[damz68]

I have been having panic attacks while driving off and on for a couple of years now. It seems to be much worse on interstates and when it is hot. Just recently I had my first kidney stone, which was horrible. It happened so fast and I was lucky that I was at home when it did happen. Now every time I get behind the wheel I worry about having a kidney stone attack while driving and the panic feeling is super high. It is pretty much non stop panic. My back burns, feel hot/cold flashes, racing thoughts, feel like I am going to pass out and constantly looking for escape route. Monday (tomorrow) I have to drive 100 miles to pay for a traffic violation and it is too late to pay this ticket any other way. My daughter will be going with me which will help. And I have found a good route that is interstate free.

I know the best way to fix this problem is never get another kidney stone again. For years I have drank 4 to 7 cokes a day and tea at dinner. Now I drink nothing but water all day with an occasional lemonade or ginger ale. I have also considered drinking one beer or one glass of wine a day to help even more. However, unless I get amnesia that kidney stone will always be in the back of my mind.

Driving is very important to me, it is pretty much my life and I have to have it. Does anyone else here have panic while driving. If you have any tips on how to deal with it please let me know. I really need help with this.

Thanks Very Much for any Help,
Derek

This is Catastrophic Thinking. Here is a worksheet that might help for coping and planning:

https://www.google.ca/url?sa=t&sourc...f763zk_zwvDy9Q

The idea is that you sort out the thinking about worst case, best case, and likely case scenarios. By writing them down you will see the worst case is likely the shortest list. This is usally soothing to me. But I also closely look at the worst case scenario and make a plan(s) on how to cope with it or what actions I can take if it happens.

[Yours_Truly]

I've had anxiety attacks while driving before also. Luckily, I'd been hanging around PC long enough to have read up on some of the CBT techniques & was able to talk/think may way calm, so it never turned into a full blown panic attack, which I've also had (horrible, just horrible) so I'd try the worst case scenario worksheet justafriend suggested. To start with, it sounds to me like you've already tremendously lessened your chances of another kidney stone occurring.
Oh, I also did deep breathing.

[Unrigged64072835]

I have had panic attacks while driving. I usually do deep breathing and focus on the task at hand. My husband does most of the driving, though, so I may be out of practice.

[mindwrench]

I have had panic attacks while driving. I have severe anxiety about going far from home, or leaving town mainly due to fear of having anxiety attack where I have no safe place to hide. I remember my worst attack while driving, like it was yesterday though it was 2008. I turned out of a parking lot headed back to work from lunch, and it came on and escalated to the most intense I ever felt. It was only about 1.5 miles to my destination but I was sure I would die before reaching there. That particular job was delivering products to customers in a company truck within 30 mile radius. I had to quit the job because I got sick with anxiety every time I had a delivery very far from the store after that. I have to drive my mother to doctor appointments in a nearby city about an hour away each month, and it is very difficult, and I try real hard to "think happy thoughts". I am always so relieved on the way home when we get close to home.

[handheart]

Try some relaxation tehniques every night also breathing tehniques and meditation this calm down your mind and body and it help you to take control more on your mind

[attilio]

I think that you should do yoga or meditation. Therefore, I have to get up early in the morning. I am sure that if you do it regularly, then you would overcome your problem.

[damz68]

Originally Posted by Yours_Truly

I've had anxiety attacks while driving before also. Luckily, I'd been hanging around PC long enough to have read up on some of the CBT techniques & was able to talk/think may way calm, so it never turned into a full blown panic attack, which I've also had (horrible, just horrible) so I'd try the worst case scenario worksheet justafriend suggested. To start with, it sounds to me like you've already tremendously lessened your chances of another kidney stone occurring.
Oh, I also did deep breathing.

What is deep breathing?

[damz68]

Originally Posted by justafriend306

This is Catastrophic Thinking. Here is a worksheet that might help for coping and planning:

The idea is that you sort out the thinking about worst case, best case, and likely case scenarios. By writing them down you will see the worst case is likely the shortest list. This is usally soothing to me. But I also closely look at the worst case scenario and make a plan(s) on how to cope with it or what actions I can take if it happens.

Thanks. Can you tell me what actions you would take if you were out in a National Forest somewhere alone and was stricken with a kidney stone. There are a lot of places I go that do not even have cell phone service. There are occasions where I may walk 3 miles to get to my destination and I am always alone.