One of the more common questions I’m asked is how to cope with anxiety while driving. People have many different fears in this area, ranging from fear of being caught in traffic to crossing waterway bridges. Often the anxiety stems from a fear of being trapped in the vehicle in gridlock traffic or losing control of the vehicle and causing a collision. Needless to say, even though they may have been battling a driving phobia for many years, almost all of the people I’ve consulted with have not actually had any of these mishaps occur. Let’s look at the primary
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Many people who suffer from panic and anxiety attacks on a regular basis find that the simple act of getting up in the morning starts the cycle. The reason for this is because your body is coming out of sleep and any feelings of anxiety are exaggerated. Most of us are not ‘morning’ people, so when you add anxiety to the equation you can see why mornings are usually the most anxious time of the day for people with an anxiety disorder. Desensitizing your body from being in an anxious state takes a lot of time and patience, and there
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Panic and anxiety tends to immobilize people, so much so, that some people have a fear of even leaving their home. Agoraphobia is the technical term used to describe people who are afraid of open spaces or being in crowded places like malls, outdoor markets and theme parks. If you’ve ever felt anxious about leaving home, or your “safe zone”, you’re experiencing some of the effects of agoraphobia. The truth is, those feelings are really just feelings of vulnerability. People who suffer from panic attacks feel like they are more vulnerable in certain situations, and so they have difficulty feeling
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People who experience panic attacks will often say that they feel out of control as soon as the panic is in full swing. Christian Nevell Bovee once wrote: “Panic is a sudden desertion of us, and a going over to the enemy of our imagination.” Doesn’t that sum it up well? A confident self assured person can suddenly feel powerless and vulnerable as soon as the panic manifests. As the bodily sensations race, the mind jumps from logic and reason to wild fears fueled by the imagination. The hardest part for most people to get their heads around is why
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