How to Stop a Panic Attack While Driving - 5 Tips For Survival


You already know that panic attacks can happen at any time don't you? But can you imagine anything as terrifying as having one while you're driving your car? Having an attack while your feet are firmly planted on the ground in a shopping mall is one thing, having an attack while traveling at 60 miles per hour on a crowded freeway is quite another.
The purpose of this article is to give you some ideas on how to safely and quickly stop a panic attack while driving. Hopefully you'll never have to use these tips but unless you do something about your anxiety and panic issues, you probably will.
Understanding How A Panic Attack Works
Before you can stop an attack, you have to have an idea of how it works. Basically, everything you experience is simply the result of our fight or flight response. This response is exceptionally important to us when we are faced with physical threats as it prepares the body to either fight or run from the danger.
A panic attack is the result of the brain sending a signal to the body that says there is a danger when no real danger exists. The body responds by pumping out adrenalin to kick start the rest of the body functions. The heart starts to beat harder and faster to get nutrients and oxygen to our muscles. The blood vessels contract to increase blood pressure to hasten the blood along. The lungs force faster breathing to insure enough oxygen is available. The muscles themselves tense in preparation for action. Hormones and chemicals are produced to heighten our mental awareness. In short the body is ready to do battle.
Except there is no battle to be had.
Your brain was triggered by something to send a false message of danger. There is no real threat. Unfortunately your body doesn't know this and responds to the brain's threat message simply because that's the way we are wired.
What that something was that triggered the brain is the root cause of your anxiety and panic issues. This is something you're going to have to address if you want this condition out of your life. For now however, let's just talk about how to end an attack.
Stopping an Attack While Driving
The key to ending any attack is to stop the message from the brain. The fastest way to accomplish this is to distract the brain by assigning it new tasks. When you're driving this can be a challenge as you still have to keep control of the vehicle. Here's a few tips on handling that task:
* If you can safely pull off the road do that. Reducing the perceived threat of a crash will reduce the effects of the attack marginally but it may make you feel better.
* Know that what is happening is a panic attack and not a heart attack. You're not going to die and you're not going crazy. If you do nothing to control the attack it will be over in less than 15 minutes.
* Control your breathing. Consciously take slow deep breaths. Breathe from the diaphragm not the chest. Breathe in with your nose and exhale through your mouth. Deep breathing has a number of positive effects but in this instance the more important thing is you are taking away the brain's control on your lungs. You'll also start feeling a lessening in muscle tension almost immediately.
* Distract your brain. Give it something else to work on. Start asking and answering questions about items in your car. Say it out loud. "What is this thing?" "This thing is the steering wheel." Or the dashboard or radio or door handle or whatever. By sending the question and demanding an answer you are taking away from the brain's ability to sustain the threat message.
* Count it down. If you run out of items to identify, start counting backwards from 180. That's three minutes of fairly demanding tasking on the brain and you should feel a lessening of effects as each second goes by.
So you can stop a panic attack safely while driving but that doesn't end your problem does it. What you are really afraid of is not the panic attack. What you are really afraid of is the idea of having another attack.
This fear of possibly having another attack has probably changed the way you lead your life. You avoid places or situations where you think one might be triggered. If you let this go untreated, you may find yourself with fewer and fewer "safe" places. It's time to do something about your anxiety and you'll be surprised how easy it can be remedied.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/3588029

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