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Simple Ways to Overcome a Fear of Driving

April 3rd, 2010 | Author: Barry Joe McDonagh

Many people who have generalized anxiety disorder, and those that experience high levels of anxiety or panic attacks on a regular basis, struggle with sustaining a productive and balanced lifestyle. Simple activities such as driving a car or going shopping can create very strong feelings of anxiety, and may even lead to a panic attack. A fear of driving or driving phobia is a common side effect of anxiety disorders for many people, but there are some ways to overcome it so that day-to-day living doesn’t become so overwhelming.

Driving phobia is defined as an intense fear of driving a motorized vehicle. Some people develop driving phobia after they have been in an accident, but others develop this intense fear of driving a motor vehicle for no specific reason at all.

It doesn’t really matter what causes driving phobia in your particular situation. The best way to overcome it is to address that you have it, and use some specific anxiety reduction techniques that will help you reduce or eliminate your fear of the activity, naturally.

I talk more about effective anxiety reduction strategies and techniques in my book, Panic Away. You can use some of these techniques to overcome a driving phobia. Here are some tips for overcoming driving phobia:

1. Allow yourself to feel anxious. Do not beat yourself up if you start to feel anxious. Expect it and then when it arrives do not fight against it. Allowing the anxiety to be present with you on your journey stops the internal conflict.

2. Practice deep breathing before you get in the car. Undertake some deep breathing exercises to clear your mind and increase oxygen to the brain. When you’re feeling fearful, your breathing may be shallow and this can trigger more anxiety.

3. Avoid caffeine or sugary foods before driving. Stimulants may keep you awake, but they can also trigger a panic attack and increase anxiety.

4. Practice in a comfortable and safe setting. If you’re fearful about driving on the freeway for an extended period of time, practice driving on an open stretch during non-peak driving hours like a sunday so you become more familiar and comfortable with the territory.

5. Remember you can always pull over. If you start to feel overwhelmed, remember that you can always pull to the side of the road to take a break. This can help you overcome driving phobia and the extreme level of anxiety you feel about the situation.

Tags: Anxiety Disorders, Anxiety Panic, Anxiety Reduction, Balanced Lifestyle, Deep Breathing, Driving A Car, driving anxiety, driving phobia, fear of driving, Freewa, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Going Shopping, High Anxiety, Intense Fear, Internal Conflict, Levels Of Anxiety, Motor Vehicle, Panic Attack, Panic Attacks, Phobia, Reduction Strategies, Stimulants, Sugary Foods
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Blood Sugar Levels and Anxiety

March 12th, 2010 | Author: Barry Joe McDonagh

Photo by: arnold | inuyaki's

Do you wake up in a highly anxious state? Is it hard for you to focus and get control over your thoughts after a meal?

If the answer is yes, one of the critical links related to your anxiety could be traced to your diet and your blood sugar levels throughout the day.

If you have a history of diabetes or other health conditions that cause low blood sugar, you may be more vulnerable to high anxiety, stress and even a panic attack at certain times of the day.

Many people who are suffering from hypoglycemia experience anxiety on a regular basis because their blood sugar levels are too low. Low blood sugar levels can trigger a number of responses in the body including inability to focus, nervousness, trembling, dizziness and racing thoughts.

Sound familiar?

If so, you may need to be tested for hypoglycemia and diabetes, and take a close look at your diet.

Many people get a lot of relief from anxiety simply by changing their daily diet and eating more nutritious, wholesome foods that don’t negatively affect their blood sugar levels. I talk more about this in my book Panic Away. Simple diet modifications such as eating oatmeal with milk for breakfast, eating more protein-rich foods at each meal, and eating smaller meals throughout the day can help keep blood sugar levels in check and keep anxiety levels under control.

If you experience frequent mood swings and anxiety attacks that you can’t trace to any particular source, take a close look at your diet and lifestyle and see if your mood tends to change after a meal. This can be a good indicator that your blood sugar levels are out of balance, so it’s important to have that checked and start making the necessary changes in your diet.

Tags: anxiety, Anxiety Attacks, Anxiety Levels, Anxiety Stress, Anxious State, blood sugar levels, Diet Modifications, Dizziness, Experience Anxiety, Frequent Mood Swings, Health Conditions, High Anxiety, History Of Diabetes, Hypoglycemia, Low Blood Sugar, Low Blood Sugar Levels, Nervousness, Oatmeal, Panic Attack, Protein Rich Foods, Wholesome Foods
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Getting to Sleep When You Have Anxiety

February 27th, 2010 | Author: Barry Joe McDonagh

For many people who deal with anxiety and panic attacks on a regular basis, nighttime can be a particularly difficult time of day because they are unable to fall asleep naturally. Not getting enough sleep can take its toll on your health and well-being, and can even increase the risk of an anxiety or panic attack in the near future.

People stay awake at night for a number of reasons. They may be fearful or worried about an upcoming event, or they might simply be worried that they can’t sleep and won’t be able to perform at their best the next day. It’s a difficult situation to be in, but there are several ways to fall asleep naturally so you don’t have to take sleeping pills or any type of drugs.

One of the most important steps you can take mentally is to simply presume that you won’t sleep. This sounds like the opposite of what you are trying to accomplish, but the goal here is to break out of the pattern of pressuring yourself to fall asleep. A good night’s sleep isn’t guaranteed, but you have to surrender your inability to sleep in order to put your mind at ease. I talk more about this strategy in my book, Panic Away.

There are also several strategies you can use on a nightly basis to wind down and encourage the sleep state. You can:

* Take a hot bath or shower and allow your muscles to relax
* Eat foods that contain tryptophan (try a small turkey sandwich)
* Eliminate TV and time at the computer for at least one to two hours before bed
* Avoid heavy exercise in the late evening
* Eliminate caffeine from your meal plan after 3 p.m.

Just remember that you will fall asleep eventually, and you need to trust that your body will get the sleep it needs each night. Free yourself from the vicious cycle of trying to get asleep and getting frustrated over not getting enough sleep so that you can start getting the quality sleep you need every night.

Tags: Anxiety And Panic Attacks, Anxiety Attack, Anxiety Attacks, Anxiety Panic, Exercise, Getting to Sleep, Have Anxiety, Hot Bath, Late Evening, Many People, Meal Plan, Muscles, Nightly Basis, Nighttime, Panic Attack, Several Ways, Sleep, Sleeping Pills, Time Of Day, Turkey Sandwich, Type Of Drugs, Vicious Cycle
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Is the Fight or Flight Response Draining You of Energy?

February 15th, 2010 | Author: Barry Joe McDonagh

Are you dealing with exhaustion, fatigue and feelings of malaise on a regular basis? High levels of anxiety and frequent panic attacks could be to blame.

Many people who experience the unusual sensations associated with panic disorder soon learn that the physical effects of the adrenaline boost experienced during a heightened state of anxiety can take their toll on their energy levels.

Anxiety is simply a response to a danger or threat, and we all experience varying levels of anxiety throughout our day based on what our brain and body is sensing is happening to us.

We’re all equipped to experience the ‘fight or flight’ response automatically when faced with some sort of danger. Unfortunately, people who experience anxiety and panic attacks on a regular basis get this rush of adrenaline far too often, leaving their bodies drained of energy.

Does this sound familiar?

When your body is constantly in a ‘crisis’ mode, it can be very difficult to have enough energy to do much else. You might feel emotionally and physically exhausted on a daily basis, or you might become very sensitive to people and situations.

Fortunately, there are ways you can get out of this malicious cycle. Identifying the bodily triggers of your anxiety or a panic attack is the first step. Next, you need to work on processing the bodily sensations so the fear around those sensations is removed.

In my book Panic Away, I share some specific strategies that can help you end the fear of fear and take control of your body. You learn how to process the anxiety so you’re harnessing the energy and won’t feel so exhausted each time you go through the cycle.

There will come a point when you can observe and embrace your panic attacks fully, enabling you to stop the cycle of fear.

Barry Joe McDoangh

PanicAway.com

Tags: Anxiety And Panic Attacks, Anxiety Attack, Anxiety Panic, Barry Joe, Bodily Sensations, Brain And Body, Crisis Mode, Daily Basis, energy, Energy Levels, Exhaustion, Fatigue, Fear Of Fear, Feelings, fight or flight, Flight Response, High Anxiety, Levels Of Anxiety, Malaise, Panic Attack, Panic Disorder, Rush
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Simple Ways to Overcome a Fear of Driving

Blood Sugar Levels and Anxiety

Getting to Sleep When You Have Anxiety

Is the Fight or Flight Response Draining You of Energy?

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