Having a panic attack while you are driving can be extremely scary. You might start breathing faster or feel as if you can't catch your breath at all and your heart starts beating like crazy. Sometimes you might feel as if your car is going to just suddenly go off the road, or as if you have no control. Or you might feel as if other cars are going to crash into you at any moment.
I know about all of these symptoms, because I have personally experienced them myself. There are ways however, that I have found to calm myself and work through them and so can you.
Have an attack kit at the ready.
While chances are most times you will probably not even need it, it is a comfort just knowing that you have it. Include an: unopened bottle of water, of a valium or Xanex pill, a brown paper bag, a soft Music CD, a Positive Thinking or Law of Attraction CD or a Popular Book on CD series.
Sooth Yourself.
If you feel an attack starting to come on, remind yourself that you have this kit handy so you know that no matter what happens, the attack will never get completely out of control.
Imagine Arriving Safely.
Envision yourself arriving safely to your destination and imagine what you are going to do once you arrive. If it is a party you are going to, mentally see yourself greeting all of the guests there after you arrive safe and sound. If you are on your way home, imagine taking your shoes off and sitting on your nice safe couch and how good it feels.
Distract Your Mind.
Put in the Positive Thinking CD, the Book CD, or the Music CD and focus your attention on that. Sometimes all it takes is a little mental distraction to get over the temporary attack. Listen intently to what is being said and get totally involved in it until driving becomes automatic again without your over-thinking it.
Pull Over.
If the attack is particularly intense, pull over wherever you can and give yourself a few minutes to calm down. Close your eyes and breathe in gently through your nose and out of your mouth. Repeat a comforting mantra to yourself such as I know I am going to arrive safely, or I know this is just temporary and I will feel better in a few minutes or This is not real, I know it is a momentary attack and it will be over soon.
Use Your Kit
If the attack is really intense and you feel yourself hyperventilating, breathe into the brown paper bag until you are breathing normally again. Then take the Xanax or Valium with the water. (Be sure that you have tried this dosage before and that is doesn't effect you in any extreme way. Example: Makes you extremely tired or out-of-it ) Normally a pill is all you will need to calm yourself down enough to get back on the road. Give it about 20 minutes to take effect, but you will know immediately when you are ready to start driving again.
Have Confidence and Do Not Stop Driving!
One of the worst things you can do is to become so afraid of the attacks that it makes you stop driving. If anything, the opposite it true. Force yourself to go out and drive to smaller destinations as often as possible. I went through a period where I had three attacks in 6 months, but thank goodness, due to necessity, I had no choice but to keep driving. Since then, I haven't had a single attack in 3 years. So realize that for whatever reason these attacks decided to show up, they can go away just as quickly.