Untitled @drivingfearprogram - Tumblr Blog

How to treat anxiety disorder http://www.driving-fear-program.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/how-to-treat-anxiety-disorder.jpg “Every time I think my anxiety is gone for good, it comes back worse than before. Can you help me?” From time to time I get email asking for advice on how to make anxiety go away. For some reason I’m reminded of a rude houseguest, or a family member that lingers and looms. Perhaps t...

New Post has been published on http://driving-fear-program.com/treat-anxiety-disorder/

How to treat anxiety disorder

“Every time I think my anxiety is gone for good, it comes back worse than before. Can you help me?”

From time to time I get email asking for advice on how to make anxiety go away. For some reason I’m reminded of a rude houseguest, or a family member that lingers and looms. Perhaps the connection isn’t completely off base.

For the most part, anxiety is a condition that comes and goes. But for some, anxiety never goes away completely. That’s the bad news. The good news is you can manage the symptoms so they don’t manage you. If it’s helpful, consider your anxiety as a chronic condition that needs constant monitoring. Miss a day of treatment and you may throw your system off. Having a plan means your daily To-do list includes anti-anxiety strategies.

Because anxiety can occur at three levels: brain, behavior and subjective experience, it makes sense to tackle numerous fronts.

Here are 9 things you can do on any given day to get on the right side of calm.

I. Outsmart Your Brooding Ways

1. Fire the “What-ifs Committee” inside your brain. One of the most difficult tasks is talking yourself out of the foreboding and menacing danger which (you think) threatens you. In reality, your fear is not menacing, and may not even exist. Anxiety is not actually fear, because fear is based on something right in front of you, a real and objective danger. Becoming aware of defaulting to worst-case scenarios will help you avoid being trapped in an endless loop of what-ifs.

2. Control your inner dialogue. Check your vocabulary for unhealthy words such as hate, stupid, always, never, ugly, unlovable, defective, and broken. Replace black-or-white language with more neutral terms.

3. Fall in love with the Cognitive-Behavioral Triangle. Anxious people often feel “attacked” by their feelings. In reality, feelings come after a thought. Being aware of your thought process is crucial, especially because some thoughts are core beliefs, or internalized scripts that are ingrained and automatic. If you struggle with overreacting in the heat of the moment, it’s likely because unhealthy feelings lead to the same ol’ unhealthy behaviors. Remember the following diagram:

Thoughts —> Feelings —> Behaviors

For extra support about rewiring your thoughts, check out this in-depth article.

II. Behavioral Strategies

1. Meditate to promote mindfulness. Your mind simply cannot become calm, confident and clear, if you do not pay attention to paying attention:

You can’t stop boredom from bothering you if you don’t realize you’re checking out in the first place You can’t overcome avoidance if you don’t recognize you’re dreading reality this very moment You can’t practice steps to feel calm if you don’t listen to your body’s stress signals This short video offers beginner tips on meditation.

2. Be where you are. One of my favorite anxiety hacks is giving 100% of my attention to the task at hand. For example, if I’m helping my son with his homework, I put everything else aside and focus my attention on quizzing him on vocabulary words. I don’t try and cook dinner or check email during this time because multi-tasking is bad for the brain. According to a recent time.com article:

“Every time you switch your focus from one thing to another, there’s something called a switch-cost,” says Dr. Earl Miller, a professor of neuroscience at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. “Your brain stumbles a bit, and it requires time to get back to where it was before it was distracted.

One recent study found it can take your brain 15 to 25 minutes to get back to where it was after stopping to check an email.”

3. Work faster. I know, this seems downright counterintuitive to all the anxiety advice about slowing down and paying attention. But working more quickly and efficiently saves time because trusting your skills and talents means you don’t get sucked into the perfectionist trap.

III. Healthy Lifestyle Habits

1. Breathe. Slow and deep breathing is the cornerstone of calm. Start by breathing in and out slowly. After a few seconds practice the 4-4-4: Inhale for a count of four, hold for a count of four, then exhale for a count of four. Let the breath flow in and out effortlessly. Repeat four times.

2. Drink more water. Dehydration may affect anxiety in a variety of ways. One sign is that your body starts to function improperly: Hormone distribution is impacted because of poor blood flow, muscles may tense up, and your brain may weaken or change as a result of water loss.

3. Make sleep a priority. Our culture celebrates those who work hard and play hard, but there’s a price. If you’re irritable, sluggish and drained, chances are you’re sleep deprived.

The National Sleep Foundation (NSF), along with a multi-disciplinary expert panel, issued its new recommendations for appropriate sleep duration. Here are the adult recommendations:

Younger adults (18-25): 7-9 hours Adults (26-64): 7-9 hours Older adults (65+): 7-8 hours In short, seeing your own worry list as a problem to be solved each and every day means minimizing unnecessary anxiety. Best of all, you’re harnessing your excess energy to get things done.

#anxiety #anxiety attack #Anxiety Disorder #anxiety treatment #Anxiety When Driving #Driving Anxiety #Overcome Anxiety

Four Tips That Will Help You Overcome Your Driving Phobia http://www.driving-fear-program.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/driving-phobia-3.jpg Driving phobia is a very common phobia that disables its victims. Those who suffer form driving phobia experience problems in their social life, careers, and in their mental health. Despite this, many individuals who suffer from driving phobia refuse to get help and instead choose to ignore the...

New Post has been published on http://driving-fear-program.com/four-tips-will-help-overcome-driving-phobia/

Four Tips That Will Help You Overcome Your Driving Phobia

Driving phobia is a very common phobia that disables its victims. Those who suffer form driving phobia experience problems in their social life, careers, and in their mental health. Despite this, many individuals who suffer from driving phobia refuse to get help and instead choose to ignore the problem. This is a shame because there are available treatments that are proven to help individuals overcome their phobia.

Driving phobia does not have to be permanent. In fact, by making a commitment to yourself and fallowing the four tips mentioned below you can be cured.

1. A lot of people who suffer from driving phobia simply refuse to use their cars. This method will simply worsen your fear because you do not confront the problem but avoid it instead. To overcome your fears you have do gradually convince your mind that there is nothing to fear.

2. While driving dry to listen to music that will calm you down, by doing this your stress levels will decrease and you will gradually calm down.

3. In order to build your confidence up, ask someone to accompany you.

4. Fear can make you stop breathing. Therefore, do not forget to take deep breaths. By doing so, you will steady your heart and feel calmer.

Remember you can not do everything at once, start slowly and take baby steps, by doing so you will eventually overcome your driving phobia. The important thing is that you do not let fear control you.

Five Proven Tips that will Help You Overcome Your Driving Phobia

Driving phobia is one the most common phobias around the world. In fact, it is estimated that approximately 19.2 million people suffer from phobia. People who suffer from phobia suffer from a mental condition that affects their social life, self-esteem, their work, and their life in general. They often feel embarrassed and choose to avoid their problem instead of seeking help.

The fallowing five tips have been proven to help individuals overcome their driving phobia.

• Music and driving- Listen to music while you drive. This will create a soothing environment that will help you relax and reduce your fear and anxiety.

• Exhale and inhale- Taking long deep breaths while driving will help you reduce your stress level and will also allow your heart rate to slow down. Breathing will also help you overcome the symptoms that arise due to your phobia.

• Keep your mind busy- Individuals that suffer from phobia tend to think negative thoughts that escalate their fear. Therefore, try to keep your mind busy by remembering happy memories. This will help you reduce your fear.

• Get a driving partner- By having another person in the vehicle you will be able to feel calmer, thus increasing your confidence.

• Take one step at a time- Know your limits and do not try to overcome your phobia in one day. Realize and accept that it will take time before you can go back to how things used to be before the fear started.

By following these steps you will eventually be able to cure your driving phobia.

#Driving Phobia

Driving You Crazy - Driving Phobia And Its Treatment http://www.driving-fear-program.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/driving-phobia-2.jpg It’s a surprise to most people – including those that suffer from it – that driving phobia is one of the most common phobias. This is because it’s a hidden phobia: sufferers are embarrassed by it so they go to great lengths to accommodate and conceal their fear. And they...

New Post has been published on http://driving-fear-program.com/driving-crazy-driving-phobia-treatment/

Driving You Crazy - Driving Phobia And Its Treatment

It’s a surprise to most people – including those that suffer from it – that driving phobia is one of the most common phobias.

This is because it’s a hidden phobia: sufferers are embarrassed by it so they go to great lengths to accommodate and conceal their fear. And they think they are alone. But they are not. Their condition is well understood by phobia specialists and their symptoms, avoidance patterns and responses are very similar to those of other silent sufferers.

WHAT IS DRIVING PHOBIA?

Driving phobia is an irrational fear of driving, of being or feeling out of control whilst driving, causing dread, panic and avoidance. It is rarely skills related – most people with a driving phobia are good, competent drivers. They are usually normal, well-balanced people who once drove happily but are now anxious and panicky when driving or else don’t drive at all.

WHO IT AFFECTS

A driving phobia is like getting a puncture: it happens to lots of people, it can happen to anyone and it makes driving very difficult or impossible.

And it’s very frustrating for sufferers because a part of them – the conscious, rational, thinking part – knows that they are good drivers and these situations are non-threatening. But they nevertheless find that when they are on certain roads or in particular driving situations, another part of them (the irrational unconscious part) drives out rational thought and fear floods in.

Experience shows that it is the more imaginative, creative or artistic people who are more prone to developing driving phobias. This is because phobias have a lot to do with the misuse of the imagination. So it can affect all kinds of people, irrespective of their driving skill.

THE CAUSE

Driving phobia can be caused by a traumatic or unsettling event (such as an accident) but is usually caused by something much milder (like overtaking on a freeway, being stuck in a jam or going over a high bridge) which normally would be okay but at the time the individual was perhaps a lot more stressed that normal (background stress levels raised by other things like tiredness or financial, work or relationship problems) and this tipped them into a mild panic attack. The irrational mind (which is also responsible for survival and instincts) creates a pattern of this event and matches this to future times and places, triggering the same kind of panic response again and again. This builds into a phobia.

So driving phobia is linked to different things for different people – to driving on wide open roads like freeways (most common), to expressways, small roads, hills, high roads, bridges, flyovers, particular routes, junctions, to maneuvers (especially overtaking), to being boxed in by heavy traffic, to being close to particular vehicles (usually large or high-sided ones) or to being limited to a particular speed. It often starts on freeways and spreads to smaller highways or expressways, then to smaller roads, restricting the routes, speed and distances that can be traveled.

SAFETY BEHAVIOURS & AVOIDANCE

Sufferers use numerous safety and avoidance strategies to accommodate and control their embarrassment and panic.

As more and more routes or situations are avoided, the sufferer’s world starts to close in. Energy and time are used in planning and driving alternative routes. They may have to drive at times when the roads are clear. Partners and friends may have to drive instead or have to take over en route. Excuses are made to avoid giving people lifts or traveling with friends and colleagues. Jobs and invitations may be turned down. People and situations are manipulated. Freedom and independence are diminished.

Over time such “solutions” interfere so much in life that they actually become part of the problem. At this point – and it can take years for someone with a driving phobia to get to this point – the sufferer acknowledges that they can’t change this themselves, and seeks professional help.

TREATMENT FOR DRIVING PHOBIA

There are now effective, pain-free, scare-free and drug-free treatments available for driving phobia, indeed, for any phobia.

The most remarkable of these is the Fast Phobia Cure which rapidly, reliably and comfortably de-conditions the patterns that drive the phobia. Using the Fast Phobia Cure most phobias – even extreme and long-standing phobias – can be eliminated in a matter of minutes.

Other common phobia treatments include the Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) which can provide effective and fast relief, and Cognitive Therapy – designed to change the way you think about driving – is also useful but often involves exposure therapy and is more long-term.

Guy Baglow is a leading phobia specialist and founder of the mindspa phobia clinic ( www.phobiaclinic.co.uk), the UK’s leading specialist private phobia clinic in Harley Street – a world centre of healthcare excellence in London – where driving phobics of all kinds (including rally drivers and police drivers) have overcome their fear in as little as a single session. An online clinic ( www.phobiaclinic.net) has downloadable treatments including the Fast Phobia Cure and The Driving Phobia Cure ( phobiaclinic online – driving phobia [http://www.phobiaclinic.net/driving.htm]).

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Guy_Baglow/95738

#driving ph #Driving Phobia

Driving Phobia Tips - How to Overcome Driving Fear? Many of us secretly bear anxiety and fear while driving vehicles. In fact, particular driving phobia affects millions of people. According to recent study, at least 1 in 10 individuals suffer from phobias including driving anxiety. The disorder is more common in women than in men. Driving phobia...

New Post has been published on http://driving-fear-program.com/driving-phobia-tips-overcome-driving-fear/

Driving Phobia Tips - How to Overcome Driving Fear?

Many of us secretly bear anxiety and fear while driving vehicles. In fact, particular driving phobia affects millions of people. According to recent study, at least 1 in 10 individuals suffer from phobias including driving anxiety. The disorder is more common in women than in men.

Driving phobia is a very high, often irrational, form of anxiousness. According to The National Institute of Phobia the sufferers of this type of phobia often experience panic strikes and go out of their way to stay away from what they fear. If you suffer from a driving phobia, then you may find it barely possible to drive a car, so that you may need to stop your car mid-drive.

Sometimes the cause of driving phobia is not clear. Even if now you feel completely secure while driving, later you may develop heightened fright related to being in a car. However, it is often a driving phobia begins after witnessing or experiencing a vehicle accident. Sometimes it also develops after driving through bad weather or at a terrible night giving stress to the driver.

Signs of a driving phobia include nausea, panic attacks, pain, depressed feeling, intense headaches, sweats, anger feeling, driving nightmare, trouble sleeping, sore eyes, swallow difficulty, and increased sensitivity. While mild phobia is not a straightaway safety endangerment, driving while struggling with a particular driving phobia is not safe. If you suffer from driving phobia, you may behave erratically and irrationally or may experience a panic attack while driving, which could be disturbing to others. Thus, it is very important to overcome a driving phobia before you continue to drive.

There are many tips to overcome your driving fear as described below:

Make sure you have checked your eyes. It is probable that part of your insecurities about driving to not seeing hazardous objects until they are very close to you. The ability to reading traffic signs further ahead provides you with better time to respond.

Take a course of safe driving. This kind of course will increase your confidence as you understand the requirements and techniques for safer driving.

Before you drive, try to do things that can help you lessening your tension. For example, you can go on the treadmill or do something else requiring skill and attention. Throw away any irrational bases for your driving fear. Avoid thinking only about having to drive. Instead, engaging in an informal conversation about common topics is good to keep your mind diverted from thoughts of driving.

Prepare yourself to go. It means you should check for your tank of gas, license, registration, toll money in advance. If possible, you can prepare your clothes the night before when you need to drive in the morning. It is also good to use the bathroom before you start driving. Thus, you do not bother about these things as you are already anxious about driving.

Plan your route before leaving. Understanding your route in advance is beneficial whether you are utilizing GPS or not. To feel more ready you can also schedule your driving times for less busy traffic and times. For example, you can try to leave for work early to avoid the rush hour. Acknowledge which routes have more truck traffic, so you can reroute your trip to avoid distraction from those big trucks.

Decrease distractions while driving. Turn off your mobile phone. Do not chat with passengers. Turn off the radio, unless it is your favorite radio station that makes you relax. Driving is serious matter. It is essential that you keep your eyes on the road ahead you.

Breathe deeply for a few seconds throughout your driving journey. If you start feeling panic, try to calm yourself down by breathing more slowly. If the panic persists, pull over to the side of the road so you can feel better to continue driving. Keep telling yourself that you can drive well and will arrive at your destination securely.

Reward yourself every time you arrive at your destination. Congratulate yourself for what you have accomplished. Even when other people do not think driving is a big deal, keep doing that as in fact it is a major accomplishment. Celebrate your own success.

If you rarely drive, then high-speed interstate highways busy city streets could be frightening for you. Do not rush. It is important to build up your confidence gradually. You can begin with short drives to nearby library, park, or grocery store. Every time you can pass the route without any incident, you can become more confident.

In your free time while you are not driving try to get a CD that uses self-hypnosis to help decreasing your driving anxiety. Some people found that after listening to it for several times they can overcome their driving fear that comes particularly when crossing bridge, facing hectic traffic or passing interstate highways.

Do not worry if you get lost while driving as it is actually an opportunity to explore. Finding your way home through unfamiliar path can boost your confidence and open up new areas to conquer. In case you become overly panicked to drive, you can always ask a family member or a friend to come and pick you up. It is dangerous to drive while being extremely panicked. It may deter you from desiring to drive in the future. After all, treatments for driving phobia fully depend on the subject and the level of the phobia itself. To diagnose severity of your driving phobia, a trained, medical professional can help and recommend the right medication or counseling to treat it. Often the doctor or psychologist uses the Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to help suffered individual learning a new thought path to avoid driving fear.

#Driving Phobia #Fear of Driving