Driving Anxiety

I can remember when I lived for road trips, traveling brought me a sense of peace and adventure. Unfortunately, I had my first bout of driving anxiety several years back and driving has not been the same for me since.

After my first bout of driving anxiety, I stopped travelling for fear of having a panic attack while traveling. I let that one episode of driving anxiety stop me from doing something that brought me so much pleasure for years.

I recently decided that I was going to start traveling again in spite of my anxiety. I started out kind of slow by traveling to the edge of town and then over the course of several months drove further and further. I know this would sound ridiculous for anyone who has never experienced anxiety or panic attacks! :-)

I have some friends that live around 300 miles away and hadn't seen them in several years; that would be my first task driving to see my friends. I decided it was worth being anxious in order to see my friends.

The day of the trip I was extremely anxious. However, I told myself I could handle this, jumped in the car and headed out. I also gave myself permission to turn around at any given moment during the trip if my anxiety became overwhelming. I experienced several panic attacks including one really bad on half way to my destination, but I really wanted to see my friends and I kept going.

Yes I was uncomfortable the entire trip, but I made it! This was a huge victory for me and I realized that I really could live my life and do anything in spite of my anxiety. Take your time, be compassionate with yourself, and realize that you are going to be anxious, but you can handle it. And if you can't, turn around and try again tomorrow!

Anxiety, Depression, and Serotonin

Anxiety, Depression, and Serotonin

If you have suffered from anxiety or depression, chances are you have done some research on the subject and have heard of Serotonin. If not, then listen up.

Though I have a clinical background I am not technical (at least not in terms), so I will define serotonin and its properties as simple as possible. Serotonin is a hormone that our brain produces to help us feel good. Serotonin is partly responsible for regulating mood, curbing anxiety and depression, and relieving stress to name a few of its attributes.  Serotonin can also be found in many foods we eat. Here is a list of foods that have high and moderate amounts of serotonin:

High Serotonin Levels                                               Moderate Level of Serotonin

Tomatoes                                                                     Avocado

Pineapple                                                                     Cauliflower

Plantains                                                                      Broccoli

Banana                                                                       Cantaloupe

Kiwi                                                                            Eggplant

Plums                                                                          Dates

                                                                                    Figs

                                                                                    Grapefruit

                                                                                    Honeydew Melon

                                                                                    Spinach

In many cases, anxiety and depression can be completely eliminated through a simple diet change (implementing the foods above), a regular exercise routine, and proper breathing exercises. The reason why these little changes are so effective goes back to serotonin.

When we take care of our bodies by consuming good fuel and exercise regularly we feel better. This is because our production of serotonin is optimized. If we eat bad and are sedentary, our bodies tend to not function as well thus do not produce optimum levels of serotonin thus the consequence is generally moodiness, anxiety, depression and so forth. If you’re looking for a quick fix to anxiety, get your serotonin production up!

What is Social Phobia?

What is social phobia? Social phobia is another term for social anxiety or social anxiety disorder. This could be defined as anyone who has a debilitating fear in certain social settings. The setting is generally called a trigger. Triggers are things that bring on the sensation of anxiety which is associated with the event/trigger.

Some triggers may include a crowd of people, a crowd of people in which it is difficult to find a way out (parade, night club, the mall, etc.), public speaking, driving in traffic, and many other events. The trigger could have developed suddenly or gradually over time. For example, if you went to the mall and did something embarrassing, you may associate that experience with the mall rather than an isolated incident. For anxiety sufferers, this one incident is enough to cause nervousness upon returning to the mall.

For those who don't suffer from social phobia, it can be difficult to relate. Often times, the loved ones or friends of someone who suffers from anxiety think the person is being silly, they harass them or make fun of them. This only further perpetuates the feelings of anxiety. Think about it, no one wants to feel bad or feel like they are living in fear. They are not trying to embarrass you or ruin the party. They have social anxiety and they need and deserve your support.

I hope this sheds a little light on what exactly social phobia is. Feel free to ask questions or if you would like me to expand or need additional information on anxiety related issues, just let me know!

Situational Anxiety

Many anxiety sufferers have certain triggers or events that can bring about the uncomfortable feelings associated with anxiety. I refer to this as situational anxiety. For example, those who have social anxiety may feel fine when they are at home or with family, yet when they get in a social setting or in an area with a lot of people, anxiety comes creeping in.

One of the events that triggers my anxiety is driving. I'm fine driving around my town, but when I get out on the open road, I begin to allow negative thoughts to take over. I start thinking what if I have an anxiety attack so far from home? What if my car breaks  down and I have an anxiety attack? What if I lose control in front of my friends?

Once you start down the road of what if thinking, it can be difficult to get back on track. Last week I went for a drive several hundred miles from home. My anxiety went up and down and I even suffered one panic attack. However, I kept driving to my destination.

What I took away from this experience was to prepare for situations that I know may trigger my anxiety. I took my anxiety medication on the trip as a security blanket. Though, even after having a panic attack I did not take them.

I also brought along two good friends of mine that are understanding and good conversationalists. This was extremely helpful.

If you are going in to a situation that triggers your anxiety, plan ahead. Don't let anxiety rule your life. I went on that trip in spite of my anxiety. Yes I was uncomfortable, but it was better than staying home and feeling bad that I gave in. The more you plan ahead and practice situations that are difficult, the less intense the anxiety will be and the better you will feel about yourself. Of course, if the anxiety gets too bad, be compassionate with yourself and have a back-up plan. Mine was to turn around if it got to bad and go back home. My friends were aware and cool with that and I wouldn't have felt bad about it.