[ukflower]

i have been dealing with anxiety for a few months now, getting overly stressed out about little things, getting extremely frustrated when i shouldnt, and when i dont have anything stressful going on, im fine so i havent seen a doctor or anything for it. i kinda felt that if i was ok sometimes, i should be fine. but today just took it to a new level...i was driving and some idiot honked at me and cut me off cuz i wasnt driving fast enough for him apparently, and he was so aggressive and almost hit my car that i got SO mad and freaked out. i was so upset, and all of the sudden i started shaking and couldnt breathe, it was by far the scariest thing to ever happen to me. i couldnt control it, i was so upset and mad and angry and just freaked out, i cried the rest of the way home, and it took me a while to stop shaking. so now im scared that it will happen again, and i dont even know if that was a panic attack but im starting to feel like maybe i should do something about all this anxiety etc. any advice out there? im scaredt o admit to having this problem but i dont know if i can keep dealing with this on my own. thanks you guys for reading all this...

[Juliana]

That sounds scary. (((Hugs))) It also sounds like a panic attack. Sometimes our minds and bodies have just been dealing with so much pent-up anxiety, we finally reach a breaking point, and that's when the panic attacks set in. You should talk to a doctor about this or find a Cognitive Behaviour Therapist. CBT is incredibly helpful. Anxiety and panic attacks are awful and they can spiral out of control if we don't seek help. You're at an early point now, where there's a good chance that you can "nip this in the bud" if you get treatment. Talking about it is a very good start. Good luck.

[SandyWeb]

((((Elizuk))))

I'm sorry you had to deal with one of those road-rage creeps. Like we don't have enough to think about when driving, right? *smile*

I just want to make a suggestion to you. I think you need to get back into your car and take a test drive someplace. The thing with anxiety attacks, we tend to associate them with places where they have already occured (or could occur). Many people find that they can't drive their car anymore when they have an attack while on the road. It may mean going to your doctor and getting some anti-anxiety meds (let him know the experience you just went through), and taking preventive measures to help make sure that you don't become afraid of driving.

Good luck and I wish you all the best!

God bless,
Sandy

[Juliana]

I agree with Sandy. That's really good advice. One of the mistakes I made when I first starting having panic attacks was AVOIDING situations that had triggered attacks. Pretty soon, I was avoiding EVERYTHING. So, going out for a drive is a good idea. Good luck!

[bebu]

I agree, the panic attacks I experienced turned into agoraphobia. I cant leave my house, cant work, visit with friends etc etc.....dont let these take over you life, its really hard to come back from

[Juliana]

Schrunchie, I'm so sorry you're in that situation. Agoraphobia is so damn powerful. I was where you are for 4 years. I got better, though. Never give up hope. (((Hugs)))

[ukflower]

thanks for everyones posts...i did go for a drive the next day, infact i insisted to my bf that i drive all day and at first i was scared that someone would set me off again but i seemed to do ok. im just scared another attack will hit when im totally unprepared for it but im tryin not to think of that. i dont know if talking to someone would help...any suggestions on therapists for this kind of stuff? im totally in the dark about this, but all i know is i hate being so worried and anxious all the time!!

[Juliana]

I'm so glad you went for another drive. That was brave and a very positive thing to do.

I found Cognitive Behaviour Therapy very helpful in dealing with my anxiety. I am so glad I got treatment. Your family doctor might be able to recommend a therapist to you, or you could check with your local mental health society. These things can spiral out of control and the fear of having another attack just adds to your anxiety, so it's a good idea to talk to someone and get some help. Best of luck.

[chichi]

I agree with the above posts about getting back into your car which is facing your fears and Cognitive Behaviour Therapy is the key to all this I think as well as meds if you need help while your coping. I had to retrain how I think i'm still working on it but without it I would be worst off, they say we are our own best dr. Good luck with everything

[bebu]

Thanks - at least it gives me hope that I won't be trapped forever. Just a note of caution to anyone suffering from panic attacks - try to deal with them before they become so overwelming you r afraid of everthing

[Juliana]

That's really good advice Schrunchie. I totally agree with you. When I first starting having anxiety problems, my doctor told me to avoid stress. Well, I took her advice... to the extreme. It turns out that EVERYTHING was stressful for me, so I started avoiding things little by little and pretty soon I was avoiding everything. I wish I had faced my fears early on before things spiralled so out of control. I don't know if it was like this for you, but for me, the path to complete avoidance seemed to happen without me even noticing. I just woke up one day and realized I hadn't left my home in a month... and I stayed that way for 3 years.