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You might have never had any sort of difficulty while driving when suddenly something comes over you without warning. It becomes difficult to breathe, feel dizzy and you feel an overwhelming sense of dread. You begin to feel as though you may lose control of the car - and this intensifies the fear tenfold. If you’ve ever had this happen to you, you might be afraid to drive.

You might receive the advice to drive more often to confront your fears. In your case, the panic attack is brought on by the thought of driving and no amount on confronting your fears can help you. But the panic attacks can be triggered anywhere and at unexpected moments. But what should you do if you have a panic attack while driving? Knowing what to do can ease your anxieties in case it does happen while you at the wheel.

The first time you have a panic attack while driving, you might not recognize the symptoms - increasing dread and fear, shakes and sweating. You may start to worry about hazardous road conditions, having a breakdown or getting stuck in traffic.

At the onset of a panic attack while you are driving your car, pull over. During a panic attack, it seems that all cars are racing towards you. That is just your imagination or ugly intrusive thoughts going haywire. Sit up straight, take a deep breath, and regulate your breathing until you are relaxed. Breathing in through your noise and exhaling through your mouth can lessen the attack.

Panic attacks can last a couple of seconds or for few minutes. Just try to relax and calm yourself until the attack subsides. If you have some water in the car, take sips of this, since dehydration can trigger panic attacks. Take a pill if you have any prescription medication for your panic disorder and ride your attack out until you’re thoroughly relaxed. You should keep some water and a paper bag to regulate your breathing in the car at all times.

Preventing those attacks is better than a pound of cure. To avert panic attacks, take vitamin B complex as part of your preventive regimen. This vitamin family is recommended for people who are stressed out. Since Vitamin B complex is water soluble, there is no harm in taking the vitamins daily to supplement your diet but ask your doctor for the correct daily dosage for your age and gender.

Follow doctor’s orders. If you are signing up for therapeutic counselling, be consistent with your attendance. During those sessions, you can get help and be inspired by the stories of others trying to beat panic attacks.

If you tend to have panic attacks while driving, you should always have someone else with you when you drive. If your panic attacks are especially severe or frequent, you may even want to have them drive instead. Simply having another person there can greatly reduce the anxiety which often leads to panic attacks.

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