Anxiety and panic attacks, regardless of the triggers, often come with a set of physical symptoms. This can be dizziness, Norcia, tingling hands and legs, raised heart rate etc. Because we don’t like the way this makes us feel, we then avoid the triggers that set these symptoms off.
The fact is though that your Anxiety is Cognitive, not Physical. Let me repeat that: Anxiety is Cognitive, not Physical.
When it comes to Driving Anxiety this can become extremely restrictive to your life as you have to rely on others or not so reliable public transport. You start living your life on other peoples’ schedules, not your own. This can be costly both financially and emotionally and can put strain on relationships.
The trouble is, we start to fear the fear and so AVOID the places that trigger those uncomfortable feelings. (This is natural as human beings we don’t want to feel these uncomfortable and sometimes out of control feelings). But let me repeat… This is COGNATIVE, NOT PHYSICAL.
So, what does RECOVERY look like? Well firstly, Recovery is not linier and it isn’t easy. I want you to understand that RECOVERY for Driving Anxiety doesn’t mean the fear will go away entirely. It’s about managing the fear by gentle exposure or baby-steps if you prefer.
Accepting that the occasional wave of panic or anxiety may still re-visit you, but you as you are EMPOWERED with the right tools to cope, you get through and understand that you are OK! This is what recovery looks like. This is your new normal.