously, if you’re accustomed to driving, listening to music, podcasts, or the radio while you drive can help you focus on something besides your stressful thoughts.

For one thing, if you live with anxiety or another mental health condition, music can often help you cope with distressing thoughts and emotions, and prevent panic attacks.

Try making a playlist of your favorite calming, relaxing songs or “chill” music. Particularly, a lighthearted or humorous podcast or radio show can also help keep your mind off thoughts that might cause anxiety or stress.

Engage your senses
In particular, take sour or spicy candies, gum, or something cold to drink with you when you drive somewhere. If you start to feel panicked, suck on a candy or sip your drink.

In short, the cold liquid or sharp taste of the candy can help you regain your senses and focus on something besides your panic. Chewing gum can also help.

Cool off
If you begin to feel dizzy, lightheaded, or sweaty, turn on the air conditioning or roll down your windows. In sum, the cold air on your face and hands can help ease your symptoms, and you may feel calmer.

Breathe
Controled breathing is how you can stop panic attacks while driving. Panic attacks can cause shortness of breath and make you feel like you’re choking. This can be scary, but try to take slow, deep breaths. Consequently, focus on breathing in and out, not on the possibility of choking.

Thinking about not being able to breathe can make it harder to catch your breath. These breathing exercises can help.

Focus on your symptoms, not the thoughts behind them
Simultaneously, take slow deep breaths, shake out your hands if they’re trembling, and turn on the AC if you feel hot or sweaty — or the heater if you have a chill.

Remind yourself that the physical symptoms aren’t serious and that they’ll go away in a few minutes. In essence, try not to think about your fear. It can help to give yourself something to focus on, such as a building in the distance or a sign to look for.

Keep driving, if you can safely continue
Pushing through the fear that accompanies a panic attack can help you overcome it. Treating panic often involves the realization that however scary they seem, panic attacks don’t actually hurt you.

Therefore, driving through your panic attack can help you realize it doesn’t control you and reassure you that you can manage it without anything bad happening. This may help you feel more able to address a panic attack if you have another one.

Treatment for Panic Attacks While Driving

Exposure therapy
Exposure therapy can also help you deal with panic attacks that happen because of a phobia or other feared situation. In other words, this approach involves slowly exposing yourself to what you’re afraid of with the help of a therapist.

In similar fashion, if you fear driving, or things you might encounter while driving, such as bridges or tunnels, exposure therapy can help you learn to overcome your fear. This can reduce or eliminate panic attacks.

Online therapy
Also, online therapy may also help with panic disorder and panic attacks. A 2008 study found one type of internet-based CBT, called Panic Online, had about the same benefits for participants as face-to-face therapy.

Medication
Some medications can also help with panic attack symptoms, though they don’t address any underlying causes of panic attacks. Medications a psychiatrist might prescribe include:

selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs)
serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs)
benzodiazepines

Although, benzodiazepines can be addictive, so you’ll generally only use them for a short time. For example, they might help you manage symptoms of severe panic attacks in order to feel able to work on their underlying cause in therapy.

Conclusion

So, now you know how to stop panic attacks while driving. Told you, overcoming panic attacks while driving is possible. Mine was done with meds. Many people feel fearful or anxious when driving. In truth, if you find yourself feeling extreme fear and having physical symptoms, you may be having a panic attack.

In the same fashion, if you’ve had a panic attack behind the wheel or worry about having one, consider talking to a therapist. Therapy can help prevent panic attacks while driving and help you develop strategies for coping with your fear about driving.

While you’re in therapy, it’s a good idea to try and keep doing things you’d normally do, including driving. If you avoid driving out of fear of having a panic attack, you may find it even more difficult to eventually begin driving again.

To conclude, try driving short distances or on quiet roads where you can safely practice deep breathing or other relaxation techniques if you begin feeling panic symptoms. It might also help to take a trusted friend or family member with you when you drive.