Panic attacks are treacherous foes that strike on anyone, anytime, and anywhere – even in times when you are behind the wheel going to work. Panic attacks while driving usually persist for 5 to 10 minutes or longer and leave one feeling as if he just had a heart attack. This unexpected, horrifying experience has become a serious concern for most people who are plagued by it.
Root Cause: Fear
Generally, these attacks experienced while driving are more often than not rooted in your feelings of fear ñ fear of being trapped in a vehicle, fear of being hit by an over speeding truck, fear of traveling at freeway speeds, and/or fear of puncturing a tire while driving. This fear, in its basic form, is supposed to be an asset called to help you contest any budding danger. However, when this fear exceeds its underlying purpose, like turning into a driving panic attack, it hampers your performance making it a huge liability.
Symptoms: Heart Attack-Like
Sense of impending doom or death, chest pains, rapid heart rate, shortness of breath, hyperventilation, choking sensations, hot flushes, dizziness, fainting, trembling, sweating, chills, nausea, and abdominal cramping are some of the frequently manifested symptoms of panic attack while driving. These symptoms can look a lot like having a heart attack, which is why seeking an accurate diagnosis and treatment is necessary.
Tips in Overcoming Panic Attacks while Driving
Whenever these symptoms of panic are felt when you are driving a vehicle, it is best that you:
1. Stop the car. Having a panic attack while driving deems you imperfect to manage the vehicle any further. Thus, pulling over and getting out of the confining car prevents you from getting yourself in an accident. If getting out of the car is not possible due to unsafe conditions on the road, reclining the chair and rolling down the windows are likely options.
2. Take deep breaths. Difficulty of breathing accompanies panic attacks. Therefore, take in breaths that fully fill in the lungs and release that air slowly through pursed lips.
3. Breathe through cupped hands or a paper bag. Difficulty in breathing causes one to hyperventilate and the mechanism of breathing through a piece of paper bag helps restore the normal carbon dioxide levels in the body – the triggering factor of breathing.
4. Listen to music. Tuning your radio to a station that plays calming or soothing music will assist your wrecked nerves ease itself from the effects of the attack.
5. Take prescribed medication. A panic attack that occurs in a regular basis while driving can be relieved by anxiolytics or antidepressants. They reduce anxiety and produce a sedating effect. However, one must be careful with them cause drowsiness makes one unfit to drive. In addition, consultation with a physician must be sought first before taking them.
