Question:

This morning I had to drive my son to the oral surgeon two towns away from us (he had all 4 wisdom teeth out!).  We had to go at rush hour, 7:25 a.m., on the 8-lane stretch of busy highway where I had a huge PA last spring. And I have not been feeling well, physically, the last 3-4 days… So I was thinking: Hmmm, conditions are not optimal for this drive. I took .25 mg Xanax when I first got up, but that is a minimal dose for me. Both driving out there and driving home later, I did fine. My breathing was regular, my heart didn’t race, I drove over 60 mph at times (speed is a big trigger for my panic). It’s amazing to me how panic attacks can come and go! Also:  I’m glad I kept getting on the highway for short easy trips even when my panic was bad last month. Taking .5 mg of Xanax when things were bad really helped me keep going with this. I thank you all for you encouragement. How is everyone else doing with stuff like driving? (or whatever your worst trigger is?)  I’m hoping maybe there is some antipanic gestalt helping all of us right now!  :-) xxoo Anne — The charter is available at:  http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm

Response:

Hi, Anne, This is terrific!  So glad you were able to have a "normal" drive to and from the appointment.  How is Andres doing? My driving is doing fairly well.  Last night I drove an additional 1 1/2 on a 2 lane highway.  Surprised the hell out of me.  And I did do well considering that the last time my anxiety was up and I couldn’t even do the 1/2 mile.  Yes, anxiety is an odd creature… smiles, Elise

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – This morning I had to drive my son to the oral surgeon two towns away from us (he had all 4 wisdom teeth out!).  We had to go at rush hour, 7:25 a.m., on the 8-lane stretch of busy highway where I had a huge PA last spring. And I have not been feeling well, physically, the last 3-4 days… So I was thinking: Hmmm, conditions are not optimal for this drive. I took .25 mg Xanax when I first got up, but that is a minimal dose for me. Both driving out there and driving home later, I did fine. My breathing was regular, my heart didn’t race, I drove over 60 mph at times (speed is a big trigger for my panic). It’s amazing to me how panic attacks can come and go! Also:  I’m glad I kept getting on the highway for short easy trips even when my panic was bad last month. Taking .5 mg of Xanax when things were bad really helped me keep going with this. I thank you all for you encouragement. How is everyone else doing with stuff like driving? (or whatever your worst trigger is?)  I’m hoping maybe there is some antipanic gestalt helping all of us right now!  :-) xxoo Anne — The charter is available at:  http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm

– The charter is available at:  http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm

Response:

This morning I had to drive my son to the oral surgeon two towns away from us (he had all 4 wisdom teeth out!).  We had to go at rush hour, 7:25 a.m., on the 8-lane stretch of busy highway where I had a huge PA last spring.

Hi Anne! I always use to remember exactly where I had a PA on the freeway several years ago. But since my PAs went away, thanks to getting back on Klonopin 3 mg/day, I now just drive right past the spot without thinking about PAs. BTW, congratulations on making the drive without a PA!   It’s amazing to me how panic attacks can come and go! I start to get PAs when my overall level of anxiety is higher than usual. And that is often secondary to feeling depressed. Chip — The charter is available at:  http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm

Response:

Yayyyyyyyy Anne!  This is great.  I’m so happy you did so well on the highway especially not feeling well.  {{{{{Anne}}}}} Di

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – This morning I had to drive my son to the oral surgeon two towns away from us (he had all 4 wisdom teeth out!).  We had to go at rush hour, 7:25 a.m., on the 8-lane stretch of busy highway where I had a huge PA last spring. And I have not been feeling well, physically, the last 3-4 days… So I was thinking: Hmmm, conditions are not optimal for this drive. I took .25 mg Xanax when I first got up, but that is a minimal dose for me. Both driving out there and driving home later, I did fine. My breathing was regular, my heart didn’t race, I drove over 60 mph at times (speed is a big trigger for my panic). It’s amazing to me how panic attacks can come and go! Also:  I’m glad I kept getting on the highway for short easy trips even when my panic was bad last month. Taking .5 mg of Xanax when things were bad really helped me keep going with this. I thank you all for you encouragement. How is everyone else doing with stuff like driving? (or whatever your worst trigger is?)  I’m hoping maybe there is some antipanic gestalt helping all of us right now!  :-) xxoo Anne

– The charter is available at:  http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm

Response:

Very good, Anne :  ) I’ve been doing OK with driving although I haven’t had to go on a major highway or bridge for a long time.  I’m not avoiding them, I’m just staying local for now :  ) Tony — The charter is available at:  http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm

Response:

Yayyyyyyyyyy!! This is great news, Anne!!  I’m so glad to hear it went well!! MikeH :)

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – This morning I had to drive my son to the oral surgeon two towns away from us (he had all 4 wisdom teeth out!).  We had to go at rush hour, 7:25 a.m., on the 8-lane stretch of busy highway where I had a huge PA last spring. And I have not been feeling well, physically, the last 3-4 days… So I was thinking: Hmmm, conditions are not optimal for this drive. I took .25 mg Xanax when I first got up, but that is a minimal dose for me. Both driving out there and driving home later, I did fine. My breathing was regular, my heart didn’t race, I drove over 60 mph at times (speed is a big trigger for my panic). It’s amazing to me how panic attacks can come and go! Also:  I’m glad I kept getting on the highway for short easy trips even when my panic was bad last month. Taking .5 mg of Xanax when things were bad really helped me keep going with this. I thank you all for you encouragement. How is everyone else doing with stuff like driving? (or whatever your worst trigger is?)  I’m hoping maybe there is some antipanic gestalt helping all of us right now!  :-)

– The charter is available at:  http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – that are too tight blurted out: Both driving out there and driving home later, I did fine. I feel the need to say something here, Anne. Earlier on, I felt that going back on  medication was your best bet, as it appeared to me that it had helped you so much, and you may have been showing signs that it was necessary for the long term (IOW, the initial anxieties had returned w/o the Celexa). D’oh! Yes, HAD helped you! There comes a point, IMO, where the exposure with medication can (or should?) become exposure ‘without’ the medication. Everything you’d learned during the time on medication (and I suggest this only works for people who WORK at things – as in taking recovery/driving [in this case] seriously as a ‘full time job!’) is retained ‘because’ you’d worked on it as a job. Now, without Celexa, you’re experiencing panic at times, but the lessons learned (or rather, being put to use) are a good part of what recovery is about. Now it may be more difficult and take more work, but that’s the key, I think. The medication helped get you onto highways and over bridges. Your cognitive and behavioral ‘learned’ skills helped then – and now they are pretty much all you have. It should be expected that it would be more difficult at times now, since it’s a ‘work in progress’….. and I must say you’ve been handling that very well by continuing on with episodes of anxiety. I don’t know HOW one would recover without doing as you have been. OK, kill me. I ‘think’ I said something nice ;) — E.l l i o t t

We won’t kill you Elliott, but I am curious, are you on any AD’s or benzos? I can’t remember.  Forgive me.  If not, PLEASE tell me how you overcame it. Thanks, Vicki — The charter is available at:  http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm

Response:

:Both driving out there and driving home later, I did fine. My breathing :was regular, my heart didn’t race, I drove over 60 mph at times (speed is :a big trigger for my panic). : :It’s amazing to me how panic attacks can come and go! Bravo Anne! You did good :) Panic never makes any sense.  When we expect it, it doesn`t show up…… and when we least expect it, it nails us. Jackie ~*~Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower~*~ — The charter is available at:  http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm

Response:

 I went though this before in the past and it just went away on its own, Ignorance is bless,(wouldn’t even admit to myself I had anxiety)  Was a lot more difficult this time(stress was worse) but I am going for long lasting cure and the only way to do it is with my eyes wide open  Has been a while since my last panic attack (not pushing it to much), my anxiety, still a little heighten, but relative to our condition is managable and the stress keep melting away  Maybe one day I meet you half way for a cup of decaffinated coffee :-) Jim

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – This morning I had to drive my son to the oral surgeon two towns away from us (he had all 4 wisdom teeth out!).  We had to go at rush hour, 7:25 a.m., on the 8-lane stretch of busy highway where I had a huge PA last spring. And I have not been feeling well, physically, the last 3-4 days… So I was thinking: Hmmm, conditions are not optimal for this drive. I took .25 mg Xanax when I first got up, but that is a minimal dose for me. Both driving out there and driving home later, I did fine. My breathing was regular, my heart didn’t race, I drove over 60 mph at times (speed is a big trigger for my panic). It’s amazing to me how panic attacks can come and go! Also:  I’m glad I kept getting on the highway for short easy trips even when my panic was bad last month. Taking .5 mg of Xanax when things were bad really helped me keep going with this. I thank you all for you encouragement. How is everyone else doing with stuff like driving? (or whatever your worst trigger is?)  I’m hoping maybe there is some antipanic gestalt helping all of us right now!  :-) xxoo Anne — The charter is available at:  http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm

– The charter is available at:  http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm

Response: