How to Cure Panic Attacks While Driving

By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=James_Donovan]James Donovan
Panic attacks while driving is a harrowing experience. Panic attacks (also known as anxiety attacks) in the street or at home are bad enough, but while driving, they can cause an extremely terrifying state of mind. Most people require a car to travel to work or maybe dropping children off at school. These everyday circumstances can drill fear into people who suffer from attacks.
There are various reasons why people suffer attacks while driving:
Previously involved in crash
Witnessed a bad crash
Enclosed space of car
Feeling of being rushed by other motorists
Feeling blocked in when in heavy traffic
Does any of the above sound familiar. If so then please continue reading as help is at hand...
Panic attacks in general, can kick in at any time without notice. The intense fear is harrowing. I used to have social phobia panic attacks while out shopping and they caused me to stay clear of driving as I was constantly in fear of having another attack. It made my life dependent on others -- like friends and family -- to get me around. And public transport made me feel very uncomfortable.
My condition was initially calmed by medication prescribed to me by my doctor, but I found this actually impeded my recovery as the medication made me drowsy and generally unmotivated. This is all well and good if you want to sit around the house all day, but when you have a job and you want to get to work on your own, it is soul-destroying. But I just did not have the confidence to put my hands on the wheel.
The drugs were not working for my driving phobia. I still kept thinking my condition would ultimately cause damage to someone. I still had a fear of losing control of the car. But now I know that many forms of attacks can be cured productively and for the long term...
The first step in my recovery was to be positive and believe that long term help was available. The quicker you realise that there is something out there for you the quicker you will have your hands on the wheel again, and, driving without the fear of a panic attack. For me, natural techniques worked far better than prescribed drugs. There are no side effects and they are still working for me today.
The techniques I used to cure my panic attacks while driving is to use Muscle Tension training and relaxation. In essence these techniques train your brain to recognise the signs of an on coming anxiety attack. I used to think that Panic attacks were sudden but they are not. They build up and kick in when your not expecting it.
The Muscle tension training is conducted once a day for 15 minutes. You actively tense part of your body starting from your hands up to the neck and down through the body. Squeeze and release the different muscle groups. After time you will train you brain to recognise what part of the body is tense, when you pick up on this sign it's now time for relaxation.
Relaxation training requires you to sit upright, not laying down, with you hands by your side. A kitchen chair works well for me. You relax your brain by thinking of the most wonderful quiet place you have always wished of and take in the smells, temperature, the scenery... Think of this place for 10 minutes.
Now join the two techniques together. If your driving and you recognise your tense in a particular part of your body you know you have to use the relaxation technique. In a calm state, pull over where safe and sit in your car thinking of the wonderful place, calm your body and drive again. I even did this on the motorway in a huge traffic jam, I managed to control my anxiety.
These are just two techniques that I found invaluable. There are many more techniques that you will find extremely beneficial. Remember...You do not have a condition, it's only a state of mind...
In order to   Cure Panic Attacks While Driving so you can get behind the wheel again full of confidence like i did. Please now go to http://get-rid-of-panicattacks.blogspot.com and get the facts.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?How-to-Cure-Panic-Attacks-While-Driving&id=6541466] How to Cure Panic Attacks While Driving